GROWING FROM STRUGGLES TO STRENGTH
“Once
all struggle is grasped, miracles are possible.”
Mao
Zedong
Every
time we say, “Struggles make us strong”, we, also, ask God earnestly, to make
our lives less struggle-some, if not completely struggle-free.
So, it’s given,
that Life comes with struggle and it stays there as long as Life stays. Only
thing we get to see about struggle is, that some have more of it, and some
have less of it… but, none has none of it!
People like J.K.
Rowling and Sindhutai Sapkal had not just more of it – they had mountains of
it. But, these Legends turned their mountains of struggle to generate something
sublime and make the society a better place to live in… give hope to those
whose lives were struggle-some… When Life gave them lemons, they chose to make
a lemonade… This was the old wisdom of the sages. In fact, J.K. Rowling said, “Rock-bottom
became the solid foundation in which I built my life.”
The
life of Sindhutai Sapkal was a life of true Legend. Born into poverty, this unwanted girlchild was called by
her mother as ‘Chindi’ – a useless, dirty piece of cloth. She was
forcefully married off at the age of twelve to a man older by twenty years. She
was kicked out of the house by him at the age of twenty with a just-born girlchild…
Life, thereon, was a daily nightmare for this woman, who had to beg along the
streets and railway stations to survive for her child. But, this very life of
begging brought her in contact with scores of abandoned children – and, with
that, came in a life-purpose… She resolved to rename herself, before God, as ‘Sindhu’,
and became ‘Sindhutai’ – a mother for hundreds of orphaned children, including her
husband, who, now, had come to her seeking shelter and care.
I had first heard
about Sindhutai’s inspiring life-story from H.H. Radhanath Swami, the gentle
teacher/speaker (an American) from Hare Rama Hare Krishna mission based in
Pune. This was the video…
Then, last
night, my wife and I watched the 2010-film by Anant Mahadevan – ‘Mee Sindhutai
Sapkal’. I recommend this inspiring Marathi film to all.
Yes, Life has struggle.
And, as I said, lives of some people have mountains of struggle. Knowing about
their lives may not reduce our struggles, I know. But, certainly, it will help
us complain less about our own struggles… and this: it will help us make lemonades
when life gives us lemons. The old wisdom, you see…
GERALD D’CUNHA
Pic.: 1. Pixabay 2. Internet
Video: 1. H.H. Radhanath Swami 2. NH Marathi
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