POLOKWANE – During a recent morning assembly, Tanya explained her situation to the school. She said that she was at a coffee shop and she happened to read the back of a sugar sachet which has inspirational messages and quotes printed on them.
The quote she read was a Swedish proverb which read: “Shared joy is a double joy, shared sorrow is half a sorrow”. She said this made her think of her fellow learners and how they may be going through a hard time or may be under pressure but had no way of sharing their pain. Keeping this thought and the Swedish proverb in mind, she wanted to act on the dilemma and do something for someone else; to share joy and get some in return.
“I thought to myself, what if I can make a difference in someone’s day and make them smile and assure them by my act that people care about them,” she explained.
Tanya then e-mailed the sugar company, telling them how the quote she read made a difference to her day and how she wanted to make someone else smile.
They replied and sent her over 2 000 sachets so she could give one to each learner at her school. After the assembly, she handed out the sugar sachets to each learner to share the joy and give them some inspiration.
“I hope the quote you read makes a difference to your day and that you appreciate this small gift from me to you,” she said.
Sometimes, it is not the size of the gift but rather, the thought behind it, that counts.
