WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK ABOUT US





“What people in the world think of you

is really none of your business.”

― Martha Graham

 

“How is the situation now?” I checked with this person, last night, “Time heals,” I added.

“Situation is the same; but, I am coping.” The person replied, this morning.

“Cope the best way you can; it won’t leave you weak. Trust me,” I consoled.

“Keep me in your prayers,” the person wrote.

Of course, I would. But, as you know, like most of us do, I, too, won’t go my knees before a picture or idol of God and pray, “O God, have mercy on my friend.”

There is no need for any such prayers… “How’s the situation now? Time heals.” --  Was it not my prayer in itself?

When my troubled friend tries sincerely to cope with his/her situation, I think, sooner or later, the situation ‘will change’.

Meanwhile, you and I have our own ‘situations’ to cope with… and, we find ourselves saying the same thing to our own well-wishers: “Please keep me in your prayers.”

At the end of the day, the Merciful God helps us all only if we help ourselves…

“How’s our friend?” another person asked me, last night, in a message sent from abroad.

This mutual friend of ours had undergone two angioplasties recently. He was young. The friend from abroad wondered, “Why do young people suffer from heart ailment?”

“Stress,”  I replied.

“Our friend and stress?”… This was the instant response.

It meant: Our friend, who had one of most infectious, energetic and inspiring personae could not have a weak heart.

“Well, that’s what many say about this friend of yours: “Gerry Sir is so calm and composed… almost saintlike.” I joked about how people see me from outside…

“Umm. Ditto about my young daughter here. She declares me as a ‘split personality’… One moment, you are angry; the other moment, nice.’”

How nice, that is, na? We all are one moment angry; the other moment, nice!

Imagine, if you and I are angry all the moments, or nice all the moments –- how our lives would be!

One of the most relatable episodes from the life of Jesus Christ was, when He got uncontrollably enraged at the merchants inside a temple… he ransacked the tables, started whipping the merchants yelling , “You have turned my Father’s house into a den of thieves.”

Hello, I like this Jesus… “He’s not always ‘calm and composed… a saintlike person.”

Similarly, I like the Gandhi who got uncontrollably angry at his wife for refusing to clean the toilets (in front of visitors who glorified him for his noble work)… I like the way Kasturbaben made him realise how human the Mahatma was…





The other day, the whole world was condemning this Municipal Corporator for his assault and ransacking in a government hospital… Of course, I, too, felt so angry with this man’s anger…

But, then, the same day, a man here, at whose behaviour I was so uncontrollably angry and went with a blazing gun… yes, this man had asked me in a calm and composed manner a simple question: “How are you behaving? You are a Sir.”

It’s not easy to digest what I was hearing… But, Sir, I had to…





Let’s keep each other in our prayers, therefore… We all have to translate our stressful situations into something sublime…

Our hearts may be weak; but, you see, they are, also, strong.

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic.: 1. Rafaela Novaes 2. Elina Sazonova

Video: Irina Goryalova

 

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