Friday, November 12, 2010

Friday Footnotes...

It has been a tentative, yet challenging beginning! Am slowly finding my steps in this maze of words....giving a coherent shape to my thoughts!

Returning late from work tonight, the taxi I was travelling in, lay idling at an inordinately
long signal. Just outside, very close to a bus stop, my attention was drawn to a couple of women standing there, in the shadows, with a very hyperactive young boy of about 12 years. Something in the boy's behaviour struck me as peculiar. Peering close into the darkness, I could see the child tugging away at one of the ladies, who seemed to be his grandmother...violently escaping her loving clasp. She gave a tiny chase and grabbed him back towards her, tenderly and sweetly scolding him. At about this time, I realised that something was wrong with the child. He was obviously differently abled, probably autistic, creating a scene, and yet, here she was, along with her daughter, cooing with love and getting him to calm down.

The tender love and acceptance of an obviously difficult situation that I witnessed, overwhelmed me. So much compassion and patience is required to deal with these special children of the Lord. And so many folks do it, unflinchingly and willingly, day after day, year after year.....without bitterness and rancour. I am reminded of my own uncle and aunt, who have three differently abled children, all girls and all in different stages of disabilites. Yet, more God-fearing and more cheerful people I have not had the privilege of knowing. If at all there is any concern and anxiety, it is about who will be there to look after them when they themselves are too old, sick or even dead.


This compassion does not limit itself to humans only. I have seen people do the same to animals in distress too, looking after them with the same dedication. A family I know, has adopted a dog with a short lower jaw. The pet has to be fed every meal because it can't pick food and eat by itself. Yet, they do it daily as they would any other child.


Human beings are so filled with compassion, and when this is exercised in the right way, miracles happen. People and animals who would have been given up for dead, have a chance to live, whatever the quality of life may be. It is all about commitment. And when I think of the things we take for granted, somehow they seem so small and petty in the larger scheme of things.

We really have a lot to be grateful for....and maybe it is time to spread some compassion around. in any which small way.

5 comments:

  1. amen
    well said
    indulging in random acts of kindness is one way to spread compassion..

    ReplyDelete
  2. it is kindness that every soul looks for and yet it is kindness and few of us are able to show....

    i yearn for a kind touch,
    yearn for a hug
    a little whisper
    "I am with you"
    "I know..
    you are special..
    you can do it".

    regards,
    wanderer

    ReplyDelete
  3. @deepak...thank you for your appreciation and support! kindness is what makes the difference....

    @wanderer...thank you both for being here and your verse...you have rightly put it....these are all the words one needs to hear.

    ReplyDelete
  4. First of all buddy, you are doing great..

    Want to share with you something I read that stayed on my mind....

    "It is the Human Touch in the world that counts..
    The touch of your hand and mine..
    It means so much more for my living than mere bread, butter and wine.."

    ReplyDelete
  5. moushumi.....thank you dear...so very well said....a kind human touch is sometimes all we need to get us out of the abyss!

    ReplyDelete