As we "saw" so shall we reap

July 20, 2013 17 Comments

Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not.
Oprah Winfrey 


I learnt a lot of my virtues from my maternal grandparents. They were an extreme good influence and an amazing catalyst in my learning process during my growing up years.

They taught me many things (directly & indirectly), among which few are the one I can still recall-


1. Doing rights things no matter what it may spell.
2. Understanding the value of money
3. Invest in people and everything you can but diversify your investments whether they are financial, social or purely emotional to hedge the risks
4. Help other and Help selflessly
5. Always put people ahead
6. Maintain a clean surrounding as you would maintain a clean heart, if not for others but for self.
7. Do not give up!

My grand mom would always tell me tales from the lives of Lord Krishna, birds, animal kingdom and many such things. Those tales would be full of fun but will always a message inside them. I would often engrossed in their intricacies and wonder if they were just an old world charm or do they still hold good in front of larger groups.

As I grew up I realized, a lot of this virtues were treated outdated and people would often mock someone practicing it. For eg- standing up and giving the bus seat to a needy person was mere filmy. Well that was the part of growing up. Sooner I realized that those virtues, no matter how much sound "not in practice" in current times, were still important. Hence I prefer to stick to them.

My grand ma also told me value of money and investments and how certain things in life is beyond money or gain. I have often seen her doing right things and protecting people. I would question why? Let them have a taste of water andf realize but she would insist saying as long as she can manage saving someone from leaning without burning their hands, she will do.

She told how our deeds evolve us as a person, how our thoughts evolve our deeds. We often become the person we see, we think without even realizing about it.

The power of education

Education is not just about reading a phrase in textbook and qualifying in an exam. It is much more. It is power. We learn through different ways. One of the prime way to learn is during your childhood. Remember the time we use to go to school and were in early grades. Our textbooks would read very basic things like how we should get early in morning and brush our teeth regularly and go to school etc. Those may sound silly but when you draw right context you may realize how they lay foundation in a human being and how following them redirects life to right direction.


Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing is to let people know you are doing the right thing.
John D. Rockefeller 


Sometime it is very important for you to disclose your action or deeds. You must explain so that people can see through and follow. A lot of times when we cannot explain, we express it by setting self as benchmarks.

One act of kindness goes a long way
To commensurate what Rockfeller said, I will narrate an incidence from my school life.

When I was in school,I never got pocket money. Whatever, wishes I had, were evaluated and fulfilled by the grandparents and family. However, every morning, my nanaji would give me a Re 1 coin or note to put it in my piggy bank. It was his way to teach me to start savings.

There was a "poor fund" collection at my convent school where my class teacher had allocated 4 different boxes for four different houses/groups in the class- Orange, Green, Red and Blue. Students were allocated in each group. Every morning, she will keep the boxes on the table for collection. The money would be collected and donated to poor people to support their education. Donating the money was optional and students donating the money, will put the money to the boxes belonging to their respective groups. Very few students would ever come regularly to donate the money. I belonged to the Orange group and by virtue of our nos, we were very few students- barely three in that class belonging to that group. Call it my love for poor or my wish to donate or my lack of need for money for self, I would always donate the money in the box to bring my group up. 

One day, my grandpa asked me as to what do I do with the Re1 given to me everyday as I was depositing very few of it in my piggy bank. I told him about my class donation. He said nothing. I thought he got angry. Next morning, when I was going to school and  was standing at my school gate for the bus to come, my grandpa as customary came to me and handed me my daily coin. I realized that day, he handed me not re 1 coin but two coins of Re 1 each. The second one was for my poor fund donation! In addition, he brought a piggy bank full with coins and asked me to drop another Re 1 coin in that. The moment I dropped my other Re 1 coin in that, he handed that box to me saying it was my reward and I can keep it with me. I was all smile and hugged him tight before I ran for my school bus.

No words, speeches or stories but a lesson was taught. 

I am sharing what 'I Saw and I Learnt' at BlogAdda.com in association with DoRight.in


The autor is half Human, half machine. Go Figure or just revel in what I write

17 comments:

  1. Hi Ekta - Well written! We get to learn from things that we see around us and our elders :) I am glad you had a wonderful grandparents like mine ;)

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    1. Thanks SOlitary! Keep visiting and reading.

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  2. We learn a lot from our grand parents. They teach us life and it's worth. Not only that, they even show how to live life rightly. That's a big heirloom we get from them than any treasure trove.

    Beautiful write.

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    1. Yes, esp when you grow up with them and its a good fortune to have their presence in your life. I learnt a lot from them. I truly adore them!Wish they were alive.

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  3. This post is really touching. Kindness can be from anyone, anywhere and it is only the right time that matters

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    1. Thanks Uma. I am glad that you liked it!

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  4. This post reminds me of my childhood when my grandparents use to teach me every little steps of life and how to face the world and the importance of learning... Now i think every little thing you are surrounded by teach you some or the other thing in life .... thanks for the sharing this!!!

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    1. Welcome to my blog Sunita. I am glad you liked it. Yes, presence of grand parents is indeed a blessing in disguise esp when they love and care for you with all they have!

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  5. Good inspiring write up Ekta

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  6. Beautiful write Ekta. Inspiring :)

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  8. Your narration is superb, Cheers to all Grand mom's and Grand Dad's as they were made of different soil. Giving a Seat to a needy one in a bus or any thing similar is an act of kindness and let people laugh on it, I would still do it. but good, really a heartwarming post!!! take care

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    1. Thanks so much Raj! That's really well said! :0)

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  9. Fond memories, loved reading it.

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