“You might say, What kind of man could do such a thing!?”
This is a true story which forces one to reflect deeply on people’s actions and intentions.
The story narrated by a teacher:
“A man and his wife were on that boat.
When the boat began to sink due to high waves, everyone started trying to save themselves, there was only one life raft left — with space for just one person.
The man left his wife behind and jumped into the life raft to save himself.
His wife stood on the sinking boat, looking at him, and said just one sentence.
At this point, the teacher paused and asked the students:
“What do you think the wife said to her husband?”
Most students replied eagerly: “Selfish man… I hate you… You’re not a real man…” and so on.
But one student gave an answer that stunned the teacher.
He said:
“She said — Take care of our child.”
The teacher asked,
“Have you read this story before?”
The boy shook his head and said:
“No… but that’s what my mother said to my father when she was dying.”
The teacher said:
“Your answer is correct.”
Continuing the story, the teacher explained:
The boat sank in the sea, and the man returned home to his only daughter.
Years passed, and eventually, the man passed away.
Sometime later, the daughter found her father’s diary.
In it, he had written about the voyage with his wife — and how doctors had diagnosed her with a terminal illness. She was certain to die within a few days.
When the boat began to sink, he had tried to push his wife toward the only life raft, but she refused.
She said:
“Leave me and go… for the sake of our daughter. I will surely die, and she’ll have no one left if you don’t survive.”
So the man got into the life raft, leaving his wife behind.
He wrote in his diary:
“Life is full of complexities.
There are hidden truths behind many events that are difficult to understand.
We should never judge solely by what we see on the surface — because reality might be entirely different.”
Every person carries their own story, their own struggles deep within.
If you don’t know their circumstances — always assume the best”.