The Aging and the Broken- A lesson well learnt!

“The Little Boy and the Old Man

Said the little boy, "Sometimes I drop my spoon."
Said the old man,"I do that too."
The little boy whispered, "I wet my pants."
"I do that too," laughed the little old man.

Said the little boy, "I often cry."

The old man nodded, "So do I.'

"But worst of all," said the boy, "it seems Grown-ups don't pay attention to me."

And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand.

I know what you mean," said the little old man.” ―

 Shel Silverstein

Dear darling Baby,

Today I wanted to share with you another lesson which I learned.- A lesson to our posterity (That is YOU). I am planning to spend your next Birthday here. You see, there is this wonderful Big garden where God's Best people live.

This week our visit was dedicated to another part of our neglected society – The Aged Homeless Women. The visit was staggeringly overwhelming.As we tried locking gazes with 12 wise old pair of eyes , we realized that our gazes fell to the sagging eye bags, drooping lips, and as they rested on the wrinkled old hands, I was gripped with intense sadness. It was like a silent blow, a brutal reminder that these were perhaps the very hands which  must have once held the tiny fingers of their children leading them in hope to a better future , soon the selfless act quietly forgotten- when the time came for the tiny hands to pay their dues, as the hands changed roles from the strong to the wrinkled and the tiny young grasp transformed to that of a strong grip of youth.- A stark reminder to all of us about this humanitarian crisis happening all around the world.

When these old wrinkled hands and furrowed brows found no one to hold on to for support, came down the kindred blessed hands of the Lutheran World Service India Trust (an Associate program by the Lutheran World Federation, Dept. for World Service, Geneva.) acting as a ray of hope to this neglected part of our civilization, providing for a safe day-night shelter (sans food) as they strive to stand out and make sure that the most vulnerable group in our society are not left behind as the ambitious young generation surges forward with youthful vigor.

We spent some soul-wrenching quality time breaking bread together (an age-old custom or symbol to wipe out social differences) with the twelve odd aged homeless women (roughly aging between 50-95 years) who were not in a position to work anymore for a living over a cuppa piping hot afternoon tea and cookies, biscuits, and savories as we delved into their past. As the organization, although provides shelter to Forty-Two homeless women ,the rest were out battling to make ends meet for their daily bread.

The main concern as we chatted with each of them as they shared their captivating life-stories ranging from the days of early days of partition of Bengal to the present social evils like separation, domestic abuse and social stigma of being alone, aching joints and failing nerves , was that of the evening supper. They often went to bed early on an empty stomach after the ordeals of back-breaking daily chores, saving morsels for their breakfast and going to bed early lest they suffer from hunger pangs lest they lose the good old night's sleep, another realization slamming headlong into us making us feel so lucky and sheepish at the same time as I pictured the hot piping dinner waiting for me after a hard day at work.I send a silent prayer  of gratitude for this unsung abundance in my life.

They are otherwise a happy lot cribbing about who did not share the prasad after a pilgrimage or arguing about the outcome of a soap which they are allowed to watch on a dilapidated television set provided by the society for their entertainment.

The officers were friendly and patient as they shared various views on combating this social evil and on how to sensitize ourselves as responsible citizens, to realize our forgotten empathy towards this sector of the society which was once an important moral lesson taught in every ancient Indian household -cultivating compassion towards the lesser fortunate or the underprivileged. This will start happening only when each one of us can take time to connect with the elders in our life and community—and also realize that what an untapped resource they are with deep pools of incredible wisdom which they are eagerly waiting to share if we are ready to accept them. 

This is indeed a lesson You need to learn and Me & Daddy to re-learn about cultivating values like kindness and compassion for a better world around us. So what say Baby about the Birthday Party?? I am sure you will pipe in with your impish "I am in, Mamma!!!"

Much Love as always

Mamma

Oh !!The Lesser Fortunate !!!

We all know...A man who travels alone ..travels the fastest..My daughter teaches me how to travel together....

 

  

Dear Baby,

I still remember the visit I once made to a local school for the underprivileged.The visit was soulfully enriching and humbling as I realized how we  take so many things such as education, safe drinking water, good health care and access to nutritious food made available to us for granted. The visit made to the street children of the underprivileged Kolkata served as an Eye Opener for each one of us. The eager cherub faces only added to my grit to make the most of the two and a half hour which we had. Each member of the team pitched in headlong to understand the requirements of this deprived section as we came up with various innovative ideas to contribute towards a better life by providing each child in need with life's essentials.

