By: Lubnah Abdulhalim
CELEBRATING THE KINDNESS WITHIN US
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| Photo Courtesy: leonlogothetis.com |
Kindness is one of the most invaluable
qualities anyone could have. It is a rare quality and that’s why the Swahili
say ‘kutoa ni moyo’ to mean giving (charity) needs a big heart. Clearly, not
everyone has this quality for there are very rich individuals but are very mean
while there are people with humble backgrounds but still give the little much
they have. So today, we are going to celebrate all the people who give; however
small or big, whatever or however you do it…you are one of the living legends
Have you ever passed by those many small
street kids in town with their torn and untidy clothes and they timidly follow
you to ask for some cash or some food? They are so many especially behind posta
area and one would get even confused whom to give and whom not to but if you
gave out even if it was your ten shilling coin, then do know you have done a
great thing. You may assume that ten shillings is very little but never underestimate
the value of what you give in charity. Just imagine the smile on that child or
person at the street there and the immediate thanks that follows you by them; isn’t
that a great blessing indeed?
Right now, our country is undergoing an
economic crisis and the citizens are always the ones to suffer. We are all tied
up in problems of our own but there are those few individuals who would go one
step further and stretch their hand to the less fortunate. They would go visit
the sick with maybe a packet of milk and bread, or maybe they would collect
some old un needed but still good clothes and give them out in charity to some
orphans somewhere, they would share some food with the hungry neighbour…and the
list goes on. Sometimes, it is these small things that we do that actually
create the deeper happiness in our lives.
School fees have always been a deep agony
to many parents and guardians and they have to run up and down from place to
place in search of that one big heart that would help without hesitation or embarrassing
the one seeking their help. How many times have we seen people seeking help
from prominent people who would make them wait for hours and hours before
dismissing them empty handed, but yet still, in every ten, we don’t miss that
one humane being that can create all the difference in your life.
Charity has never required anyone to be
extra ordinarily rich and sometimes you don’t need money at all. As Lao Tzu
said, ‘kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates
profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.’ Sometimes, all you have to do
is give a smile to your fellow brother, make someone laugh, remove a harmful
object from people’s way, visit the sick and orphans, be humble in your words
and all these actions could be termed as kindness for kind of effect they have
on people. With all that you do in kindness, never expect anything in return
but who knows what the future holds? You might need help one time in your life
and someone else would offer you kindness just as you did to others because
charity and kindness never goes a waste!
A word of inspiration to us all is that
‘beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to die by midnight . Extend to them all the care,
kindness and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any
reward. Your life will never be the same again.” (Og Mandino)
So let’s all take a minute today to thank
and pray and show gratitude to all the groups that are tirelessly working to
offer charity and kindness to the less fortunate and all the new groups that
are doing a very well done job to the society, the few prominent people with
humanity, to those who are supporting children with their school fees, those who
are doing a wonderful job of maintaining our graveyards, going to hospital and
giving fruits to all the patients in a huge hospital like coast general,
amongst many other charity activities that they do. And to you who spreads love
with any way of kindness to the less fortunate even if it is by that smile or
your twenty shillings and individuals who are so many I can’t personally write
them down; for the list goes on and on…you are our heroes! I salute you all!
