I live on the 4th floor of an apartment building (which would be the 5th floor in Japan). It’s an old building with no elevator. Every time delivery people or friends visit, they climb up the stairs out of breath, and I feel sorry for them every time. I feel sorry that I even hesitate to order Uber Eats because of it—though in a way, that’s been helping me save money.

Sometimes, delivery people openly complain, or say they’ll just leave the package downstairs since there’s no elevator.

But today, the delivery old man came up whistling as he carried a heavy package. Of course, he was still a little out of breath, but he greeted me cheerfully. I apologized for the lack of an elevator, and he said, “Don’t worry, now I don’t have to go to the gym.” Then he went back down the stairs, still whistling.

How beautiful someone who knows how to lift their own spirits is! I felt like he shared a bit of happiness with me.