Empathy

“We think that poverty is only being hungry or homeless. The poverty of being unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty.”

The music beats thumped, the air conditioner froze and the eatables were swallowed. We were returning back home after attending a relative’s birthday party. On our way back, we paused at the red light junction, and a thought struck my mind. She seemed to be of the age of seven or eight years. Hair all messed up, ragged clothes, disheveled appearance and a baby in her arms. She sat on the footpath with folded laps, looking after the child. She was situated there staring us, and a grin covered her little face. She sat still and stared us, each and everyone in the car. The red light went off and we drove away, leaving the little girl behind. This is something so frequent at the red light stops. No one cares to even take note of that vagrant’s plight. They sit there the whole day, whether it is the scorching summer or the shivering winters. No timely food to have, no clothes to properly cover their body, and no roof to protect them from natural calamities. In addition to all these torments, some inhumane people slang these impoverished humans. They shut down their windowpanes, leaving them unheard. I saw the other day, a man talking on his cell phone while driving. He stopped at the red light only to shout and annoy the little boy who kept on begging in front of him while he talks on a cell phone. He certainly had no right to hassle the boy. Destiny got these kids at this junction where they are forced to beg. Instead of demoralizing these young creations of the almighty, can’t we provide them with some food or books?

I don’t support the idea of giving them money, but instead we must provide them with something that could ease their grief. Such children are completely innocent, yet helpless. Guilt fills my heart when I reminisce about that girl who kept on staring us with her twinkling eyes. Our cheerfulness made her smile for that one moment, forgetting what lay back behind her. I could have reached out to her that day. If not money, I could have shared a moment of compassion with her, could have smiled her back, or could have lent her a packet of chips. ‘Could have’.

Let’s not forget that the bolt from the blue can dawn upon any of us. God forbid, you too might have to plead with someone, someday. Imagine, he not only gets reluctant to help you but also shouts at you and vexes you. The only purpose here is to appeal to all the civilians that if you cannot lend anything to that pauper, share a moment of empathy with him. Share his woes, his suffering and next time, do not burst your voices on those sackless humans. Open your hearts so you can touch the hearts of others. We all waste our toil and tears in making a living. Let’s, for a moment, create a life. Put yourself in that kid’s shoes, take the focus off your abundant life and imagine what it is like to be in their predicament, and then you will feel love for that person.