SLOVENIA'S 5 CORE VALUES

Teja Kraner is particularly aware of this, as earlier this year, after an unfortunate ankle fracture, she underwent an operation that left her dependent on the help of loved ones for several months. She shared with me an interesting story that happened when she went to the doctor a few months after the operation. 

While she was waiting to be checked, a large number of people gathered in the waiting room. Visitors to the health centre passed the time by reading the magazines available in the waiting room, some of them engaged in a chat, while others were lost in their own thoughts. Most of them did not pay much attention to the man who was struggling to get from the doctor's with his crutches, as they were waiting impatiently for their turn to come. 

The man was awkwardly moving forward with the help of crutches. He also apparently had an ankle problem or something, as he was unable to stand on one leg. He stopped in between and slowly put his medical card in his wallet, then again moved forward slowly, clumsily and with difficulty. The people in the waiting room didn't seem to be paying much attention. The man slowly walked up to the heavy glass door, which he found difficult to open given his condition, and still no one from the waiting crowd came to help him. 

Teja, who had seen the man with the crutches before and knew first-hand how difficult it is to be injured and dependent on others for help, stood up and came to his aid. She opened the door for him and then helped him to leave the health centre, which was accessed by a flight of stairs. 

The man thanked her gratefully and told her that since his leg was injured, he was struggling to do everyday tasks that he used to do easily. Teja replied that she had been in a similar situation not long ago, but that many people found it difficult to understand that her ankle would not be back to normal after the operation. "A healthy person takes it for granted that they have two healthy legs, so they don't even realise how much harder it is to function in life if you have an injury, fracture, sprain or some other health obstacle in one leg," she added, and the man agreed with her. 

I once read somewhere that for many people, the greatest awakening of compassion and the desire to help others comes after they themselves have had some miserable experience, hardship or event in their lives, which makes them humble in a way, and also sharpens their sense of fellow human beings.

Of course, it is not only experiences of this kind that should motivate us to help people who are experiencing difficulties of one kind or another. To begin with, it is enough to enter the day with open eyes and to notice the small distresses that we can help with.like Teja, who brightened someone's day with her gesture. 

Mateja Sekavčnik, 1 July 2025