The picture shows two children being tended to by their mothers. One mother is a woman belonging to the labor class, laying her child to rest before she starts her work, which is to help in the construction of a damaged part of the road. The other is a woman who is taking her child to school.Before I begin to talk about what struck me about this particular moment, I must say that I had a big advantage over all of you, who had access, through this picture, only to one moment. Though, this one moment does effectively capture the essence, yet being there and hearing things in person is a great aid to set your mind working.
Of course, the picture is about a Mother’s love for her child, regardless of the social position, status or financial condition. In fact, it is often said that a child can be a bad child, but a mother can never be a bad mother. She will always love her child and her child, to her eyes, will be the prettiest of all in the whole wide world.
What particularly caught my attention in the moment was the startling contrast among the two mother-child pairs. Here was one baby, laid down on a bed of concrete, with no protection from the elements, being checked upon by his mother before she left him to begin her work. Yet, there seemed to be nothing that bothered either of them. The child was lying there very snug and comfortable and looking really cute in the process. The mother was also going about her job with great care and making sure, in every way she could, that the child was comfortable. In one word, they were, it seemed to me, satisfied. They had accepted what had been handed to them and were dealing with it well.
The second child, on the other hand, was almost crying. Her mother was having a hard time dragging (look at the grip she has on his wrist, and the way the child’s front leg is stretched out straight as he was trying to pull back) him to school. They seemed to be from a family that did not have to worry about where their next meal was coming from. Yet,on the whole they presented an image where the mother and the child, both, seemed troubled and unsatisfied with their lot.
Now, in the second case, neither the mother nor the child can be blamed. Which mother will not want her son to go to school and what son, at that age, would go to school willingly.
What struck me was this: do our problems increase as we begin to have more and more?
If it is so, then why are we always striving for more? Can it be that what we have is enough for us, and all we need to do is appreciate it and enjoy it? And if at all we do need more, shouldn’t we be ready for the problems that come with that. Accepting the lot that has been given to us and dealing with it with a smile, I think, is the key to not just a happy life but also a meaningful one.
9 comments:
I like this post. I am all for living in abundance not because I am materialistic but so I can helo people like this.
Poor people cant help poor people. I want to help. U have to get myself rich.
I think it's a beautiful picture, a beautiful moment, and a great post.
What a great post and I do believe that as we move on and we are more wealthy and "civilized" life gets harder.
My own story is proof. I raised my first 2 kids in your typical western way.. school and bottles and all the modern conveniences. My 3rd, 4th and 5th children were raised in a cottage in the woods with nothing. No phone, no car, nothing. Homebirthing, breastfeeding, homeschooling. In that time, a sincere closeness developed between all of us. And while the first two were present during this--they're a little more "conventional" (they were teens by then) than the other 3 children. They're the only two that have given me any challenges along the way--not many--but challenges all the same. The other three accept life as it comes and love what life gives even when life gives nothing. Never a battle--just an appreciation.
FAKE...
No one who can "Really Capture any Moment" would "Cut Heads or feet off in a picture"...
You want people to care get *The Whole Picture with Faces, Feet and everyone involved...
Very good post sir. I posted my perspective in the previous post but i got a failure notice.
Here I would say that a normal human being is full of expectations out of life.say a person works hard and asks his children that this Diwali they'll own a scooter.the children start dreaming about it.-Expectations. Now come the diwali this person got a scooter but on the very first day he'll ask his family that:"If every thing goes fine next diwali we'll own a car".:) and again they start draming about the car forgetting about the happiness that could be derived out of the previous situation(Scooter).
@ BP ..
nice post!
one thing ...
there is a child in all of us..
you talk abt those children in the pic ... looks at teh child in those mothers too!!
Obsessive children in those mothers!!
hmmm, interesting post.
There are not many people on here that have truely seen both sides of the economic barrier.
I have lived amongst people that had to work all summer to make sure that they had winter food for themselves and their stock. These people would not hesitate to give you a big meal when you visited their houses, hence poitically correct timings for the visits.
But yes, I wish I could have taken my own children to these places to see children working with the family or playing with something as simple as a couple of sticks and being happy
Good post, and we won't even bother acknowledging those amongst us they can only point fingers and complain.
@Shelli: Thank you.
@Noi Rocker: Its true, to help others we must first be in a position where we can actually do something for them.
@jay: Thank you.
@invisible blogger: Its is true. Appreciation of anything comes from having to earn it first, otherwise we take it for granted.
@keith: I agree. But you have to understand that I was not ready for it, I was just their and I had just enough time to quickly capture whatever I could. Not that, I was planning for it to happen.
But you are right. I should have been more careful.
@sunil: Thank you. And you have a point there. We should stop and enjoy what we have every once in a while. Whats the use of having, if one cant enjoy what one has. Let's make best use of our time here.:)
@pushkala: Interesting perspective.
@nzdanboy: Its true very few ppl get to see both sides of the economic barrier. I am glad you got to do that and hence appreciate what you have even more.
And yes , I think its important that young ppl get to see such things, because after all the youth are the future and we all need a better future for our planet.:)
I think u r sopt on. You should alvez appreciate what you have rather then crib for what u dont. So, guys being richer is not mere collecting money, it has other dimensions too. Think and act wisely.
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