2.

Write a story about how witnessing a small act of kindness gave you a new understanding of the
world.

The holiday shopping season is here again. The thought of my favourite stores becoming
nothing short of war zones make me cringe. Yet, today I saw something that gave me hope. I was
meeting some friends for breakfast this morning, and we went to a local restaurant that had quite a
line waiting for a table. In fact, the entry was extremely crowded and people were standing in the
entry to avoid getting wet in the cold rainy weather outside at the pathway. It was as packed as
when it was at the train station during peak rush hours. We were standing at the side when I saw a
couple entered, they were elderly — I’m guessing late seventies and joined the crowd standing. I
saw a family with school aged children sitting on the single bench. A little boy of approximately eight
or nine years old was looking at the couple with big brown eyes. Suddenly, he jumped up and pulled
his younger sister off the bench as well and offered the couple their seats. It was truly a moment of
selfless, voluntary kindness that touched my heart. The family these two children came from a
couple that had six young children, this boy being the oldest. His parents had been wrestling with
the younger children on their laps and did not really noticed what was going on until the elderly
couple sat next to them, smiling and thanking the generosity of the young man and his sister.

I find myself still smiling as I remember the moment and I find myself increasing grateful to
the child for his actions and to his parents for caring enough to teach him compassion. While other
patrons seemed to notice the gesture initially, it was quickly dismissed because of their own
discomfort with the wait. I, on the other hand, chose to give the young man two bars of chocolate to
share with his siblings with a note of thanks to him for displaying such unselfish thoughtfulness. Such
big acts of kindness at a young age should of course be rewarded.

It made me realised that this world was afterall, not as cold and unfriendly as it seemed,
that there are people who actually care about one other and is courageous enough to show it. It was
a heartwarming feeling to know more about these little selfless acts and that we should all try to
forget about our small and minor discomforts, and learn from this lovely child with a beautiful heart
by doing what we know in our hearts to be true and right. That is to help our fellow human beings,
those in need of a little extra kindness and consideration. Previously I thought that people had
forgotten about the human tribe and became so egocentric and selfish to the point that all sorts of
inappropriate actions are vied as the norm. However as the saying goes, change starts from oneself,
and a small act of kindness goes a long way. It was a moment of brightness in this all too dark world,
and I reminded myself to pass this kindness the next time.

Jerlin Huang (16) 4E2