In the 80's I was living and working in Germany. One of the most fascinating stories I’ve ever heard comes from that time. Idafehn is a small village in Ostfriesland, Northern Germany. When Hans Bergen died the villagers were astonished, because he left an estate of over £20,000 to a young girl named Antje Martin. She, of all people, was the most surprised of all; she had never spoken to Hans Bergen.
How could such a thing happen to her?
Hans Bergen’s Will told the story. It seems that one day Anne Martin smiled at him. It was the only smile he'd ever received in his lifetime. Grotesquely ugly, Hans had lived a lonely, affection-starved life. His ugliness frightened and repulsed the villagers and they avoided him like the plague. Perhaps the young girl Antje Martin, saw the loneliness in Hans and gave him the only thing she could — a smile.
It’s amazing how much we can do for others when we invest a little of ourselves in them.
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