GIVING... IT DOESN'T EMPTY OUR HEARTS

“Sir, may I come in?” 

Nine-year-old Yomie was standing at the door, holding a paper-plate. 

The class was packed, and all our young-students looked towards the door and smiled.

“Oh darling, come in,” I exclaimed, “so sweet of you… What is this?”

“Sir, this is ‘Prasad’ from Gurudwara… for you,” Yomie announced handing over the plate, “today is Guru Nanak Jayanti.”

“Say Good Moring to everyone here,” I twisted Yomie to face the packed classroom.

“Hi Good Morning,” said Yomie, wearing a sunny smile and an equally sunny confidence.

With that, the little fellow disappeared… leaving my heart smiling with lots of happiness.

The room was packed and the class was on… Look at the innocence… Look at the purity of human heart… Look at the natural self-confidence… Look at the power of acceptance… Look at the magic of love…

“All this goes out of your system as you grow older,” I told the college kids, my tongue firmly tucked inside my cheeks, “We just need to be simple and uncomplicated at our hearts.”

Little Yomie loves me!

When my students give me chocolates on their birthdays, I offer them to small kids who play outside my class. Just some days back, a friend of mine had given me some lovely home-made chocolates… I had passed many of them to Yomie, his twin sister Vishaka and all their friends. They were very happy.

So, Yomie loves me… for my chocolates?

I don’t think so…

Yomie is essentially a ‘giving’ person… He has unveiled this side of his personality,  several times, to me…

 

Not just by bringing for me from his home some goodies… but, by asking me, so often, this: “Sir, may I help you?” 

To become ‘conscious’ of this trait, that early in life, takes a great deal of grooming from parents at home… They inculcate such values in their children… Yes, they do.

But, I seriously feel, each child is born with his own – inherent – sensitivity, too…

That’s why, often, even if your parents are extremely sensitive and caring on this issue, you may not imbibe in you this sensitive and caring trait…

On the other hand, many times, even if your parents are ignorant on this issue and remain insensitive, you may still develop extra-ordinary sensitivity and become a giving soul! 

Therefore, I, personally, think that kids, such as Yomie, are naturally endowed with this sensitivity… and, coupled with parents’ guidance, they really flower beautifully in Life.

Blessed are these souls!

There are a hundred ways in which we can ‘give’… and, all of them come from our deep desire to share our joy and happiness… to make others joyful as we become joyful… to help others as we become empowered… 

Giving only makes more space in our hearts to receive more… It doesn’t empty our hearts!

That’s the spiritual law of giving…

“Until we give, we don’t receive… 

The lighter we are, the stronger we feel… 

The more we give, even more we receive!”

I really wonder: “What if God was to ‘give’ us what we really ‘deserved’!”

And, I so wonder even though I am, repeatedly, told that He gives us only what we deserve!

Little Yomie’s small paper-plate had so much to ‘give me’, today…

“Thank you, my darling… May God bless you!”

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pics.: Pragati Dudi