Hello once again my dear readers and welcome to another heart to heart talk about good things of life. I like to discuss good things, pleasant thoughts, anecdotes which have something positive for us to carry forward in all my blogs, because I feel that already there is so much negativity in life surrounding us so we all could do with a healthy dose of positive thoughts and words every morning to help us take the day forward with a pleasant and positive outlook.
Also I am a good listener and when I come across anyone who talks sense, irrespective of who he or she is, I don’t mind giving my complete attention because I believe we all can learn something from everyone because everyone has had a different experience of life and that by itself is so valuable. And when you share such experiences and when you learn from those experiences, it adds to your treasure of knowledge about the world and its ways.
So it so happened that yesterday I was travelling by local train to work. My station was about 15 stops ahead and I knew I had a good 45-55 minutes to my destination. I thought I would catch some shut-eye as the train was almost empty, until the next stop came and a frail looking gentleman, who must be in his early 70s, came and sat next to me. His appearance gave the impression that he had seen better days and still was trying to hold on to the few strands of dignity he had even though his creased clothes and shoes betrayed that attempt.
As he came in the compartment, the train started with a jerk and due to his age and fraility, he fell backwards and almost fell on top of me. I put out my hands and supported him and prevented him from falling and then held him and made him sit on the seat comfortably. He sat down and wiped his brow and then profusely thanked me and blessed me for my help.
He seemed to be a kind man who had weathered life’s storms. I being a keen observer; saw him for a couple of minutes trying to settle down and be comfortable and then I decided to carry on with my plan of taking a nap. Before I shut my eyes, he said something to me which took me totally by surprise. They were simple words but carried such deep meaning within them.
He shook my hand and said “Son thank you for your help. Always respect the old when you are young. Always help the weak when you are strong and forgive a fault when you are right, because one day in life, you may be old, weak & wrong”
For a moment I did not know how to react and faintly murmured a mention it not and closed my eyes for my nap. But those words which he said were resounding in my mind. How true those words were. He must have said those words because he must have lived his life and experienced the ups and downs of youth and old age and those words were of a person who has seen both sides of the coin of life. It is true that each and every one of us will at some time in life be old, weak & wrong. At such times we will require the help of others. How can we expect others to help us if we ourselves don’t help others in similar situations when we can?
As they say, what goes around comes around. What we sow shall we reap. So if we expect people to be kind to us and help us when we need it most, we must also show the same attitude towards others who need our help the most. This is only the way to complete the circle of life.
Dr. Rajesh Mankani
