Francis Gay

A sideways look at life:

The world is a hard place and everyone is looking out for number one. Except…I saw him walking past the window of the café. He had his hands over his ears and looked distressed. When the waitress asked if he was “sitting in”, he almost cried.

The nose of roadworks was hurting his head, he explained. He had no money. He just needed to get away from the noise.

She led him to a seat by a small table.

Amy works with members of the public who find themselves in difficult situations.

It isn’t easy and (thankfully) she hasn’t become hardened by it. The downside of that is it only takes one unpleasant customer to spoil the whole day.

Checking in on her recently, I found her much more upbeat.

“Are you liking the work more?” I asked. “Fewer awkward customers these days?”

“Nope!” she said emphatically, but with a smile. “But I have a notepad in my drawer now, where I keep a list of all the people I’ve helped that day. Having the good in ink on paper makes it much more difficult for the bad to spoil.”

I’m sure most of us would empathise with the problem. I’m also sure most of us would benefit from the solution. The bad makes a bigger noise, but there is always so much more of the good.

Sometimes we just need to take note! Minutes later, tea and a cake appeared, for no charge.

Then she went behind the counter and, without saying anything, turned the background music, which I had hardly noticed before then, down to a whisper.

The world can seem like a heartless place when we look at the news, at the bigger picture. But, when we look at the millions of little kindnesses, done without fanfare each day – it’s really a wonderful place! Katie’s dad had a heart operation recently. It all went smoothly, and he was up and about in no time. She had been worried, of course, but the process seemed well in hand at every step.

She was out with her hubby when they met his friend Rob. He asked about her dad straight away. When she said he was well, he seemed to swell up with happiness before hugging her and saying he was so happy to hear that.

“That was a bit unexpected,” she said afterwards.

“Yeah… but, no,” her hubby explained. “Rob’s dad had the same operation a few years ago. He didn’t make it.”

Katie doesn’t doubt for a moment the sincerity of Rob’s response. “He must have anticipated that happiness for himself. But he never got to use it. So he put it aside. Then he got to give it to me.”

The happiness you would wish for yourself. Could there be a more heartfelt gift?

Andrew showed me a photo he had taken on his phone.

The screen was filled with white criss-crossing lines. Seeing my puzzled expression, he explained. He and his wife bought a travel cot for the nights they look after their baby grandson.

Andrew had been sitting on the floor gazing through the fine nylon mesh that made up the sides of the cot. His grandson just looked so peaceful and content he had to take a photo.

Unfortunately, while he was focused on the sleeping baby the camera focused on what was closest – the nylon mesh.

“We were both ‘looking’ in the same direction,” Andrew told me, “but we ‘saw’ different things.”

It’s proof, if it were needed, of the old saying that suggests we see in life only what we look for. Keep looking for the beauty!

When it’s all grey clouds, no sign of brighter days, everything seems dull, blurred in the haze, look straight down the tunnel, for that chink of light, it’s just ahead of you, the future may be bright.