Total Pageviews

Faith Healing on the Train

Dear Diary:

While I was riding the subway home after a delightful dinner with a visiting friend, the young woman seated opposite me noticed my cast and asked how I injured my leg. I replied that it was my foot that was injured and that I had fractured my fifth metatarsal.

She asked if she could say a healing prayer for me. I said if she thought that would help, sure, go ahead. She then asked if I would mind if she touched my foot and said a prayer right now.

After weeks of having subway riders ignore my cast and only begrudgingly giving me a seat if I asked them to, I was touched by her small act of humanity. Much to the delight or dismay of the other passengers, I extended my leg into the middle of the subway car to meet her hand. She held her hand on my foot through five subway stops.

I donĂ¢€™t know if it was the power of her prayer or the display of unexpected kindness, but my steps were a bit lighter walking home from my subway stop that night.

Read all recent entries and our updated submissions guidelines. Reach us via e-mail diary@nytimes.com or follow @NYTMetro on Twitter using the hashtag #MetDiary.