Gratitude

Sometimes for no reason we are showered by a lot of goodwill from others. For no reason at all other people go out of their way to help us out and extend kindness and noble selfless service towards us. These are situations where it's so difficult to respond in equal measure, with equal or more kindness; these actions need not be magananimous in their proportion, they may be just very simple day to day occurences as well; but still only life has to provide that opportunity to us to give back these noble expressiions. It's hard to describe the feeling - it's an immense sense of gratitude that overwhelms us at such times; and all we can think at such times is a heartfelt "Thank you"; to God and to the person who helped us.

It seems almost like we may not be able to give back to the same person who extended these good vibes & kind support to us; in times of need, maybe even if we get the opportunity to share the same good vibes with someone else in similar situations, we will feel gratified.

Just to narrate an instance last week - the drainage system at home was giving trouble and we weren't finding anyone who had the right skills and tools to come over and fix it. It was in a delicate state and needed to be fixed urgently. The gardener at home knew there was a problem, so when he found someone on his way back home who could fix the problem, he came back all the way with him and ensured the issue was fixed. There was truly no need for him to come back all the way, he could have just given that person the address of our house and called us up and informed us. But he did this extra bit, for no money, for no selfish reason.

All through the day whoever had been contacted had not turned up, but each and every one called back the next day to check if the problem was still there, and offered to come and fix it. Why would they need to call back to all the calls they missed? If I still needed them, wouldn't I be calling back anyway? But, that's commitment. Commitment can be seen sometimes in the service offered even though the service is not really offered. And at times when you are truly in need of the service, this commitment from others when you least expect it; is what I call divine intervention! Gratefulness is the only feeling that overwhelms us at such times. And deep, true satisfaction & happiness is the only feeling that overwhelms the giver.

Come to think of it, in today's utterly self-centred times too, we can find so many such good people around us, who selflessly go about their work with so much commitment, and so many small small instances when people quietly go beyond their preset boundaries to offer more than expected, without being asked, at needy moments. I just feel an immense sense of gratitude that such people still exist. May their tribe increase!