August 04, 2007

A few days back, I had gone out to the market for a change after a long time of studying, tension, a bed scattered with books, and ‘exam nightmares’. I had just stepped out of the car when my eyes caught two adorable little boys sitting on the stairs of a nearby closed shop. They were joined by a girl slightly older than them. All three were barefooted and in clothes which were clearly not of their size. The girl had something in her hand. It took me two seconds to figure out that it was a piece of bread. She divided it into three parts handing one to each boy and started eating her piece. I got goose bumps just looking at them. I wanted to cry but I didn’t know whether for them or myself.

I imagined myself in their place but shrugged the thought away in a second or so. Why? That was the question I asked myself and managed to force out something that was almost an answer. Maybe it was because I was trying to imagine something I had never gone through or maybe because it just didn't make a difference. Thinking about them alone wasn’t going to help them; soon I’ll be back at home living my life and they living theirs.

But it was at that moment that I woke up and forced my way out of this ‘illusion-filled’' life most of us are living. I realised then and there that I had always taken God'’s blessings for granted. If I felt like crying, it was for me not for them.

Who am I to have everything He has given me? No one! What have I ever done to deserve all this? Nothing! What do I have in me that those children don’t? Nothing special! Why is it that every time such a thought came to me, the problems (or other things) of the world overshadowed it? I have never had time to think about anything except my life or is it all about priority?

When I think of the Almighty, I feel so humble, I’m nothing but one of the zillions of His creatures. Every one of us is nothing, well at least till now, but I believe that the realisation of being nothing is the first step of being ‘something’, a step that most of us forget to take. But those who take it, know that it takes us to many more steps, turning us from ‘nothing’ to ‘something’ and then to ‘everything’.

Why do we have a routine to wake up, survive and go back to sleep? Why don’t we think about how that survival mattered? If you think this way, you could change someone’s life. Helping others is not difficult, no one is asking you to buy them a new house and pay for everything for everything they need their whole life. What you can do is give away things you don’t need; your old clothes, books or help them with a meal, etc.

There are people who can not stand giving money to the poor — people who don’t see any good in helping others or who demand instant rewards for all their actions. For them, life is not a test, its all about ‘me, myself and my money’; these are the people because of whom our world suffers today. Because of this, the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.

How could God create such selfish people? But then I remind myself that if the Lord wanted, He could have made them all believe, if He wanted all paths could be pure and there would be no evil. But He didn’t make it that way. Doesn’t this obviously mean that the fact that He made us different has a reason behind it? And this reason, I believe, is that we, who eat better, dress better, live better, we who have been blessed with so much, have a duty to help those who don’t have as much as us.

This doesn’t mean we should forget about our life. Live your life to its fullest, you only get it once. Have fun, do what ever you want to, but remember, live by helping others to live.

Tell me if those kids were born in poor homes, is it their fault? Doesn’t it hurt you to think that those unfortunate ones shiver all winter and get sick of the heat in the summers all because they cannot afford a roof on their head? What has an infant, who takes his first breath in a home that cannot even afford to feed him, ever done to deserve such a life?

God has given us so much and yet we always want more. Never for once thinking that maybe for a while, we could thank God; maybe once in a while think of those who are in more need than us.

More than 25 per cent of the population in Pakistan lives below poverty level. As is obvious by the poverty rate, these are the people who are greatly affected when hit by a natural disaster.

We all know about the damage in Balochistan caused by the floods. The lives of the people have been severely wrecked. They need a lot of help. Any donation you can give in any way would be helpful; from medicines to food to financial help. They really need our help. So many of the flood affectees have died due to water borne diseases that they were exposed to due to consumption of contaminated water.

Maybe instead of planning parties and movie nights, you could instead use if not all then some of that money to help some one. For example, I felt so good when a friend told me she was going to give tuitions to a poor boy this summer who had to drop out of school because his parents couldn’t afford to educate him any longer.

Some of you might not even read this after a few lines, but I also know that some of you (maybe very few) will agree with me and realise that life is much more than it seems. It’s a blessing. And I believe that being ‘able’ to help others is a special blessing of life. You may think that what can one man do by helping another? Trust me; every one of you who helps another will make a difference. So never hesitate to lend a hand to those who need it. Be there for mankind. And remember, you can make a huge difference.