Courage and Circumstance

It was the year 1989. My life revolved happily around family members, specially with my sons and our pet dog Sherry.I was involved with their activities, and my time was spend joyfully. When my elder son left for higher studies to U.S.A, a sudden vacuum came in my life. To fill up my emotional emptiness, I started looking for a job. And soon with God's grace, I got a part time job in a school run under C.I.E, {central Institute of Education}. I remember one cold December morning, when I came out from the school, I was shivering in the biting cold winds which pierced through three layers of my woollen clothes and chilled my bones. Luckily I saw a young rickshaw puller standing nearby, waiting for a customer. I got into it, and was surprised to see the courage (and poverty) of that young boy, who was just wrapped up in a thin cotton cloth. Immediately I decided that upon reaching home I must give him my son's school blazer to him, which was hanging unused in the closet. As soon as I reached home, I asked him to wait and went in to bring the blazer. As he was just expecting his fare and nothing more, when I gave him some extra money and also the blazer, he gave a faint smile, neatly folded the coat, and put it in his basket. I was surprised to see his illogical behavior of not putting the coat on immediately in the biting cold and asked him why he wouldn't wear it. put it on. He was adamant, and insisted that he would try it on later. I was persistent and asked him again to put it on and this time he could'nt refuse. He pulled off his cotton shawl, and to my surprise I saw he had only one arm. He realized if he hadn't kept that well hidden, he wouldn't get a single customer since people wouldn't risk riding with a one armed rickshaw puller. I bowed to his courage to make a living against all odds, and to God for the opportunity to help someone in such need. He did put on the coat, and with a big smile left our house. If we are little sensitive to the lives of others, we can find such courage in the face of adversity and brave hearts everywhere. Be it a rose seller, a shoe shine boy, or another one of the hundreds of people who make a hard living in the streets. Their acts of daily courage are scattered like gems. I fill up my memory with such experiences, and when I feel low, they bring the light of hope into my mind and courage into my heart.