It was humbling! Truly humbling. Life had not been good to them. At least that is what I had thought before. But when I saw them dancing and having fun, I think I am made to eat my words. I mean, my thoughts.
Elwin centre for the mentally retarded is a school I had known for years now. My best friend's dad is the principal for years and we are family friends ever since I remember. So it is easy to know the school well. I had been to the campus many times, played with the mentally challenged children on so many occasions but this has not stuck me before.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend the Christmas programme of the mentally challenged children of the school. A good friend wanted to take snaps and so I went to the very front of the auditorium and sat there with the other kids witnessing the cultural programme.
The kids I sat with were all excited to see their friends come on to the stage. You can see that on their faces that they wanted good for them. They were happy, plain and simple! There were no remorse, glaring mistakes were not jeered at, no booing, no whistling, no 'boys VS girls' competition, no gang fights. Through out the programme, I watched their faces. Both the ones on the stage and those off it. The smile did not go away. The excitement never wavered. The happiness was there right through!
Suddenly it sparked on me. The purity of the happiness I had lost along the way. The excitement in me wavered. Hatred has become a part of me; Competition has taken away the sheen of pure love. But all of them I saw, in those tiny deformed faces.
May be, I had thought the world would have been a better place without them! Yes, I mean it. But then, truly I am made to believe that the world is in fact a better place. But for them, the purity of love and happiness is all but lost.
Yes! It is humbling; humbling to know that the kids I met yesterday were way ahead of me in their lives for they know not anything but love.
Elwin centre for the mentally retarded is a school I had known for years now. My best friend's dad is the principal for years and we are family friends ever since I remember. So it is easy to know the school well. I had been to the campus many times, played with the mentally challenged children on so many occasions but this has not stuck me before.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend the Christmas programme of the mentally challenged children of the school. A good friend wanted to take snaps and so I went to the very front of the auditorium and sat there with the other kids witnessing the cultural programme.
The kids I sat with were all excited to see their friends come on to the stage. You can see that on their faces that they wanted good for them. They were happy, plain and simple! There were no remorse, glaring mistakes were not jeered at, no booing, no whistling, no 'boys VS girls' competition, no gang fights. Through out the programme, I watched their faces. Both the ones on the stage and those off it. The smile did not go away. The excitement never wavered. The happiness was there right through!
Suddenly it sparked on me. The purity of the happiness I had lost along the way. The excitement in me wavered. Hatred has become a part of me; Competition has taken away the sheen of pure love. But all of them I saw, in those tiny deformed faces.
May be, I had thought the world would have been a better place without them! Yes, I mean it. But then, truly I am made to believe that the world is in fact a better place. But for them, the purity of love and happiness is all but lost.
Yes! It is humbling; humbling to know that the kids I met yesterday were way ahead of me in their lives for they know not anything but love.
1 comment:
So true! They're ahead of us in expressing and sharing the real love from their heart.
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