A few mornings ago, I skipped out of the office for a while to buy some breakfast from a nearby coffee shop. Right after I walked out of the coffee shop I heard an old lady call me

I don’t know what it is but it works. When somebody calls me “Leng Chai”, I just turn around and look to see who! Even if it’s a guy! 

When I turned around I saw an old lady on a wheelchair sitting right outside the coffee shop asking me if I would like to buy some lottery tickets she was selling. 

The immediate impulse reaction when somebody tries to sell you something is you just say no thanks and walk away.

As I was walking back to the office though my mind starting thinking about that old lady. She was of old age and on a wheel chair yet she had the courage (whether by choice or not) to come out and sell lottery tickets to make some living. I thought about where her children were (if she had any) and then I thought about how would I feel if my parents had to live that kind of life in their old age. My heart sank for I have always promised that I will never allow my parents to live a lesser quality of life than they have given me while I was growing up.

Then I realized that one lottery ticket is probably only going to cost me a few bucks but would give her so much more not just in the small money she makes but in the confidence she might get.

So I turned around and walked all the way back to the coffee shop and bought a ticket from her. I just simply picked the ticket on top. Her bored discouraged frown had turned to a very big smile on her face the minute I expressed interest in buying a ticket from her. I wish I could’ve caught it on camera to show you guys but I didn’t have my camera with me at the time.

I headed back to the office and started thinking that maybe it was a sign. Maybe I’m supposed to buy this ticket to help her and also maybe to give it to someone else to win something. Then I remembered that today is Robb’s birthday so I went back to the office and gave it to Robb.

I said 

Robb started scratching the ticket straight away.

Unfortunately that ticket didn’t win Robb anything (at least so far till we wait for another draw results to come out at the end of the month).

But it felt great anyway because it reminded me how sometimes with one small gesture and with a small amount of money, we can put a smile on someone’s face.