Our new receptionist once got robbed right inside her office. A stranger walked into the office requesting a service. She turned to fetch the file from the drawer behind. Before she could say “Jack Robinson!” he was already racing out of the gate with her phone and brand new jotter. The security guard saw him walk out quickly. But he didn't think much about it. Before she could raise an alarm to alert him, it was already late. People condemned the receptionist.| -| ![Lumii_20250712_070751335.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmP1Qm5Di6nadxB4ZeNpsyvF8qdeapDap3wSPYBgZHH8aG/Lumii_20250712_070751335.jpg) _{How will you be so careless?}| When the director heard about the issue, she invited the receptionist to her office. Then asked gently, _“What happened?”_ I expected the director to shout at the girl like the others. Instead, she listened to the receptionist's complaint and resisted the urge to offer any unsolicited advice. _“Why were you so kind?”_ I asked my aunty later. She said, _“Ukpono, that girl is shattered. She is probably feeling angry, extremely upset, and having a lot of ‘what ifs’ running through her mind. She needs comfort from the people around her, not judgement or unkind words”._ That week, my aunty got someone to lock the phone so the thief wouldn't hack into it to steal the girl's identity. Then, she gave the receptionist some money to either track down the device or save up to buy a new device. That single act gave me a new perspective on how to approach matters of this nature. Often, people react by blaming the victim for their mistakes. However, as humans, we are prone to making mistakes. As such, this should not be the end of life. But a lesson to help us become better versions of ourselves. So how about embracing empathy?| -| ![Lumii_20250712_073007958.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmfX9CaudkA57eX9r82HARHfXgMPytEs4S2g4ZdsczWKLe/Lumii_20250712_073007958.jpg)_{How may I help you?}| The goal is to help the person or victim move past that mistake, rather than hold on to guilt or anger. Instead of saying, “Cheer up. You can get a new phone” or “Sorry, you'd recover soon”. You could offer to help with even the minutest thing as; a. Informing their parents, spouse or family about the situation. b. Contacting an IT support specialist who could lock or erase the phone's memory to avoid data breaches. At this point, the victims are overwhelmed with emotions. They just need direction. Your actions could go a long way, even more than your words. **Our actions heal faster than words.** ❤️ I'm excited to invite @jasminemary, @zulay7059, @eliany, @paholags, @joychi102, and @etoro to the contest.| -| _{Thank you for the upvotes, comments and resteem. I look forward to sharing more valuable thoughts with you. Remember to take care of your health and family. **Keep STEEMing on!**} _{Published 12 July 2025}