The drudgeries of life
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
The Pursuit of Happiness
How many times has it happened that when you're having a bad time with nothing going your way, life appearing to be a big mess and God seemingly displeased with only you, someone advises you, "Everything happens for the best" or maybe "Things could be worse"? There you go! That cheered you up, didn't it? There are some situations where you just can't apply the same logic.
I stood riveted to my spot, taking in those tiny, cheerful faces as they ran past me, shouting screaming, laughing. Someone tugged at my trouser, and I realized that it was one of the youngest kids in the lot, she must've been all of 2. She indicated that she wanted to be taken into my arms :) Awwww! Come here you! As soon as I lifted her, she clung on to me like she'd never let go... her tiny little hands tightly wrapped around my neck, her feet locked tight behind my back. I talked to her but she uttered not a single syllable... she remained motionless, her body tense, her face against my chest. I cradled her closer, rested by head against hers and closed my eyes for a couple of moments.
Things seemed to have quietened down a bit so I opened my eyes to find out why. And there were 4 tiny tots looking on, not enviously but expectantly, for their turn to be cradled. When I tried to let go of the child in my arms so as to lift one of the waiting children, she tightened her hold. I felt so very sad...
I've seen happy children, I've been a happy child myself, I've grown up with happy kids. But what I was witnessing today was happiness of a totally different kind; happiness found in a place you thought it was least likely to be found; happiness not measured by the increment in salary or by the A grades in exams; it was the feeling of happiness at being loved.
I bore witness to a group of really happy children, children whose happiness is evanescent but is the most beautiful sight for the beholder; an intermittent happiness that would surely be a painful memory for the children. Their laughter, the giggling and all of it was infectious then, but somehow it all haunts me now...
How much we take things for granted! Oh! How we can crib about the silliest of things! When was the last time we felt sincerely happy, not for materialistic gains but for a more genuine reason? The 2 year olds I meet everyday at my society, though very friendly and talkitive, would scoff at the idea of being cradled in someone else's arms. I can't blame them for that... they have their parents to see to it that they're well cared for and are loved adequately. They can whinge, cry, fuss over things. They, being kids, and though they don't realize it, very lucky ones, are allowed to take things for granted. We, on the other hand, need to learn a lot of things from the group of kids I met today to be classified as grown-ups...
- After a day spent at the orphanage
I stood riveted to my spot, taking in those tiny, cheerful faces as they ran past me, shouting screaming, laughing. Someone tugged at my trouser, and I realized that it was one of the youngest kids in the lot, she must've been all of 2. She indicated that she wanted to be taken into my arms :) Awwww! Come here you! As soon as I lifted her, she clung on to me like she'd never let go... her tiny little hands tightly wrapped around my neck, her feet locked tight behind my back. I talked to her but she uttered not a single syllable... she remained motionless, her body tense, her face against my chest. I cradled her closer, rested by head against hers and closed my eyes for a couple of moments.
Things seemed to have quietened down a bit so I opened my eyes to find out why. And there were 4 tiny tots looking on, not enviously but expectantly, for their turn to be cradled. When I tried to let go of the child in my arms so as to lift one of the waiting children, she tightened her hold. I felt so very sad...
I've seen happy children, I've been a happy child myself, I've grown up with happy kids. But what I was witnessing today was happiness of a totally different kind; happiness found in a place you thought it was least likely to be found; happiness not measured by the increment in salary or by the A grades in exams; it was the feeling of happiness at being loved.
I bore witness to a group of really happy children, children whose happiness is evanescent but is the most beautiful sight for the beholder; an intermittent happiness that would surely be a painful memory for the children. Their laughter, the giggling and all of it was infectious then, but somehow it all haunts me now...
How much we take things for granted! Oh! How we can crib about the silliest of things! When was the last time we felt sincerely happy, not for materialistic gains but for a more genuine reason? The 2 year olds I meet everyday at my society, though very friendly and talkitive, would scoff at the idea of being cradled in someone else's arms. I can't blame them for that... they have their parents to see to it that they're well cared for and are loved adequately. They can whinge, cry, fuss over things. They, being kids, and though they don't realize it, very lucky ones, are allowed to take things for granted. We, on the other hand, need to learn a lot of things from the group of kids I met today to be classified as grown-ups...
- After a day spent at the orphanage
Labels: Experiences, Feelings
4 Comments:
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sweet :)
But you think too much... :P
Lovely post Stevie. Its instances like this that make you realize that there are more important things life. That happiness is not so much dependent on circumstances but on you.
Execellent Steve ....
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