A THOUSAND FIBERS CONNECT US WITH OUR FELLOWMEN

 



“We cannot live only for ourselves;

a thousand fibers connect us with our fellowmen.”

Herman Melville

 

I had taught Simmi Kochhar when she was a T.Y. B.Com student. It was some 36/37 years ago. Soon after graduating, she married her sweetheart, Manoj Balwani, and began to be called Rashmi Simmi Balwani.

Simmi came from a family of academicians. Her mother was a school teacher and father wrote for leading newspapers on financial subjects. On the other hand, Manoj came from a business family. Soon after their marriage, Simmi got involved with Manoj’s family business. They raised their two children, providing them with fine education. Meanwhile, Simmi ventured into new businesses and succeeded quite impressively.

Then, came the Pandemic and the lockdown… Simmi started reaching out to the helpless people, especially children, from the nearby slum areas. She, with the help of many volunteers, went around the slums with food packets, medicines and groceries. This was to motivate her to involve fully with her NGO – ‘Enrich Lives Foundation’…

Then on, Simmi spent her time, energy and resources on her new baby. She handed over the reins of her business to her foreign-educated son, Akshay… Manoj continued to focus on his family business…

Simmi continued to nurse her NGO – as envisioned, to enrich the lives of the underprivileged children…




(Photoes from the recently held public-awareness exhibition by ELF)


Lately, Simmi had approached me with a request to help these underprivileged kids with whatever I was good at: some self-developmental things… become responsible in life, build self-confidence, speak and write well (especially in English) etc. Simmi knew my own background… and she was quite sure, that I would be in a better position to understand and mould these kids in this respect.

I have stated helping the kids… There is tremendous amount of satisfaction when you spend your  time and energy on such kids. You never know what is in store for each of these kids… You never, really, know.

It takes years – and some real inner upheaval – to realize the truth, that our own material success – money, name, fame and position – is not the only purpose in our lives. As Herman Melville says, “There are a thousand fibers connecting us with our fellowmen.”

If Simmi, through her own fibers, is inclined to connect with her fellowmen (the underprivileged children),  you and I are inclined to connect with our fellowmen, through our own fibers. But, certainly, we cannot live for our own selves…



Did Jesus Christ refer to these ‘Thousand Fibers’ when He said, “The Kingdom of God is within you”?

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic’s: 1. Pixabay 2. Hitesh Rupani

 

Video: Ranjith Robinhood

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