Brighten Your Day

While directing a project for rehabilitation of malnourished children in the Congo many years ago, I would interview the children brought in by the parents for admission. One day a mother brought in a severely malnourished child, bathed in sweat and I discovered she had a congenital heart ailment that made her heart pound like a trip hammer day and night, it was eating her alive and we could do nothing. I remember her to this day, my helplessness brought me to take her around, to hold her, to try and give her something of my power and life and that was all I could do. She died the next day consumed by her own heart. Years later I was in a luxury hotel talking to my colleague and told him of the story, very moved, almost to tears, And he said to me " the love you gave that child, turned to light and that light lit her way on the path to heaven, to a better and more gentle place..." and he was right and somehow that momentary gift of love and care softened the bitter memory of that instant. In the end, let us hope that everyone may create their own light and give love to others.