Moment of Truth

It was a snowy evening and we were on a drive on Highway to reach home after a beautiful vacation. We pulled over to have our snack in Burger King. We entered talking about our adventurous trip in the empty dim lighted store. We noticed that the store was completely empty and there were two people who were staff managing the outlet. One was at the counter who was a teenager and the other was a elderly lady who was sweeping the floor. We went to the counter and gave our order and the girl smiled and asked us to occupy a table. We went and sat down waiting for our order. 

The girl at the cashier position suddenly called out to the lady "Mama" and said "Can I go and study now". The lady who was the mother of the girl politely replied "Just another hour and then you can go and study". 

This short conversation between the two women made us analyze and think about life in general. People from various countries and from different cultures go through a lot to survive. Some leave their home country, migrate for better opportunities and go through a lot of struggle just to get a little more from life.One has to feel blessed and fortunate if things come easily to them. One must feel fortunate to be born in a country where it is peaceful, where housing, education and amenities are available and affordable and more importantly they are attainable at an acceptable level of hard work.

One of my colleagues told me that there was a time in Sri-Lanka where sound of a shell was heard more than the sound of the bell in a church or a temple. It has to be agreed upon the fact that conflicts in various countries across the world have always raised the question of the standard of living of a common man. 

I watched parents cry tears of joy by watching their son reading a newspaper in front of a crowd of people in Africa who could not attend school due to slavery. I also witnessed a Old lady feeling happy and shed tears of joy when she saw her grand daughter going to a job in the morning as she never had the opportunity to go to even school in a village in India. I heard that a person who was in prison started crying after he read a letter in which it was written that his brother joined college and was doing well in studies.There are innumerable stories in 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' series which talk about experiences of people which are simple but yet heart warming. All of these incidents basically tell us that everyone struggles in some format or the other in their lives and get something in return it is just we fail to realize the value of what we have got.

So next time you feel inconvenient in life just close your eyes and realize the value of the present. By doing so you will feel freedom is truly a gift. 

Note : Please forgive me if I have unknowingly offended anyone. These are my thoughts. I may be right or I may be wrong. I would be blessed by those who correct me.