Chicken Soup for the Soul- My Story

 25 July, around 2:30p.m, suddenly my footwear gave away (first time in school), and my first reaction was GOSH...how will I manage now?

Suddenly I remembered that Nursery teachers had an extra pair in their classes last year, so I called Asha and asked her if she could help me. She didn't have an extra pair but assured me that she will tell other PP teachers too.

All forgotten under my work then  - giving feedback to a teacher about the observation, trying to respond to a parent note left on my table , listening to a complaint by a teacher,

and so many others.

Miraculously at 3:30 p.m. somebody comes and ask me if I had asked for a pair of chappals. Then out came an oversized pair of footwear from a bag, that person said Shobha ma'am sent it for you and asked for your chappals. I thought it was an extra pair, she said 'no, she thought I have to stay in school for the meeting and will face difficulty in moving around, and she is anyways going home so she can manage. I had my doubts about Shobha fitting her size 7 or 8 foot in my size 5 foot wear. She insisted, so I gave mine, called Shobha, said a quick -- hey, thanks, will you be able to manage.

As always-  an emphatic ‘yes’ left me to carry on with my work without further worry.

After the evening meeting was over, I was sharing this incident with Shalini and Savitha in the bus.

But it was only after I got down at the L&T gate and had to walk a good distance to the end of the complex to reach my apartment did it fully dawn on me that I am walking comfortably because somebody has sacrificed their comfort for me. She had already reached her home with all the discomfort by then. But this gesture touched my soul, and the line which I read just few days back unfolded itself with its full meaning –

"Charity is not about giving what you don't need but giving what you need”

This act was not done for any appreciation, certificate or gift but out of 'pure love'

Believe me I was not thinking of the discomfort that Shobha must have gone through, but my soul was so touched by this act that with each step I was taking my soul sent million blessings to Shobha that whenever she is in a tough situation the universe will have an army of angels to help her out.

Thanks a ton Shobha, I am super lucky to have a friend like you.

 And after eons I caught myself thinking about the sentence

 "The Buddha in me meets the Buddha in you”