Every day, a 10-year-old girl would come to the park and sleep on a bench for 15 minutes. One day, I couldn’t take it any longer and decided to find out why. 🤔😲
I often grab lunch at a café across from my office. It’s a modest place, nothing fancy, but they serve fast, tasty meals. If I have a bit of time left after eating, I take a stroll to the park across the street. It’s quiet, and my favorite bench is usually available. I like to sit there, taking in the sights of the people walking by.
One day, I noticed a young girl, around 10 years old, arriving at the park at the same time every day—just after lunch, judging by her school uniform. She would sit on a bench nearby, pull out her backpack, set it next to her, and, after a couple of minutes, fall asleep while sitting up. She didn’t lie down or cover herself, just stayed upright with her eyes closed.
She would sleep for about 10 to 15 minutes, then wake up, grab her backpack, and walk away. This routine repeated every day. She was small, thin, with neatly braided pigtails, always in clean clothes. No phones, no toys—just came, slept, and left. I didn’t want to intrude, but with each passing day, I became more and more concerned. There was something off about it.
One day, I couldn’t hold back any longer. I decided to speak with the girl and what I learned broke my heart. 😨😲
I approached her gently when she had just woken up, and asked:
“Excuse me, can I ask you something? Why do you sleep here every day? Don’t you have a bed at home?”
She looked at me calmly, like she was much older than her years, and after a brief pause, she replied quietly:
“I have a little sister now. Mom is really tired. Dad isn’t around. My sister doesn’t sleep well. When she cries at night, I get up, pick her up, and rock her so mom can rest a bit.
In the mornings, I go to school. Then I do my homework, and I still have chores around the house. I don’t want Mom to know I’m tired. But here, I can sleep. No one sees me.”
I was speechless. I felt a lump in my throat and goosebumps on my skin. This little girl, just a child, was carrying a load so heavy that even many adults couldn’t bear it. And yet, there was no complaining, no self-pity—just a deep care for her mother.
From that day on, I bring her a warm cup of cocoa and a bun. We don’t talk about it. We just sit together on the bench, and then we go our separate ways.
Sometimes, the strongest people are the smallest ones.
