WHEN WE LIFT OTHERS, WE LIFT OURSSEVES

 




“You have not lived today

until you have done something for someone

who can never repay you.”

John Bunyan

 

Eight days ago, (on August 20) Judge Frank Caprio passed away after a gritty battle with pancreatic cancer. He has been my inspiration as he was for millions of people around the world. Judge Caprio was just a judge in the Municipal Court of Providence, Rhode Island, in America, where he served for nearly four decades. Yes, his heart of gold – blessed with compassion, empathy and healing humour  - made him a household legend… He did it in his courtroom by dispensing justice to very ordinary people who appeared before him for some routine traffic violations like over speeding, wrong parking etc.

In this fast and furious, seemingly heartless world, most of us had never come across anything like this in a courtroom. So, when we saw the way Judge Frank Caprio communicated with people who presented themselves before him, it was hard for us to believe, that such a soul could last there for nearly four decades!

Fittingly, his courtroom proceedings – the human stories of kindness – began to be showcased through a widely popular television show and his YouTube cannel – ‘Caught in Providence’. I have watched scores of those videos, and I have watched them whenever my spirit was down, and when my hope dimmed… Judge Caprio’s videos of compassion have served as my sprit-booster. I have blogged about him and his stories of kindness several times before…

Was Life unfair for this gentle, giving soul?

Well, Judge Caprio never asked that question… He only asked us – millions of souls he had touched – to pray for him…

We did…

On the day Judge Caprio lost his battle to aggressive cancer at 88, a dear old student, who I had taught in my classroom some three decades ago, shared one of Judge Caprio’s videos and wrote:


“The soul who touched us every day with his sweet verdicts… 

He will live in our hearts forever.”





Then, this dear old student added:

“And, you Sir, teach us every day and continue 

to touch our lives.”


Well, though I did not deserve such a generous compliment, I wondered: If a local court judge could do it in his own God-given way, why can’t you and I do even a bit of such work of kindness in our own way, in our everyday life?




I believe, that we need to show kindness and understanding towards others in our lowest phases. And, when we lift others from their lowest phases, we end up lifting ourselves from our own…

Kindness is contagious… John Bunyan’s words seem relevant here: 


“You have not lived today until you have done 

something for someone who can never repay you.”

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic: Internet

Videos: 1. Caught in Providence  2. EWTN

 

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