Tag Archives: lesson from a child

Life Lessons Teacher: The Street Beggar

To say that I am utterly amazed would be an understatement. I had lunch with a friend and her 5-year old daughter today, and I almost fell off my seat when she blurted out, “Mama, I want to get some take out food for that old lady we saw begging on the streets yesterday.”

It’s admirable how such a young girl feels empathy for people who take to the streets just to manage to put food in their mouths. While other kids her age would bug their moms about getting them the latest Barbie dollhouse, she thinks about feeding the poor. And to think that they saw that old lady the day before! The image of a poor old hag begging for food must’ve stuck to her like crazy glue- and for good measure!

We adults could learn a thing or two from this kid. That doesn’t necessarily mean that we should doggy bag every little scrap of meat from a fancy restaurant and dole them out to people on the streets. More than material things, what matters more is the immaterial. We can share our time, for instance, and volunteer to cheer kids up at a nearby hospital. Simple acts of kindness and generosity go a long way.