SLOVENIA'S 5 CORE VALUES

She also entrusted me with the following story:

»You know I'm already preparing the desserts for my daughter's wedding?« she said to me. »The wedding is on 22 August and I'd like to make something special, but I have a problem. I urgently need one ingredient: a so-called special flavoured setting powder, which I simply can't get anywhere.«

She told me that she had called the supplier that manufactures and sells this ingredient, but she got an unpleasant response. The ingredient is allegedly not going to be available for at least another month.

»I'm looking everywhere,« she continued, »as I can't make the dessert without this powder. It's the basis of the recipe we were given at the last dessert-making course I attended. And it's precisely that dessert my daughter wants so much at her wedding.«

She didn't want to give up. She knew that the lady from the neighbouring village made the exact same desserts. She had also been on the same course, plus she follows her on social media.

»But you know what?« she smiled. »Judging by her posts, she seemed pretty unapproachable to me. She has a piercing and an unusual haircut, plus she comes across as very confident. And I’d built up a completely mental image of her in my head.«

Then she said to herself: »I have nothing to lose. I'll give it a go.«

With a little nervousness, she called her. She already had an explanation prepared in her mind as to why she needed it, while at the same time expecting that she might tell her she couldn't sell her the ingredients.

And on the other end of the phone, a friendly and warm voice awaited her.

When she explained her problem, the lady answered without hesitation: »Yes, yes, yes. Do come along! Are you anywhere nearby, or shall I post it to you?«

My friend could hardly believe her ears. All that preconception she had formed based on her appearance and social media posts vanished in an instant.

This morning she set off for her place. The lady welcomed her kindly and asked her how much of this ingredient she needed. »I don't know. For a few desserts. Say, a hundred grams,« she replied.

The lady went to fetch it and brought it to her in a bag. »How much do I owe you?« asked the friend.

»Nothing.«

»How do you mean nothing?« she asked in surprise.

After all, it wasn't something that was free. The ingredient was hard to come by, and she would have been prepared to pay twice the price.

She asked her for the price once more, but the lady firmly shook her head.

»No, honestly nothing. Something is bound to turn out well for me in the end.«

Her friend handed her a bag of prepared coffee as a thank you. »At least I have this for you, for your kindness.«

The lady smiled and said: »I like helping. Whenever I help, I always get something back for it from somewhere.«

Her friend left feeling grateful and moved. On the way home, she thought about how quickly people form an opinion about someone without even knowing them. And how very wrong we can be in doing so.

»Times really aren't like they used to be, for people to help each other out like that,« she said to me on our walk. »I was completely surprised by her gesture.«

And perhaps that is the best part of this story. It wasn't about a big thing. To someone, it was just a small bag of a certain ingredient, but to my friend, it meant the solution to a problem and the chance to prepare the dessert her daughter so badly wanted for her wedding. Above all, this small gesture restored her faith in people.

Sometimes, you see, we do not need much to brighten someone's day. It is enough to stop, listen and help if we can, because kindness is never wasted. It may not come back from the same person, it may not come back immediately, and it may not be in the form we expect. But when we give with our heart, goodness always returns somewhere, sometime and in its own way.

Maja Grošelj, 14 August 2026