When I was 14, life was a daily struggle. My family was so poor that I often went to school without lunch, pretending I had forgotten it just to hide the truth. I’d sit alone, watching other kids eat, hoping no one would notice. But one teacher did. Without ever asking questions, she quietly brought me lunch every day, never making me feel ashamed.
Then one day, she was gone—no goodbye, no reason. But I never forgot her kindness. Ten years later, I had become a lawyer, something I once thought impossible. One morning, I noticed her name on my client list. When she walked into my office, I recognized her instantly—but she looked tired, burdened by something heavy.
She didn’t recognize me at first, but when I told her my name, she smiled through tears. Her story broke my heart. Her husband had left her and taken all her savings. She came to me hoping for help, not knowing if she could even afford it. I told her she wouldn’t pay a cent—I was taking her case for free.
We fought her case and won—she got all her money back and more. When the verdict was announced, she cried and hugged me. “You saved me,” she said. But I just smiled and replied, “No—you saved me first.” Her small act of kindness years ago had changed my life. Now it was my turn to give back.