It was a different weekend.

On Saturday, my parents and I took a walk together after dinner in the neighbourhood. On the way home, we ran across a little girl, who was sitting alone on the ground. On the verge of tears, she was looking down helplessly at her broken-down bike.

My father stopped in his tracks, went up and asked gently, “Do you need help, girl?” The little girl could not help bursting out crying and said, “Yes, I do. I am scared.” My father smiled and patted her on the head. He told her not to worry. Then Father called me over, asking me to give him a hand. Dusk closing in, I turned on the phone torch to illuminate the place. It was not long before Father got the bike fixed. The shy girl’s face turned red and she became all smiles. After a while, she said many thanks to us before she rode off.

The world is always as strange as that. You can get help from complete strangers. You can help others too, even though you have never met them before. Helping blesses the helper as well as the helped.

Seeing the girl pedalling away, Father and I exchanged glances and beamed. We did not get any pay in cash, our hands got smudged, and we were tired. Despite that, we felt our effort rewarded us in ways that cash cannot.

It is a truth that giving is receiving. Learn to help others. Your service does good to you too. What goes round comes round.