The Day I Learnt About My Life Purpose and Then Forgot About It.

I stepped out of the quiet church that Sunday morning in May 1985 and stepped into the busy square.

The congregation met in front and I spotted my mother revealing how proud she was of my services as the altar boy. I was happy that I had not forgotten to pass the gift basket this time! 20 minutes of playing good boy before we could go to the white mercedes 250 and just leave!

I obeyed all the time:

• good grades

• no smoking

• no motorbikes

• prepare to go to university to be someone who is respected.

In this world of Portuguese emigrants in Germany, everything was squared and ordered.

—

The daughter of the priest‘s housekeeper approached me out of nowhere.

„Can you come and help?“ she begged in a panicked voice. „My brother needs you! Just come!“. „Alright,“ I answered, thinking „they always come to me!“

And with that, I went back into the church that carried a musty and perfumed scent.

—

The brother was in anguish.

„My mother … my mother … „ he repeated. „What do you need?“ I asked. And I sat him down and learnt abut the epileptic attack his mother had gone through and his fears about losing his mother — the only parent left. I listened, and then listened even more. He finally let go of the shaky voice.

A week later, I met the sister and asked „Why me?“

„Because you calm people down.“

I was not yet ready to grasp the significance and deviate from my path of studying physics rather than go for „poor people’s“ social studies.

It took me 25 years to accept that invitation and become someone who calms people down.

Read this post and more on my Typeshare Social Blog