The incident that touched my heart
Few years back I had a student named Ritu, studying in class 9th. She was a cancer patient and belonged to a very low socio- economic strata.
As counselor I would help children develop positive thinking. One day in the assembly I asked students if anyone among them would volunteer to say 5-6 sentences on “How lucky they were”. Ritu was the first one to come forward and what she spoke touched my heart.
Ritu said “I suffer from throat cancer. There are many people whose cancer is diagnosed at a very later stage but I am blessed to be diagnosed at a very early stage.
• I am lucky that my parents send me to school in spite of my illness. There are so many girls who are hale and hearty yet do not get the opportunity to ever attend the school.
• I am lucky to have understanding and caring teachers and parents, there are many children who were not so lucky to even see their parents or attend any school.
• I am lucky to have two meals, there are many who do not get even one.
• I am lucky to get treated for my cancer in spite of being a girl & belonging to not so privileged family, many daughters are not even allowed to be born .
• There are so many people with physical disabilities but I am lucky to have one piece body.
These few sentences from a 14 year child touched the heart of all the teachers and students, few even had tears in their eyes. The voice showed the pain and suffering she had though she was being brave in front of all.
We all should remember that even in adverse situations, one can be happy if one chooses to be. There are brave people like Ritu who see even troubles as blessings in their lives.
Stop complaining and start living. It is rightly said that “Most people cry that roses have thorns but very few are thankful that thorns have roses ”.
Hurray! now Ritu is working as a volunteer in an NGO working for cancer patients.
“THINK BEAUTIFUL AND BE BEAUTIFUL”.
MEENU BHARGAVA