The Joy of Giving

Today, I had an experience which I never had till now in my life.
The Joy of Giving.
I was though reluctant for I had to wake up at 4 in the morning. But I should thank myself that I did not let myself sleep again. The feeling of joy was worth sacrificing hundreds of hours of sound sleep.

Going inside a Cancer hospital was itself a different feeling... like... I was getting overwhelmed with a sense of admiration and respect for every face I was seeing around... The patients-for they are fighting with strength, fighting for their life, constantly living with the pain and the thought that they are going to die soon...
the attendants-for they are fighting back tears may be, seeing a loved one suffering from cancer is no less pain,
the nurses-the one who guided us through the hospital with an unfading smile on her face, for her dedication....

The first patient who was given the prasad and blessings was an elderly man, his body shrunk into a bag of wrinkles skin. I don’t know what feeling brought tears in my eyes seeing him get blessed. His face lit with a faint smile and gratitude, he sat with his eyes closed and hands folded...I was touched by his being, or his pain or his spirits...I don’t know. I felt overwhelmed.
There were patients with frail bodies like that of a bird...Some looked at us with bewilderment...some with faith...some with doubt...some with contempt, that again a troupe of followers of some baba...
We went to the children’s cancer ward. It was awful to see kids gone bald because of chemotherapy. A fair small little kid was looking at us with amazement. The hair on his head could be counted. His eyes had sunk deep. He was holding his mother's hand in fear....I was wondering how would his mother be feeling to see her child like this...the kid being unaware of what he is suffering from..
Something was moving inside me. I could feel the movement in my heart.

A small guy was lying on his bed...may be in his teens...sat up straight as he saw me and smiled...When I wanted to give him a packet, he said, “I have already got one, take it back ma’m, other patients also want it..”. And said a humble thank you. I felt so good. I was wondering that a small boy, hasn’t given up courtesy even when he is battling with his life...where as we don’t mind giving up basic manners even on a small argument with a friend…or the waiter takes a little longer to bring us our order...or we get a slightly pushed by a co passenger in an overcrowded bus...

Some patients looked at Guruji's photos with a twinkle in their eyes as if there might happen some miracle...

In the pediatric ward, I gave fruits to a small girl who was lying weak, with needles pierced into her tender hands. Her mother talked me that she has been suffering from high fever for more than a week. She asked the kid to say thank you to me...”Dekho didi mausambi di na...thank you bolo”. She raised her thin needles-pierced hand and smiled at me...it touched.

Then the journey took us to the so called Apollo of Poor... Gandhi Hospital...

There was a ward...some 20 beds in two rows...on each bed was a mother and a new born baby...Looking at so many bundles of joy...I had never seen so many babies at a time...it was so wonderful...their delicate fingers...cute faces...some sleeping blissfully…some crying...in a few moments so many thoughts ran through my mind..I fail to recollect all of them now…just one I remember is that until then I had been carrying a heavy heart…but these small teddy bears filled my heart with joy...Perhaps this ward is the only one in every hospital where the patient and their attendants are happy and in celebration...

By the time we wound up everything and set to leave...I was filled with mixed emotions...that I m so lucky that I am blessed with a healthy life…I am blessed with a healthy family…the indescribable feeling of bliss I got by bringing a smile on the faces of those in pain...

All I could say to myself was Guruji, thank you for giving me a chance to experience the Joy of Giving.