AN EMPTY CHAIR

Every evening at sunset, an old man placed two chairs outside his small house—

one for himself, and one left empty.

Children playing football often wondered why he waited for someone who never came.

One day, a boy named Ethan finally asked, “Sir, who is the empty chair for?”

The old man smiled gently.

“When I was young, I went through a very difficult time. One evening, a stranger saw me, brought out a chair, and said, ‘Sit. You look tired.’ He didn’t ask my name. He didn’t expect anything. He just gave me space to breathe. That small act saved me.”

He looked at the empty chair beside him.

“So now I keep a chair ready for anyone who might need it—someone tired, lonely, or overwhelmed. If they ever walk by, I want them to know there’s a place for them.”

And people did stop.

A woman who had lost her job.

A student stressed about life.

Someone who simply needed a moment of quiet.

The old man never asked questions.

He just shared silence, warmth, and presence.

Soon, others in the neighborhood began keeping an extra chair outside their homes too.

A simple wooden chair became a symbol of compassion.

Moral:

You don’t need much to help someone.

Sometimes, the smallest space you create for others becomes the biggest kindness they receive.