We have often read about everyday hero's who touch lives and bring hope. Last weekend I had the opportunity to meet with one such hero who brought out emotions hard to express. He taught me and my children a valuable lesson about commitment and sharing.
What makes this hero all the more unique and exceptional is that he is a 11 year old special needs child. His name is Gagan and I first met him when I started volunteering at the Cottolengo School for children with mental and intellectual disabilities here in Whitefield, Bangalore.
He was a quiet child but extremely well behaved, always eager to learn and quick to smile. My weekly visits to the school where I introduced them to the world of computers was always a bright spot in my week. As anyone who has the good fortune to spend time with special children will know, their innocence and purity makes a mark on your heart that claims a space deep within. Many of them are residential as they have no known family to claim them at the end of the day. But reassuringly enough the majority of them do have a loving family to return to.
Anyway getting back to our hero. This weekend the school celebrated the inauguration of a new school hall. The kids were super excited, dressed up in their Sunday best. The hall was the culmination of many months of hard work and fundraising by the sisters of Cottolengo and it was with much pride that they awaited its inauguration. The school really needed this added space to be able to give their children an area they could use for extra curricular activities like Yoga and Dance.
Now Gagan, who joined the school only last year, had been seeing the hall in various stages of construction ever since he joined. He began saving the little pocket money he got every month in an earthen pot and he told his mother that he wanted to give this money to his school towards the cost of the hall. On the day of the inauguration he proudly brought the pot and with a beaming face presented it to the sisters.
What impressed me most was the commitment he showed. It wasn't one or two months pocket money that he was sharing. Just eleven years old and he was happy to share all that he had. Every month for a year he put this money aside and showed considerable restraint. He did not even once give in to the temptation of using his pocket money to buy himself a toy or chocolates. In his little mind he made a decision that he wanted his pocket money put towards something that would benefit his friends as well. This is creditable, admirable and praise worthy. What an example!
We live in a world where we ourselves are often victim to unnecessary wants, where our kids often shock us with their demands (and to which we often give in), and inspite of everything we have, we find ourselves feeling hopeless and just a little bit lost. And then we find a Gagan. Oblivious to the challenges that lie ahead for him, this charming boy, with a smile that can light a thousand stars, was able to teach us quite simply that sharing is love.
When I told him that he was my hero and that I was going to share his story, he shyly smiled and bowed his head. His mother's eyes welled with tears of pride. This is for you Master Gagan- You are truly my Hero!
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| Gagan with his piggy bank |
He was a quiet child but extremely well behaved, always eager to learn and quick to smile. My weekly visits to the school where I introduced them to the world of computers was always a bright spot in my week. As anyone who has the good fortune to spend time with special children will know, their innocence and purity makes a mark on your heart that claims a space deep within. Many of them are residential as they have no known family to claim them at the end of the day. But reassuringly enough the majority of them do have a loving family to return to.
Anyway getting back to our hero. This weekend the school celebrated the inauguration of a new school hall. The kids were super excited, dressed up in their Sunday best. The hall was the culmination of many months of hard work and fundraising by the sisters of Cottolengo and it was with much pride that they awaited its inauguration. The school really needed this added space to be able to give their children an area they could use for extra curricular activities like Yoga and Dance.
Now Gagan, who joined the school only last year, had been seeing the hall in various stages of construction ever since he joined. He began saving the little pocket money he got every month in an earthen pot and he told his mother that he wanted to give this money to his school towards the cost of the hall. On the day of the inauguration he proudly brought the pot and with a beaming face presented it to the sisters.
What impressed me most was the commitment he showed. It wasn't one or two months pocket money that he was sharing. Just eleven years old and he was happy to share all that he had. Every month for a year he put this money aside and showed considerable restraint. He did not even once give in to the temptation of using his pocket money to buy himself a toy or chocolates. In his little mind he made a decision that he wanted his pocket money put towards something that would benefit his friends as well. This is creditable, admirable and praise worthy. What an example!
We live in a world where we ourselves are often victim to unnecessary wants, where our kids often shock us with their demands (and to which we often give in), and inspite of everything we have, we find ourselves feeling hopeless and just a little bit lost. And then we find a Gagan. Oblivious to the challenges that lie ahead for him, this charming boy, with a smile that can light a thousand stars, was able to teach us quite simply that sharing is love.
When I told him that he was my hero and that I was going to share his story, he shyly smiled and bowed his head. His mother's eyes welled with tears of pride. This is for you Master Gagan- You are truly my Hero!
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