When I think about those things I'm proud of doing recently, the story of my relationship with Rita (not her real name) tops my list. I met Rita in my neighborhood sometimes this year. She is very friendly and jovial; she would greet me with beautiful smiles on her face and always play with my son whenever we passed by their house. At first, it all seemed like her life was going on so well.
This image is mine
I mean, she lives in a big house with her family and has a charcoal supply business. It wasn't until I got to hear her story that I realized there were a lot of things going on behind her beautiful smiles. Rita happened to be a single mom to a nine-year-old boy, whose father hasn't been responsible for him even since he was born. Rita's father, the breadwinner of their family, who always supported Rita, left this world three years ago, and she is left with her aged mother and a son to cater for.
Listening to her, she has been through a lot for a 34-year-old lady, even though I wouldn't support some of her life choices. But judging her at that time won't do her any good, so helping her situation, especially for the benefit of her son, was my concern. She told me that her business is no longer doing as well as it used to due to inflation, and sometimes she and her son would have no choice but to go to bed with an empty stomach. This really broke my heart, and I kept thinking of any way I could help her situation.
When I met Rita, she was at that point in her life where she felt like she was rolling on moving sand. She seemed to continue falling down without anything to hold on to or anyone to hear her calling out for help. All of these were already affecting her inspiration and overall mental health.
There was not much I could do for her, but most times when I cook, I will package some for her son, and sometimes when I shop for stable food items, I do buy some for her according to my capacity. Rita told me of how she had been trying to get a job to support her income from her business without success, so I talked to a friend who works at a nearby hospital, and she was employed as one of their cleaners. That was the position they could offer her, since she has no formal education and only a few years of working experience. I know it's not much, but her salary from there has been of great help to her family. It has been three months since she started working at the hospital, and her financial life has improved thanks to that.
Whenever I think about my role in all of it, I feel proud and happy that when I met her, I took my time to give her a listening ear, and I'm able to help her out in my own little way. We are in a very critical time right now; a lot of people are going through a rough patch. I believe more than ever, we need to look out for one another and lend a helping hand as much as we can handle.
Thank you very much for visiting my blog and for your support 🥰🙏
@funshee✍️
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