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It was a sunny and peaceful day in Washington, D.C. I was walking from the U.S. Department of State building to the hotel where I was staying. Suddenly, I heard someone calling my name, “Hey, Vusala!” I stood and tried to find where the sound was coming from. Then I heard my name again from very close to me. I was shocked. It was a surprise to me that someone recognized me in Washington, where I was visiting for the first time. I looked where the sound came from. There was a man with love in his eyes, a smile, and happiness on his face. He was sitting in front of his tent, which he had set up with a nylon bag. Even though his clothes were very dirty and worn out, his place was very clean and tidy.

He looked at me like he was seeing someone from his family he hadn’t seen for years. He looked very happy. His face was familiar to me. I recognized him immediately. I had just met him that morning. I had shared with him my coffee and muffin that I had gotten from the hotel. When I felt that I couldn’t eat or drink because of excitement and stress, I gave them to him when I came across him on my way. After I handed him the coffee and muffin, the homeless man asked me my name. I said my name, then I ran away.

That day was important for me. My country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs (I am from Azerbaijan) was visiting Washington, and since I am a journalist, I had to prepare a news article about his agenda. At the end of the day, I had accomplished something that seemed like an impossible thing to me. I was very happy because I was the first journalist who interviewed the minister in the U.S. Besides, that period was very vital for my country, and my minister’s meeting with high-ranking U.S. officials meant a lot to us.

While I was thinking about this, the homeless man asked me how my day was. I told him I had a great day. We smiled at each other. Then he thanked me for the coffee and muffin. He added, “You made my day.” He was very kind and happy. It was perfect small talk between him and me. It was the first time I was looking so closely and carefully at a homeless person whom I might have carelessly passed by every day. At that moment, he meant a lot to me. I understood that my small action had made the man’s day. His happiness had also affected my day without my being aware of it. In fact, the reason my day was perfect was because of that homeless person. 

I firmly believe that you get what you give in this life. Life is like a garden; you reap what you sow. Sometimes it takes time, and sometimes it happens immediately. My dad always says that every person who comes your way is your exam. If you pass, you get a gift. I truly believe that day the homeless man was my exam, and that exam changed me a lot. I am very happy and proud that I passed that exam.

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Vusala Abbasova, born in Azerbaijan, is a former refugee from Karabakh. Her city, Jabrayil, was occupied by Armenia when she was four years old, and she grew up in a refugee camp. With a degree in journalism and a master’s degree from Istanbul University, she reports for Azerbaijani news outlets. She has a cat named Sindy and is a firm believer in the power of love. She studies at University Settlement, where Lucian Leung is the director of the Adult Literacy Program, and Jon Eckblad is the assistant director.