There is a powerful concept in Jewish philosophy that the highest form of helping another is when one prepares the dead for burial. It seems strange that this would constitute helping another when the person who receives the kindness is not aware of it, but that is the point. It is one of the only things we can do that the other can never repay us for. Therefore, it is the ultimate form of giving and selflessness for it is the kindness that will never be returned. This man, Gerhard Geier, a pensioner, spends his time thinking about those who were brutally taken from this world, and puts in effort to ensure their memory and their memorials be noticed and never forgotten. It is a kindness that others may never recognize or appreciate and those who it is truly for can never thank him. But that is the thing with giving. The act of doing the right thing for the right reason makes us better as people. While no one may ever thank this man for what he does, he is a better person because of it. And so too are we from watching what selfless kindness looks like.
(Header Image: BBC)
