When we talk about the joy of giving, we tend to forget the real purpose behind it. It’s ironical how we talk about helping others; try being selfless, with the final motive of being happy ourselves.
But we are learning something at every step we take in life, from every person we meet. Even as storytellers, we evolve. I had this small realization at our last volunteers meet at Seagull.
We were sharing our experiences and it struck me how different the entire concept of ‘helping’ actually is. I realized that giving does not always have to be materialistic or even in the form of knowledge, sometimes it could just be about being a good listener. The real challenge lies in our strength to empathize with the children’s ‘not very happy’ stories and continue to do so, without looking for our own joy in this. Ironically, the real act of selflessness comes in accepting what they have to offer with forbearance and compassion.
It is true that every little thing we do, intentionally or unintentionally, defines our life. PeaceWorks happened to me two years back. It was all about narrating a story then. Now when I look back, the entire idea of storytelling has taken a different turn for me. It is no longer about just going and spending an hour a week with the children. Now, it’s about those familiar faces that run to me as I arrive there for my session, smiling, no matter how their day had started. For that one hour, they are full of curiosity about what I have for them this week, and if nothing else, they flood me with peculiar stories of their own.
PeaceWorks is so much more than what it appears to be. When we get involved and share ourselves through volunteering for causes we’re passionate about, we just feel a sense of belonging towards each other. There is an invisible cord connecting all of us, which is ‘golpo’.
It’s also probably safe to say that human beings have a natural instinct, even a need, to help one another. But, with busy work schedules, home life, and social circles, we slowly forget that life has more to offer us, and we have more to offer life. When I meet these children, their very approach to life inspires me. It just makes me a little more sensitive towards my own surroundings. In just an hour I don’t really hope to make a huge difference in their lives. I will continue to be a storyteller to them because they like it. The storyteller creates a world that can be entered and enjoyed as many times as the story is told well. Every decision we take in life is affected by such stories of our past. Maybe someday in their life one of these stories will make a difference to them too. And the best part? Everyone’s story is worth telling. That’s really all it takes.
—Rakshita Mittal