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During 2006, I made a trip to Canberra for an interview at a medical college. My plan was to book lodging upon arrival, however when I arrived, a big convention was taking place and all the youth hostels and cheap hotels were fully booked.

Hailing from Singapore, I thought the possibility of bed down in the airport – only to discover the local airport, unlike Singapore’s, is not open around the clock. Not knowing how to proceed and feeling increasingly desperate, I hopped on a city-bound bus and found myself drifting near the casino, believing it was a place to spend the evening somewhere operating 24/7. That wouldn’t put me in the best shape to succeed at a crucial interview the next day, however, being a broke student, I couldn’t afford.

We could all use more people like that woman.

Apparently, I appeared confused as a woman saw me walking aimlessly through the city center and wondered if I was OK. I recounted my predicament and right away she said I could crash on a spare mattress at her university residence at ANU – an ideal turn of events, given that my my interview was scheduled for the next day. She even offered me some free dinner: one sandwiches she had from her part-time job. I had access to the bathroom and a protected spot and safe for the evening.

In retrospect, I can appreciate the enormous leap of faith she undertook as a young woman allowing a man she’d just met crash at her place. In those days I operated under my own unawareness and was oblivious to such safety concerns. Today, as a parent, I’m amazed she took that chance – and remain very grateful.

Ultimately, I did not attending that university, and I lost touch with the student afterwards, but I’ve never forgotten that incredible gesture of human compassion. I hope the universe has rewarded her generosity abundantly. We could all use more individuals with such compassion.