Warmth beyond a hot
sandwich - another version of "pay it forward"
Little things like holding the door for a stranger
to get in, walking an old man through a heavy traffic, giving your place in the
bus to an elderly person, making human values prosper and boosting people with
the energy of giving without waiting for a return.
This story is on this same
path, if not an even better one.
Two guys enter a small coffee shop in order to get
a hot beverage. Meanwhile waiting for their order, two ladies come by the
counter and shout: 4 coffees please, two take away and two suspended please.
Then they pay for their order, get their two cups and leave. The first guy took
a sip of his hot coffee and asks his friend: What does suspended coffee mean?
I can explain to you, but it is better you wait
until you see by yourself – his friend replied.
A few other people have started coming in. One guy
ordered an Americano for himself and left. Next order had five suspended
coffees on them. It was made by a family of three. Then many other suspended
coffees followed on next orders.
The first guy was wondering what was the deal with
these suspended coffees, challenged by his patience and itched by curiosity; he
started looking through the window watching pedestrians passing by under the
rain.
Then all of a sudden, an old man looking like a
homeless, with unkempt clothes, gets close to the counter and kindly asked: Are
there any suspended coffees please?
The idea is very simple. People would pay in
advance for someone they do not need who might be in need, of a hot beverage,
of a bite or just a little warmth. This trend of suspended coffees has seen
light first in Naples then has spread all around the world.
A few guys in Morocco have heard this
story and started their own trend of hot snacks in the little snack-house of
their neighbourhood. They order a meal for themselves then put another meal on
“suspended” for somebody to share their exact same food.
Beggars, homeless guys, and hungry children come around it frequently
seeking to fill their stomach and to feel some warmth – the feeling of being
taken care of by someone they have never met.
The snack-house owner has found joy transmitting the message around his
“colleagues” who appreciated the idea. It is easy to create a movement this
way, a chain of good vibes and giving among strangers.
In Belgium also, a group of people have been inspired by the story of
suspended coffees and tried to structure it. For them, it’s all about
unconditional giving, in all forms. They do not only target coffee shops but
also restaurants, supermarkets, butchers… then offer stickers to them where it
says something like “awaiting present” so it would be recognizable for people
who seek them.
A chain of giving, a spontaneous act of kindness like this one in every
corner of the world and nobody would ever have to sleep with an empty stomach
or without warmth in their heart.
Louay
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