Francis Gay

“I LIKE a nice bar of chocolate,” Tom told me, “but I especially enjoyed the one I bought last night.”

He had been in the queue at the local shop. The man in front of him – elderly, leaning on a stick – was trying to buy two bars of chocolate.

But because of a mix-up over what was and wasn’t on special offer, he didn’t have enough money. So, Tom paid for one bar and said: “We’ll just share this.”

“In that moment,” Tom explained, “I saw a husband trying to treat his wife. As someone who always wants his wife to feel appreciated, I couldn’t walk past another man trying to do the same.”

So, he bought the bar, caught up with the other man, and said he hoped they enjoyed it.

I’m sure they did. But, as much as Tom did? I’m not so sure about that! “IT’S what Sally is good at,” Janice told me.

They had been at work. Sally had asked how she was – and then refused to accept Janice’s assertion she was fine.

“She saw it in my eyes and, pretty soon, I was telling her everything I was going through. Helen walked by, heard what we were talking about and kept walking. She’s hopeless with emotional stuff.”

Two days later Helen left a bag of hand and face creams on her desk. They were Janice’s favourite brand and a little pampering was just what she needed. When Janice tried to thank her, Helen changed the subject.

Different people have different strengths. And the world is a more wonderful place because of it – if we look beyond the weaknesses.