We all know and love that famous catchphrase, “Not all heroes wear capes.” Sometimes we forget how true and powerful those five words really are. But every once in a while, someone appears and reminds us of the credibility of this meaningful sentence.
For instance, the other day, as I was driving to work, I witnessed a miraculous event that truly grounded me.
That morning, I woke up pretty late. As I was speeding through my apartment trying to find my things, make myself a cup of my daily fuel (a.k.a. coffee), and get ready for work, I was cursing at my laziness and my stupid alarm clock, and was genuinely angry with myself.
All of that, of course, resulted in me being in a bad mood.
Since I was late, I also got stuck in traffic, which had been the cherry on top – another thing to be angry about.
But as I was waiting in traffic, I saw an older lady struggling with her grocery bags. The lady was using a walking stick and had four big plastic bags filled with groceries. Out of nowhere, a young man approached her, offering to help her with her bags. She smiled and allowed him.
And my heart melted. That small act of kindness had been a true reality slap for me, and it made me say out loud: Not all heroes wear capes.
The next time I had that thought was when I heard the story I’m about to share with you. It truly inspired me not only to be kind but to open my eyes to truly see the good that people around me do every day.
Here’s the story. Back in 2015, a man had jumped into a storm drain through a narrow shaft with the intention to save a small stray kitten that had fallen through.
The tiny tabby fellow had been hiding in the warm engine of a nearby car that was parked in a parking lot. When the owner of the car came back, the poor kitten got really scared. She immediately jumped out attempting to run away and hide.
But she didn’t see the storm drain near the car, and she fell right into it. And to make matters worse, the poor kitty got stuck inside, unable to get out on her own.
The person driving the car did not notice the kitten in distress. I like to believe that if he did, he would’ve definitely helped her himself. But he drove off carefree, not knowing that he had left a kitten in desperate need of help.
The poor tabby baby cried for help. I cannot even imagine how scared for her life she had been. One minute she was sleeping in the warm engine of someone’s car, and the next she was trapped inside a dark, cold, damp storm drain, all by herself.
If felines are known for anything, it’s definitely for their ability to get themselves into various predicaments and challenging situations. That is simply in their nature, so no one can blame the kitten for what happened to her.
Even though she probably thought that drain would be the end of her, the universe decided to prove her wrong. Luckily for her, a very special man had heard of her situation and came to her rescue.
When Avi Kuzi, a well-known and avid cat rescuer from Israel, was informed about a poor kitten in the storm drain, he immediately rushed to help her. There was no ounce of doubt or hesitation – he was determined to save the poor fluff.
Avi said that he always comes to save animals, no matter how challenging the road or situation is. It’s not only his love for animals that motivates him to do good for them, it’s something much deeper than that. He said that animals are a part of his blood and an extra sense in his body.
Wow. I got chills just reading that. What a genuinely good and inspiring person Avi is. This world definitely needs more people like him.
By jumping into the drain and rescuing the kitten, not only did Avi ensure one feline gets a chance at a happy life, but he also inspired many others to do the same. His determination to help and do good is an endless motivation for all of us to never second-guess the importance of acts of kindness.
I hope we all remember Avi and his heroic act. And I also hope we never forget to embrace our inner hero and do good deeds any chance we get.
There is no need to read about heroes in headlines and fiction stories. We can be heroes ourselves!