I have often found that children of this section are happy just to be smiled at and acknowledged unless they are already "hard-core" beggars. It's hard to resist those adorable faces, and not reach out and spoil them a bit

It pulled at our heart's strings as we were greeted with cheerful "Good Afternoons". Yes, they are being taught well with whatever meager means available. It was so endearing and the small gesture so very positive that it made me smile and I found the angelic faces beaming back at me. As they eagerly introduced themselves, we moved on to our next agenda- A simple workshop with the "All colourful play dough" we were surprised with the hidden talents ensconced in these little beings. The energy put in by their tiny hands was immensely infectious. I found that another great tool of friendship was our quintessential mobile or digital camera. Just like you the little ones loved posing for a good photograph , as we all got into a frenzy of flashing and clicking the miniature dolls ,roses , flowers, little deities of Ganesha and Durga  offered to us by the little freshly scrubbed beaming faces.

As they are deprived of their rights in health, education and nourishment, children from these backgrounds are considered to be the most suppressed and more likely to be more violent. Governmental support is very limited.

I don't want you to give me your surplus. I want you to give with personal deprivation- Mother Teresa- 

The Lesson From Your Dance Class

Dear Baby,

You must know that you have been such an immense source of joy to many...and we kept in mind to keep you smiling too. I am indebted to a chosen few people and some heart-warming incidents which have brought so much joy and meaning in your life... One of them is your Saturday Dance Class. I pay my heartfelt tribute to them here by this write up which they have decided to put up in your school magazine. Here the lesson we learn is of Gratitude. Being grateful has it returns tenfold.  So here we go to say our thanks...

Kalakunja, as  name suggests, is the cultural storehouse for budding young artists. With a vision in making a contribution to all forms of performing arts, generating interest among the younger generation towards this rich heritage of India and show casing it to the wider public, Kalakunja, has succeeded in its endeavor of restoring our fading cultural heritage to its original vibrant form.

It has played an integral part in giving shape to my daughter’s interest in cultural arts. As a novice and a student, I have seen her interest in Dance, Drama and Art bloom and grow from her swaying toddler steps to a budding danseuse under the tender and kind guidance of Smt. Arati Malik, the Flag Bearer of the Institute.

The unadorned familial simplicity in handling its large number of students gives Kalakunja the extra edge in creating the feeling of home away from home. The key to this age old charm is felt in the firm but gentle guidance endowed by the ever patient teachers, the cheerful students and the look of immense satisfaction in the eyes of every content parent , a visitor comes across. This Old School aura shows me a doorway to revisit my childhood days every time I stopover to drop my daughter for her classes. Moreover so, the simple heartfelt pleasure on seeing her skip off happily to her lessons as she steps over the school threshold is so gratifying in itself. The energy and earnestness emanating during the practice sessions, where each step is rehearsed till it reaches perfection, each glance corrected, each stroke emboldened and the occasional spells of laughter on some unaccounted misstep just lights up the place like Christmas. The liveliness palpitating through each one of them, the sincere teachers or the eager to please students is so very infectious that one cannot help but in getting involved and become a part of this revitalizing activity. The feeling of belongingness just seems to grow on to you.

The stirring intensity of the backstage activity was simply awe-inspiring as it dawned on to me how much hard work, time and passion must have been involved to give shape to this long awaited concert .The essence of vitality, as I found lay not in one single move or person,  but it was an effervescent concoction of enthusiastic teachers and sincere staff as they dressed up the vivacious little artists, the last minute fine tunings by the veterans for a even more superior presentation, the urgent cry for extra lighting and sounds, some sporadic plea for a bolder make-up, the animated shouts of encouragement, not to overlook the quintessential throws of tantrum from a high-strung little Krishna and finally the vibrant performance by the fervent students proudly flaunting their acquired skills, was simply heartwarming . As we cheered ourselves hoarse applauding both staff and students alike, the breathtaking Concert smoothly rolled on to become a Stupendous Mind-blowing Success.

I wish you all many more such successes and thank all of you from the bottom of my heart in creating such a refreshing nook for our little ones to bloom and blossom as they march along the corridors of our rich cultural heritage thriving vibrantly in this jungle of grey city concrete.

Ivy Banerjee

(An ever indebted parent)