The 30-Second Joy Break That Changed My Whole Morning
A story about how a simple act of kindness—helping an elder cross the street in New York—shifted the weight of stress and deadlines, reminding us that small moments of joy can change everything.
This morning, I woke up annoyed. Heavy. Frustrated. The weight of the world (and academia) was sitting on my shoulders. Deadlines. Expectations. The grind.
I'm in New York today—so I did what New Yorkers do. Head down. Fast pace. Focused on getting where I needed to go. No time for small talk, no eye contact. Just hustle.
Right before I ducked into a coffee shop to work on edits for my new book, I saw someone trying to get my attention. Normally, I’d ignore it. (Hey, it’s New York.)
But I looked.
An older woman—late 80s, maybe early 90s—about 4'10", walking with a cane, asked:
“Can I hold on to you to cross the street?”
That one sentence cracked all the stress I had been carrying.
So we walked. Slowly. Her arm looped in mine. No words. Just presence.
When we got across, she said thank you.
I told her to have a great day.
That 30-second moment changed everything.
The deadlines didn’t disappear. The chaos of New York didn’t slow down.
But I did.
Sometimes joy isn’t loud.
Sometimes kindness is the medicine.
Sometimes, helping someone else is the only way to help yourself.
So today, if you're in your feelings, tired, or overwhelmed…
Try offering help. Even a small act.
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