Not 15 minutes ago, I left my apartment en route to the lobby to facebook until our mid-semester meeting. As I locked the door behind me, I saw a girl coming down the hall, also heading to the elevator. She was carrying a large carry case, her large cat, and crying hysterically.
My first thought was that her boyfriend had just broken up with her and she was leaving. As we waited for the elevator, she called someone on her phone, and told them that she thought her cat had died. She was sobbing at this point, and my heart went out to her. She hung up the phone, looked at me, and through her tears apologized for making such a scene.
I asked her if she needed a hug, and she opened her arms. I hugged this complete stranger for a good five minutes, as she told me about how this cat was her baby, and that she had just moved out to DC and didn't know how to get to the 24-hr Veterinary Clinic. Her friend called her back with the directions, and I asked her if she needed any help with anything. She said no, but seemed to feel better that I had asked.
Her cat looked like my old cat Lucky, only he was rather large, kind of like my cat Sugar Ray. My initial reaction to seeing her was to say "I like your cat" as I myself miss my pets in SLC like crazy. I'm glad I instead offered her a hug instead of complimenting her cat.
The whole scene just reminded me how easy it is to offer someone a seemingly basic action (a hug) and how much it can help them. My heart broke for her, I hope she will be okay.
No comments:
Post a Comment