My Kindest hero

I would like to share a story about a person who now is my hero. I met her 6 years ago when I moved to small Canadian town called Thompson. She was a Assessment Counselor who helped women find work or gain new skills at the YWCA. She impacted my life in a big way and probably has no idea what a true angel she has been to me. I was going through a horrible divorce and had a three young children with me to raise and take care of. I ended up living at the YWCA and that is how I began to get to know Noreen better. She noticed I did not have much money to provide for my children and she began brining items such as gloves and scarves during the very cold winter months for my children and me. She did not want to make me feel like she was giving me charity, so she used give money in the form of gifts during Christmas and even during her own holiday which I learned about later on. She was a muslim and during her religious celebration, we would also get gifts and treats. It was my first time to meet and know someone from a pakistan backgroud. I learned a lot about how much the same we all are.

What I really liked about her is that she treated me like an equal person. She never judged me and helped me get into a program at the local university. There was a time she stayed late into the evening helping me prepare my application form for entrance and she even paid my application fee. The one thing she always said is \"we are all one\" which meant for her was that money that she earned whether if it was spent on her or if it was spent on me, there was no difference. I used to think that there was a catch to all of this kindness. Honestly, I thought there was something suspicious here, what does she want? How can someone be so kind? But that is when my own faith in God grew and I began going to Church and realizing there are good people, especially women in this world.

I now live in Halifax. I had graduated from a bachelors in Business Administration and I am working for the government and I always think and wonder about her. A complete stranger who showed so much love and care to me and my children. I never was able to say goodbye to her before I moved and she has left her position soon after I left. I do wish to see her again. I hope to have a reunion with her one day and I hope she knows that my children and I are very grateful. Her belief in me helped me to where I am today and for that she is my hero and I would like to say thank you Noreen Barlas.