Compassion Unlimited

We meet many people in our lives, some leave their mark and some others don't.


Yesterday I met an interesting lady. I know her  and have spoken to her many times, but it happens that sometimes when yu are so bored to death (in official parties), we tend to get into converstaions to liven it up, and then suddenly a spark is fired and we connect.
This one was that day. Generally chatting, she slowly started talking about her children (what else, do mothers talk about?!), then about her life growing up in a village in rural UP.
She is from a hardcore traditional family and spoke about discrimination and prejudice against the female child, even within an educated family like hers. Not harsh ones, but subtle ones, like"girls dont do this or that", and how that made her resolve to do any thing and everything a man could do, within her abilities.
So she became the first to ride a cycle/ bike in her village. She learnt swimming.....
Mind yu she belongs to the previous generation...

She spoke about many other things, her work with an NGO, and her desire to do something for the girl child, and so her idea to join Politics!
She is just another woman like yu and me, but the lengths and efforts she has invested in these ideas, her enthusiasm is infectious to say the least.  
At present she volunteers at a nearby slum, teaching the children there.

What is unique is she belongs to a community that believes service is giving Money, Old Clothes and Sweets. Here is a person who is making a difference in her own small way, giving the most precious commodity of all...Time...and inspite of little or no appreciation for her efforts, she does it, is doing it with a smile and joy on her face....

Humanity is Wonderful, we fail to recognise and emulate such compassion.

The greatest Gift we can give/teach/leave behind for our children is...Proctive Compassion.
Putting into action what good your mouth says and your mind feels.

Comments

  1. kn0609December 14, 2009 at 1:00 AM

    True..I agree with you when you say proactive compassion is the best lesson we can teach our children. We being the 21st century mothers give brownie points to good mannerisms specially in public, but fail to inculcate the habit of compassion amongst our children.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Balaji "bajji" RajanDecember 18, 2009 at 5:55 AM

    i like the term 'proactive compassion'....very powerful.

    good stuff.

    ReplyDelete

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