Social media share of a story translation from Tamil.

One day, in a Berlin city park, a little girl was crying because she had lost her doll.

A young man, who looked about 20 years old, noticed her and instead of walking past like others, asked her, “Why are you crying?” He then said, “Come on, let’s look for your doll!” and helped her search for it. As it got dark, he reassured her, “I’ll come back tomorrow. We can search together again.” and sent her home.

The next day, he returned and handed her a letter, supposedly from the doll, which he read out loud. The letter said, “Please don’t cry… I have gone on a trip to see the world. I will come back soon. Until then, I will write to you about my adventures every day.”

From then on, he brought a daily letter from the doll, filled with stories of faraway lands and the doll’s amazing adventures, which made the little girl very happy.

Eventually, the doll wrote, “My journeys are over. I’ll be back tomorrow. My long travels might have changed my appearance a bit, but it’s still me. Please accept me.”

The girl eagerly awaited the doll’s return. The next day, he brought a doll that matched her descriptions. Even though it looked different, the little girl lovingly accepted it.

As she grew up, she realized all the man had told her were comforting lies. But the kindness of a stranger who didn’t ignore a crying little girl but instead took the time to console her had left a profound impact on her. It planted a seed of great love in her, helping her grow into a compassionate person who cared for others.

Years passed, and one day she came across an obituary in the newspaper. That was when she learned that the man who had comforted her was the famous writer Franz Kafka. She rushed to hug the doll and found Kafka’s final letter hidden inside. It read, “Dear girl… Everything we love might be lost and never found again. But believe… Love will find its way back to us in another form.”

Change is inevitable. However, Kafka believed it brings unexpected gifts and new beginnings, which is what happened to the girl. Even if we lose what we love, they often return to us in surprising and meaningful ways. We should learn to embrace life’s changes and disappointments.