THE BLESSED FRUITS
Last evening, I had just left
for home… At the end of the day, I was quite tired and lost in my own world.
“Kaise ho beta?” a very elderly lady stood right in front of me, “Bahut acha laga… acha kaam karte ho.”
Well,
this is a very familiar old-lady. She takes her evening walks with the help of
her walking stick. But, what is endearing about this lady is that she greets
known people, compliments them genuinely… wishes them well, blesses them… You seldom
see her complaining about life.
“Teaching
is the best service to mankind,” the elderly lady said, “For years, I have been
living here… and, I have seen hundreds of young ones coming and going. Their prayers
and blessings will be with you, my son.”
As
I told you, it was one of those tiring days… and, I was literally dying to
reach home early and put behind all my irritations… and, lo! This charming
old-lady was now standing right in front of me and telling something, which,
perhaps, nobody would tell you so lovingly, and sincerely. And, yes, anybody
would die to hear!
What else do you want in
life?
Even
if you give me the whole world and hold back your love, good wishes and
blessings, I would feel the ‘world is nothing’!
At
least, when the gracious old-lady
kept her hand on my head, last evening,
I
felt a world without love, good wishes
and blessings... is an empty world!
“Keep
going, my son… May God bless you!” her parting words had turned me speechless!
Often,
I have been over-concerned about the ‘fruits’ of my work: my earnings, name,
and security. Though I have been doing, all these years, only what I loved…
and, though the fruits have been always sweet – I must honestly confess: like,
most of us, I too had not realized what a priceless reward the love, good wishes
and blessings of others could be!
True,
I had been taking such things for granted!
The
sweet-old lady had appeared, last evening, just to remind me:
“Son,
in life, the blessed fruits are the sweetest!”
As
I walked home, my heart could feel this sweetness.
It
felt blessed!
GERALD
D’CUNHA
Pic.: Manoj Nair
Comments
- Taanya
Neelam Shastri
= Varun
-- Lalita