A JEANS FOR THIS DIWALI

 




“It’s not how much we give,

but how much love we put into giving.”

Mother Teresa


 

Two days ago, a middle-aged man had come to my office on some work. He worked in a housing-society office. As he was talking to me, the man got a call, and from the discussion, I could make out, that it was from his young son… “Don’t hurry, I am telling you… Why can’t you wait till I come home in the evening?” this man was telling his son quite angrily. But, the son seemed adamant, and this man – the father – told his son, “Take from the dibba… But, don’t spend more.”

“Any problem?” I asked the man, once the call ended.

“For some days, my 18-year-old son has been asking money to buy a (pair of) jeans for this Diwali…” Then, the words got choked… “Children don’t understand their parents’ problems… I told him to use some loose cash his mother has saved in her dibba.”





Are we in the midst of giving and receiving Diwali gifts to our near and dear ones? Is the shopping over, or still on? What about that grand Diwali bash? Is the maid asking for her bonus, or are we cribbing? What about our society security, house-keeping, the doodhwala, paperwala, postman – and what about the staff in our offices? Are we happily giving something, or, as usual, we are grumbling, and even shooing them away?

Listen: I have done all of that… I have given happily and I have given cribbing… and, I, like many, have not given anything at all to some.

The argument, that you and I cannot solve other people’s problems is a valid argument. No matter how much we give, the poverty and hardship of people who work for us – as our watchmen or maids – shall never be eradicated…

But, then, why are we even talking about ‘eradicating’ the poverty around us? Why can’t we simply try to eradicate the little bit of pain, which is writ large on a face – like this father’s, whose young son wanted (a pair of) jeans  for this Diwali? 

By now, the young boy must have gone and picked (a pair of) jeans from a street vendor… By all probability, something for a price from 100 to 300!

And, we are busy greeting everyone around – near and far – ‘A Happy and Prosperous Diwali’…

I know, this is not the best way to go about writing my blog on a Diwali eve. But, I couldn’t contain the heaviness, any longer…

I am doing my bit, this Diwali… Hope you are doing yours…

And, that’s all you and I can do to dispel the darkness from this world… As Mother Teresa said, “It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving” … Yes, that should make this Diwali a true festival of lights…





Happy Diwali to all…

 

GERALD D’CUNHA


Pic’s: Pixabay

 

Video: BDNews24

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