How to Change Someone
About a year ago, a video drew considerable attention online. It showed a middle-aged man causing a disturbance while confronting police officers on a subway platform. Just then, a young man approached him and hugged him tightly. He also gently patted him on the back, as if to say, “I understand you.” The middle-aged man, who had been shouting and arguing with the officers only moments before, gradually calmed down in the young man’s arms.
The video left a deep impression on me. Perhaps the best way to change someone is not through commands or restraint, but through a few warm words or a small gesture, such as holding their hand or giving them a hug. I, too, want to be someone who comforts others and helps them change, like Mother, who does not dwell on our faults but always looks upon us with gentle eyes and surrounds us with Her love.
