A Tale of Two People
Aug 28th, 2009 by Steven
I had planned to post this blog last Wednesday, 26 Aug but I was stricken with migraine that day.
On that day it would have been Mother Theresa’s 99th birthday if this great lady is still around caring for the orphaned, poor, sick and dying. She was born in 1910 and passed away on 5 Sept 2007. She once said: “I try to give to the poor people for love what the rich could get for money. No, I wouldn’t touch a leper for a thousand pounds; yet I willingly cure him for the love of God.” Although she’s gone, her charitable work is still being performed by her Missionaries of Charity.
As I reflect on Mother Theresa’s humanitarian work, Lord Gautama Buddha’s teaching comes to mind. Particularly this one: “All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.”
The day 26 Aug 2009 was a rather subdued day at the office. Nothing out of the ordinary - not that I expected something exciting - except that it was the last day of work for one of the division heads at my workplace, Pn Juliana aka JDOS. This marks the end of a chapter for the organization, and naturally, the beginning of new one. My comment stems from the fact that during her tenure, many of her decisions and directives would have probably raised an eyebrow or two.
But I shall desist from commenting further; a wise man once said: “A major advantage of age is learning to accept people without passing judgement.”