I was basking in the warmth of the morning sun, sipping tea, listening to music and enjoying the view from the balcony of my apartment. That apartment, the balcony and that view were all new to me because it had only been a week since I moved there. Down below ran a sub-arterial street which I had noticed was never very busy. What’s more, the balcony was placed at such a perfect height and angle that everything down on the street and the horizon, too, was visible.

I was lost in the music and was truly enjoying my cup of tea. Then suddenly, something on the street caught my eye. There was an old man in a wheel chair.

A man and a woman were trying to help the old man to stand up. I looked on intently.

The old man was trying hard to stand on his feet but kept failing at it. Then, both the man and the woman gently took him by the arms and tried to move him. Only his toes were touching the ground. His legs seemed like they were boneless. After a few minutes of this, the old man became angry and started to yell at the man and the woman supporting him. And that was the end of it. He was placed back on the wheel chair and pushed inside the house across the road. I saw that scene repeat almost every morning. Unable to walk, the old man always used to end up yelling, apparently angry at the man, the woman and probably himself.

On some days, he took a taxi. I assumed that it was to go see a doctor.

Three weeks passed. On another beautiful morning, I was sitting at my balcony when the old man in the wheel chair and his two helpers came into view. As always, I watched them but this time I was amazed by what I witnessed. That old man, without anyone’s help stood up on his own and took two complete steps before falling into the arms of the man and woman who were cautiously watching him. I smiled inadvertently. Maybe some part of me was glad on seeing his progress.

Sometime around then, I got a job because of which I didn’t have much time to enjoy at the balcony and found that I missed observing the old man.

One day as I was cleaning the balcony, I saw that old man again but in a completely different form. I was so surprised. He was walking. Those small, stumbling steps he took without any support left me in awe. I kept on staring as I felt happy for him. He reminded me of a child who had just learned to walk.

The transformation I saw in that man was inspiring. That man may not even know that I have been observing his patience, determination, and hard work all this time—but I had and I was inspired by it. That old man might just be the biggest motivation in my life right now. I imagine that if he had stopped trying and given in to his anger like on the first day I saw him, he would have had to spend his entire life in the wheelchair. That old man never gave up on walking again and at last he had succeeded. So, I too am never giving up on the things I care about.

Thapa is a Civil Engineer graduate from Pulchowk Campus