Lesson Well Learnt

Sheena belonged to an upper-middle-class family and was studying in the 7th grade. Her parents were very honest and principled

It was a Friday when their class teacher handed them the fundraising cards. She informed them that they had to raise funds for an educational trust. These funds would be used for the education of students and to provide them with healthy food every day. Also that whoever raised the maximum funds would be awarded a trophy on an annual day for being the best social service student of the year. She did quiet not understand the meaning of the award, But it hardly mattered. It was the award that she had an eye for. When she went home she told her parents about donation collection. They said you can ask our neighbors and friends for funds.

In the evening when she went to meet Raj she heard his parents saying that my son does not have to go begging around. We shall give you the money. The word "begging" had affected her deeply. She felt inferior and low that her parents wanted her to go beg and was well aware that they will not give the donation amount just like that. That's when she remembered she had collected a decent amount of pocket money and it was lying in her piggy bank. She decided to break it. When everyone was asleep she counted her pocket money carefully. Her heart pained to use it all but she had no option. So she started filling up the donation card with fake names and amounts. Saturday was well spent, playing and fooling around with friends. After dinner time her mother showed her the card. Oh no! Her mom had found it. She did not know what to say. They sat next to her and asked her again. That is when she narrated what Raj's parents had said. And how she felt about it.

Her father got up and quietly went to his room followed by her mother. They had both realized that it was not her fault. But she also needed to learn the meaning of social service and the difference between begging and requesting donations. Sheena was sulky and was awake till late in the night.

The next day morning her father woke her up early and told her to join him for the early morning walk. When they left their building they met the newspaper delivery boy who greeted her father and thanked him. She looked at her father with a question mark. Then they went ahead to buy milk. The milkman came out with a 'Pooja thali' and gave him 'Prasad' and then handed him the milk packet. Her father did not say anything in response to her questioning looks. Their next stop was the temple. Then they went on to pick a big packet of freshly prepared sweets and hot vada-pavs which were ready. Now this was highly confusing. Why so many kilos of food. She could not stop herself from asking, "Why are buying such huge amounts of food? And why did the newspaper boy thankyou? And why did the milkman give you prasad? What is all this about?" He calmly and lovingly replied, "You will know soon my dear." They went on to go to a nearby trust school. He met the Father there and introduced Sheena to him. He blessed her and they went to a small room where there were about 15 - 20 children. They were wearing old clothes and torn shoes, but they had huge smiles on their face when they saw her father. They started distributing the food, Sheena felt so happy to see them happy faces of the children. Then they went to the Father's office where her father gave a cheque to the Father.

Sheena had almost forgotten about what had happened the night before. That is when her father explained that the newspaper delivery boy thanked him because he had helped him when the boy was about to leave school due to a lack of funds. The milkman gave him prasad because her father had helped him for the treatment of his wife. And last but not least her father could only give a small amount as a donation for the children. But if many people come together and give small amounts then they could bring smiles on the faces of a lot of more people. And how happy she was when she saw all these happy faces!!! He explained to her that asking for donations is not begging. And if by sharing a part of your savings makes others happy then you must do it. Donations are just a mode of social service. It is also a way of helping the needy.

Sheena utilized that entire Sunday in requesting everyone for donating a small part of their savings. When she returned home for dinner, she was contented, and all smiles. Now she did not regret that she had to use up her pocket money as donation. And the cherry on the cake was that she had collected the maximum amount.