Light of a Lamp

She stared at the few hundred rupee notes in her hand. She had requested her employer to give it to her few days earlier, to enable her to do some New Year shopping. To celebrate the New Year in her own humble way. Of course she had to be careful with the money, her husband was no more and her family depended on her.

Yet now the money meant something else to her and she continued to stare at it. Her eyes focussed on the man smiling at her from the hundred rupee note. Why was He smiling?

Because, she had the money and was full of joy, or because he knew that if she were to give it someone else, she would still have joy and someone else too would share the joy...

She wished the thought wouldn't enter her head. Her employer had talked about contributing to the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund. They will be contributing in thousands, a few hundreds from me wouldnt make a difference, a voice said from within. But another voice insisted that she too, should do she do her best for the Tsunami vicitms. After all she thought even success of a movie worth crores, is determined by people who buy tickets for less than a hundred. Perhaps there is strength in numbers, she decided.

She went back and returned part of the money to her employer and asked her to give that money too to the relief fund.

Her employer smiled at her in amazement. Yet, declined and said she would contribute on her behalf too.

Her hand clutched the notes tightly. After all if the heart was not going to care for her stomach, the brain and hand should. But her soul was into giving and the hand that clutched, slowly stretched.

And she insisted that those notes too should be included, while taking the DD. And discovering the joy of giving, She Smiled.

Her employer, who had lamented about the Fury of Nature, now saw the Force of Human Compassion. She had thought disasters were the Curse of Gods, but realised that they were a Challenge to bring out the God within. Stunned she too, Smiled.

Later, a woman suddenly orphaned by the Tsunami,

thought she had none and that there was no point in living.

Yet when she got the relief, she realised that though

one cannot get back the lost lives,

Or get back the lost lifestyle,

Someone out there still cares,

And even if its not everything,

There is someone who wants to wipe away her tears.

And she too smiled.

Realising the Joy in Giving, the Giver Smiled

Stunned by the Force of Humanity, her Employer too Smiled

Realising that people still care, and that life can go on

The victim felt a Reason for Living and she too Smiled.

Its not a laugh, but just a smile. And a bittersweet smile.

But instead of just crying, even after the Tsunami

India still manages to Smile.

Some might Laugh when others make a mistakes

Some Indians Smiles when they correct, even God's mistakes.

And what can be more fun then discovering the Goodness within?

Just like a lamp, which never loses its glow

when it lights another

Many light a lamp,

During the darkness followed by disasters.

The light of these lamps spreads throughout India

And leaves India Shining & Smiling.

Wherever you are, Whenever you read this, its never too late to make a donation by cheque or draft in the name of the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund and sent it to the Prime Minister's Office, South Block, New Delhi-110001 or if you want to make the contribution online or by credit card of bank transfer etc, visit the url http://pmindia.nic.in/relief.htm

Discover the Joy of Giving.

You will smile and someone else too will smile,

Come, Join the India Smiling Campaign.