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| “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” ― John Bunyan |
Have you ever been surprised by the ones you love?
Of course, you have.
What I mean to ask is - have you ever felt overwhelmed with joy by something being done by your loved ones, something that is so true to who they are as individuals but which still managed to surprise you pleasantly?
Yes, the people you love can at times, by a simple yet special gesture, leave your heart feeling warm, fuzzy and full of pride.
It's true. S actually did something this week which has left me beaming with pride. Every once in a while, he manages to surprise me in ways I never knew possible.
The surprise
So, the other day I was putting M to sleep when my maid asked for a raise again. Now, she has been working with us for about 4 months now. There is no doubt I love the way she cleans the house and how she never misses a day without informing but I didn't want to increase her salary so soon. You know, they can sometimes take this to be a norm and keep asking for a hike every few months. Hence, I just asked her to wait for a couple more months and then I would definitely do the needful.
She, however, just like the first time around, asked me to discuss it with S before saying no. It's not her fault actually. Haven't we as a society always believed that only the man of the house has the final say in all decisions, especially financial ones? But I digress.
Anyhow, at that very moment S was in the other room listening to the entire conversation. What happened next made me realise what a wonderful man I had ended up marrying, what a wonderful man indeed.
“No one has ever become poor by giving.” ― Anne Frank
He came in and asked my maid how many daughters she has, where they were studying and how much it cost. She was, maybe, a little surprised at this sudden turn of conversation. But they continued, S in Hindi and she in a little bit of Tamil with broken Hindi.
We found out that her eldest was going to a Government school, free of cost. The youngest one though was just in UKG, in a different school where the monthly fee was about Rs. 2000. That's when I realised what he was about to do.
S told my maid that he would pay the school fees for her youngest daughter, every month. He told her that we won't be increasing her pay instead help her in this way.
"You need an attitude of service. You're not just serving yourself. You help others to grow up and you grow with them." - David Green
However, to make sure that the money was not being used for something else, his one and only condition was that she bring the payment receipt every month. It was for us to know that the money was actually being put to right use, as school fees for her daughter.
The look on her face was priceless. Of course, she was worried I would end up fighting with S for offering this but we managed to allay her fears eventually.
I am so happy and slightly ashamed that I couldn't come up with something like this to help her.
While I keep harping on how we should help people, S goes right ahead and does it. That's what I love about him. Thank God, M has him to look up to!
I'm so grateful for having him in my life. I'm so proud that I have a family, a life with a man who knows whom to help and how to help, who does all of this without expecting anything in return. I'm really grateful.
Well, that was all for today. Here's a quote I leave you all with,
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” ― Charles Dickens
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| Linking this to the Gratitude Circle Blog hop hosted by the awesome Vidya Sury |