At the end of a work meeting, two people sometimes find themselves in the awkward position of having concluded much earlier than expected.
They have a decision to make:
A. Call it a day.
B. Engage in tentative small talk so neither seems aloof and purely outcome-oriented.
A few weeks ago, I went with option B. This acquaintance and I ended up sharing about our respective life situations and challenges, and at the end of it, they asked if they could pray for me.
I'm not religious, so this threw me off a little. But I decided to roll with it, and there we sat, heads hunched over in the middle of a crowded Kopi & Tarts. After what felt like a good 5 minutes, the prayer ended, and we said our goodbyes.
Later, I found myself thinking, "That was actually quite nice." While I may not have connected with this person's faith, I understood the words, and I recognised that this was a gift.
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