I hope you're all having a good weekend. I have a pretty decent weekend myself... and for all of us who do, we should be grateful. I'm sure not many of us, including me, think of being thankful for a good weekend. We often take such simple things for granted. So, I thought I'd end the week with a bit of reflections for all of us to read while sitting on our couches having Sunday roast.
I mean... How many times have we watched on the news or listened on radio or heard from others about a father who lost their job and struggle to raise his family? What about a son who has to work 2 jobs to cover medical bills then spend the whole night caring for his sick parent? What about a family that is burdened by severe illness (cancer, etc) and have no means of earning income?
Of course, every time we hear such stories, we feel bad, feel grateful for what we have, and even weep for them. Then we go into a restaurant and spend hundreds on alcohol. Now, before all of you start running towards me with baseball bats, hear me out. I firmly believe that you deserve to enjoy what you've earned. I do too. However, how many of us really understand the struggles or even sufferings that these people really go through? We feel good after giving donations and some us may even judge them for how they should live.
I am personally passionate about charity. I started visiting slumps, special hospitals, and community centres delivering donations and performing trainings for students in impoverished communities since I was still in high school. I used to cry after some of the visits to those places. I could never imagine having to live on bones for protein or eating only rice or bread with soy sauce. I could never imagine a lonely life without anyone to talk to who's not a medical professional. What about not being able to communicate at all and bed-bound for life while being fully awake and aware of the surroundings?
Yet, in our great country-Australia, we hear about children committing suicide because of bullying and elders dying in their home without anyone finding them for days or even months. As the world progresses intellectually, technology advanced rapidly, and communication devices are made more available than ever, we lose the true communication within society. How many of us borrow sugar from our neighbours? How many of us knock on neighbour's door just to check up on them? Why do we need to have 'Are you Ok' day to tell us to check up on those around us? Have we really become so inconsiderate of others that we forget to accept them just for who they are or just lend a hand to our capabilities for whatever they need without justifications or judgements? And, why do we always need a reason to talk to each other?
Strangely enough, even after so much life experience (and I'm talking Great experiences and those that you thought you'd only see as tragedies on TV or hear on radio), I still like to imagine a life where people using their skills to help each other is a normal thing-not a charity, a world where people accept differences without even noticing them, or just a world where people can just talk to each other without feeling uncomfortable. Yes, that sounds quite unreasonable... but if we all take the time to imagine such a life and try a little harder, we won't be too far from it.
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