WHO IS PACKING YOUR PARACHUTE?

“May the gratitude in my heart

kiss all the universe.”

— Hafiz

Amitabh Bachchan, at 77, is one of the busiest persons in our entertainment industry. There is no sign of slowing down, leave alone hanging his boots. Today, after receiving the coveted Dadasaheb Phalke Award, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the most enduring superstar of the Indian film-industry thanked the government, Information & Broadcasting ministry and the jury members of the National Film Awards for naming him the Dadasaheb Phalke Award recipient. He added, “God has been kind. There have been blessings of my parents, the support of the directors, producers, co-actors from the industry, but I am most indebted to the love and constant encouragement by the Indian audience. That’s the reason I am standing here. I accept this award with utmost humility and gratitude,” he added.

My post is not about Amitabh Bachchan… It’s about you and me. You and I have come this long, many of us have collected our ‘Phalke Awards’ in our respective fields… Yes, we have been recognized, hailed as ‘successful’, ‘winners’ and so on. And, when the time comes to thank all those who have helped us to make it, I am sure, we will simply leave out so many names…

Just as Amitabh Bachchan, today, has left out… He alone knows who they are. But, there are so many, who he must’ve left out in his thank-you list…

We all do that…

The New Year is just two nights away. Our near and dear ones have already started sending us thank-you notes along with the New-year wishes. My college buddy, Joe, sent to me, today, this heart-warming story…

WHO IS PACKING YOUR PARACHUTE?

Air Commodore Vishal was a Jet Pilot. In a combat mission his fighter plane was destroyed by a missile. He, however, ejected himself and parachuted safely. He won acclaims and appreciations from many.

After five years, one day, he was sitting with his wife in a restaurant. A man from another table came to him and said "You're Captain Vishal. You flew jet fighters. You were shot down!"

"How in the world did you know that?" asked Vishal.

"I packed your parachute," the man smiled and replied.

Vishal gasped in surprise and gratitude and thought, '"If the parachute hadn't worked, I wouldn’t be here today.'"

Vishal couldn't sleep that night, thinking about that man. He wondered, '"How many times I might have seen him and not even said 'Good morning, how are you?' or anything, because, I was a fighter pilot and that person was just a safety worker!"

So friends, who is packing your parachute?

Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day. 

We need many kinds of parachutes - we need the physical parachute, the mental parachute, the emotional parachute, and the spiritual parachute. 

We call on all these supports before reaching safety.

Sometimes, in the daily challenges that life gives us, we miss what is really important. We may fail to say 'hello', 'please', or 'thank you,' congratulate people on something wonderful that has happened to them, give a compliment, or just do something nice for no reason.

As you go through this week, this month, this year, recognize the people who pack your parachute. 

“Gerry, you have helped me to pack my parachute,” Joe wrote below the story, “Thank you.”

I wrote back: “We all have done to each other, my friend. You see, the spot boys and the caterers on the film sets never get the credits on the big screen. We all pack those parachutes for each other, but quietly.”

Forgive me, my friends, for not thanking you enough whenever my parachutes have successfully landed, and whenever I have collected my ‘Phalke Awards’!

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pics.:1. www.acclaimimages.com  2. The Indian EXPRESS

Video: Leo Rojas - El Condor Pasa