Without hesitation, she began to tell me about an incident that speaks of the value of mutual help. This event reminded me of the importance of helping each other when one of us is in need. It is in moments like these that we realise that we are bound together by warmth, compassion and genuine humanity. These are the values that give life its true meaning.
A while ago, Anja attended a parent-teacher conference with other parents. She is used to these meetings and the many parents she meets there. She talks to some of them more, others less. Usually it is mainly the mothers who attend these meetings, but this time it was the father of one of the schoolchildren who sat next to her. He greeted her warmly and they exchanged a few words. Suddenly, he confided in her that it was very difficult for him now because he was on his own. She looked at him in surprise, not knowing what was going on in their family. Then he quietly added that his wife had cancer and that he was now looking after six children on his own.
He said that until now his wife has taken care of everything; the house, the children, schoolwork and lunches, while he can't even cook. She felt such a deep concern in his words that she could not stop thinking about them. During the meeting, she kept thinking how hard it must be for him and his family and how she could help them.
When she got home, she remembered how happy her children get when they smell their mother's lunch. And she thought that it was that smell of home that that family missed most now. So she kneaded the strudel dough and grated the apples. She made enough strudel to fill a baking tray, but she didn't bake it. She took it to them raw so they could bake it themselves - so their home could be filled with the smell of fresh strudel and the warmth of home.
When she saw their smiles and heard their thanks, she knew she had done the right thing. Everyone was happy, but most of all she was happy because she felt how little it sometimes takes to brighten the day of someone who is going through a hard time.
Andreja Bakšič Grozdina, 23 Oct 2025
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