I felt compelled and went back

I was on a bike ride recently and passed a woman sitting on a bench.

I felt compelled to ride back and ask if she was okay. For some reason, whether the look on her face or her posture, I thought something might be wrong. I don’t know what I planned to do if there actually was something wrong, but I assumed just knowing someone cared might be a good start.

I rode back and approached her with my question.

Nothing was wrong but she was delighted I asked. She said it had been a really busy weekend and she was just decompressing in a beautiful spot with her cup of coffee.

Could I have felt stupid that I made an instinctual decision to go back and ask a stranger if they were okay? Yes. Did I? No. It would have nagged at me if I didn’t honor the haunting question that erupted in me the second I saw her.

Maybe she didn’t need the encouragement today, but maybe it was enough that when SHE passes someone who really is in need and alone in the future she’ll think twice and stop to offer a listening ear.