Hello Friends,
Let me share a story with you.
It will touch your heart..........
A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco.
"Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've a favor to ask. I have a friend I'd like to bring home with me."
"Sure," they replied, "we'd love to meet him."
"There's something you should know," the son continued, "he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a landmine and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us."
"I'm sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live."
"No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us."
"Son," said the father, "you don't know what you're asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can't let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He'll find a way to live on his own."
At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror, they also discovered something they didn't know; their son had only one arm and one leg.
The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don't like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren't as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are. Thankfully, there's someone who won't treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are.
Tonight, before you tuck yourself in for the night, say a little prayer that God will give you the strength you need to accept people as they are and to help us all be more understanding of those who are different from us!!!
Anupam Anurag.
From India, Calcutta
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2Let me share a story with you.
It will touch your heart..........
A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco.
"Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've a favor to ask. I have a friend I'd like to bring home with me."
"Sure," they replied, "we'd love to meet him."
"There's something you should know," the son continued, "he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a landmine and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us."
"I'm sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live."
"No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us."
"Son," said the father, "you don't know what you're asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can't let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He'll find a way to live on his own."
At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror, they also discovered something they didn't know; their son had only one arm and one leg.
The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don't like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren't as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are. Thankfully, there's someone who won't treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are.
Tonight, before you tuck yourself in for the night, say a little prayer that God will give you the strength you need to accept people as they are and to help us all be more understanding of those who are different from us!!!
Anupam Anurag.
From India, Calcutta
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Anurag,
This story reminds me of my father whom I lost a few years back.
I have seen live examples of unconditional love. He used to be very kind with humans as well as animals.
One day he brought a handicapped man to our house as that man had missed his last bus. At that time, someone in our family was the transport minister, and that man came for the application for the handicap-free travel card in UP Roadways. At night, he saw a man sitting alone in our garden, and when he came to know that he had missed his last bus and had no place to go, he brought him to our home, and my mother cooked food at midnight for that stranger.
One widow from a village who came to the city for some work met with an accident. As a matter of chance, my father was passing that way, and finding her in trouble, he arranged everything for her. When she was discharged from the hospital, he brought her to our home as she was still on her bedrest. I still remember how my mother took care of her as she was like some elderly member of our family.
Whenever he saw any stray animal suffering, whether it was a stray dog, cow, or donkey, he immediately arranged for their care and even involved us all in providing medication and making all arrangements until they were cured.
It was very annoying that anyone could ring the doorbell even at midnight when anyone was in trouble or had any problem, and my father was always there to help them without caring about his health.
Most of the pets I had were stray animals brought home for medical treatment or similar needs, and soon, they became part of the family.
He always helped poor clients, never charging any fees from those in poor financial situations. He always fought against social evils like dowry, etc.
When he was alive, I never understood what he was, and sometimes I used to get irritated, wondering why he was so good. But now that he is not here, I know what I had. I had a real God in front of my eyes, and I never realized it. I feel proud that I am his son.
If I keep on writing, I will write till morning, as his whole life was filled with unconditional love for both humans and animals.
I am proud that I have told my parents that I am bringing one of my friends to live with us, who is handicapped, and I know their answer will be to bring him and tell him that it is his house and he is like our son.
From Australia, Balwyn
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This story reminds me of my father whom I lost a few years back.
I have seen live examples of unconditional love. He used to be very kind with humans as well as animals.
One day he brought a handicapped man to our house as that man had missed his last bus. At that time, someone in our family was the transport minister, and that man came for the application for the handicap-free travel card in UP Roadways. At night, he saw a man sitting alone in our garden, and when he came to know that he had missed his last bus and had no place to go, he brought him to our home, and my mother cooked food at midnight for that stranger.
One widow from a village who came to the city for some work met with an accident. As a matter of chance, my father was passing that way, and finding her in trouble, he arranged everything for her. When she was discharged from the hospital, he brought her to our home as she was still on her bedrest. I still remember how my mother took care of her as she was like some elderly member of our family.
Whenever he saw any stray animal suffering, whether it was a stray dog, cow, or donkey, he immediately arranged for their care and even involved us all in providing medication and making all arrangements until they were cured.
It was very annoying that anyone could ring the doorbell even at midnight when anyone was in trouble or had any problem, and my father was always there to help them without caring about his health.
Most of the pets I had were stray animals brought home for medical treatment or similar needs, and soon, they became part of the family.
He always helped poor clients, never charging any fees from those in poor financial situations. He always fought against social evils like dowry, etc.
When he was alive, I never understood what he was, and sometimes I used to get irritated, wondering why he was so good. But now that he is not here, I know what I had. I had a real God in front of my eyes, and I never realized it. I feel proud that I am his son.
If I keep on writing, I will write till morning, as his whole life was filled with unconditional love for both humans and animals.
I am proud that I have told my parents that I am bringing one of my friends to live with us, who is handicapped, and I know their answer will be to bring him and tell him that it is his house and he is like our son.
From Australia, Balwyn
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Makes you think.
One act of selfishness and a son lost forever. Not only a son lost forever, but a son who realized that he had nowhere to go with even his own family forsaking him, so much so that he decided not to continue living as he was. It's too easy to say no to somebody who needs help desperately. The wrong answer can lead to so much unnecessary tragedy.
We must learn to be more compassionate and caring. Tomorrow we may be the one in need of someone's help and generosity.
Jeroo
From India, Mumbai
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One act of selfishness and a son lost forever. Not only a son lost forever, but a son who realized that he had nowhere to go with even his own family forsaking him, so much so that he decided not to continue living as he was. It's too easy to say no to somebody who needs help desperately. The wrong answer can lead to so much unnecessary tragedy.
We must learn to be more compassionate and caring. Tomorrow we may be the one in need of someone's help and generosity.
Jeroo
From India, Mumbai
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Touching story, Anupam. Keep posting such articles. This message is also important for all of us HR professionals. When making decisions and taking action, we should aim to grasp the essence and consider the "whole" view, including the perspective of the person expressing concerns or sharing their experience. It's crucial to have empathy rather than sympathy. Keep it up, dear Anupam.
From India, Mumbai
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From India, Mumbai
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