I was at an office a few days ago. After registering at the desk, I was told to go and wait in the waiting room.

Without wasting a grey cell or two in deciding on what to do next, I automatically resorted to my pass-the-time standbys – Candy Crush and Solitaire on my iPhone as I found comfort in a soft-cushioned chair.

Candy Crush, being my first choice, I started working on Level 767, peripherally viewing live coverage of the impeachment inquiry on a humongous television screen hung up high on the waiting room wall.

Well, despite all the patterns and combos that I could create, I epic-failed in completing the Level 767 after several so-close attempts, silently screaming and cursing at the “So Close” image.

Getting tired of Candy Crush, I switched to Solitaire. This lonely man’s game is not really as complicated as Candy Crush, but just as challenging, especially since I usually try to get to auto-complete with less number of errors in a very short time as possible. Seeing the auto-complete mode is just as satisfying as saving all the bears on Candy Crush.

Stopping short my fervent flipping, moving, and reshuffling of Solitaire cards was a faint voice calling my name. I looked up and saw that it was from a pretty and petite youthful-looking lady.

As I stood up to approach her, she was gazing at me with the I-seem-to-know-you look. Finding her expression quite intriguing, my brows furrowed as I pored over a stack of faces and names in my mind. “Do I also know her?” I asked myself.

Without any additional verbal exchanges, she led me to a room. As I sat down waiting for her to start the process I was in the office for, she eagerly told me that I hired her years ago and in one breath said, “You told me at that time that knowledge, once you have it, no one can take it from you”.

Well, my jaw dropped, my eyes widened, I stopped breathing, and my eyes watered a bit as I uttered, “Oh my God. Really?”

“Yes, you hired me when I was 16 and what you said at that time I continue to carry with me through today. I am now 35 years old and I have been instilling that in my staff whenever I share new information with them”.

Overwhelmed with emotion, I rose from my seat to give her a hug while another staff member watched us with much appreciation.

As she silently proceeded with the procedure, I just couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. Jumbled memories of the past started to unwind and unravel. Then, as if on cue, missing points about her fell into place, neatly completing the mental jigsaw puzzle of that point in time.

Indeed, she was that giggly 16-year old girl that I hired years ago and there I was, seeing her as a mature professional woman, giggles being replaced by ear-to-ear grins, and performing an important procedure on me. The erstwhile supervisor and now a retiree relying completely on her expertise.

This unexpected excitement drove me into a deep sense of introspection.

I have used that 12-word maxim about knowledge, not only to her, but to everyone within my sphere of supervision and/or information sharing, expecting nothing in return. And to hear, firsthand, that it made a strong impression on her 19 years ago was more than a pleasant surprise to me. It rocked me deep to my core. It made me feel very significant. I was instrumental in helping her underscore her approach to learning, persuasion, and education. It helped answer a question I continually ask about myself, “What on earth am I here for?”

“Yes, Virginia*, you and I can indeed make a difference. We may not notice the lasting effect on others, but let me assure you. As a family member, friend, colleague, or even a stranger disappears into oblivion, this unseen difference maybe fleeting. But unbeknownst to us it maybe lasting as well. In either case, when we least expect it, s/he may just reappear and thank us for affecting her/his life for the better even for a brief second. There is still a long line of people whose lives we might alter in some form or another. Let us keep ourselves open to that possibility, Virginia.”

I took a selfie of both of us. I gave her another big hug as I said goodbye.

I left the office with a big smile and a chest swollen with pride, happiness, and contentment.