Compassion: Week 4

The fourth week brings us to the end of this month’s theme. This week, I would like to narrate a tale to stress on the need and value of compassion. Do share your views! 

A Tale of Compassion

The gentle morning breeze warmly greeted Jane as she entered the town after a decade. She felt a little cold but she had longed for these shivers for years. The place hadn’t changed much in all these years. The streets were still lined up with plants bearing colourful flowers which swayed with the wind. The soothing aroma of orchids and the cuckooing and screeching filled her with glee. As she passed the farmer’s bay, her tongue provoked her to halt to relish the garden fresh lettuces, cauliflower, cucumber, grapes, oranges, figs and the wide variety of mangoes that were cultivated in those farms. But being on a professional assignment, she knew she’d have to wait to savor the delicacies prepared from this fresh stock.

Jane had aspired to be a heart surgeon since her father died of the heart ailment when she was eight. Her mother had managed to send her three kids to school but financing their higher education was beyond her means. Jane was determined to realize her dream but the small town did not offer adequate resources to enable her to fund her medical studies.

With only two days left for the deposition of fees, Jane could see her dream scattered to the ground, until her mother handed over an envelope to her. It was a letter from the university informing her that someone had fully sponsored the expenses of her medical studies. Jane was more astonished than happy. Having faced the brutalities of life in all those years, she could not accept the fact that someone had financed her studies. Life had always seemed unfair to her.

Once in medical college, Jane did not leave any stone unturned to know the credentials of her benefactor but in vain. Not only did she want to express her gratitude but also repay the aid provided to her at the most challenging time of her life.

She was returning to her hometown today in the capacity of the most renowned heart surgeon around the city for the treatment of her school Principal Mr. Smith.

For the kind-hearted and compassionate soul like Mr. Smith who never hesitated to go an extra mile for his students, Jane’s batch mates just had to send her a message about his deteriorating health and Jane instantly rescheduled all her appointments for the next three days.

She studied his case files the moment she reached his house. She wanted to start the procedure at the earliest, as he was one good soul on earth whom she respected from the core of her heart. As she laid her hands on his old reports, she chanced through an envelope with the stamp of her medical college.

Her already moist eyes could not contain the salty waters anymore as her charming little face got completely soaked in the fluid that relentlessly kept dripping from her eyes. Even without opening the envelope, she could predict its contents and knew the value of information for herself.

“A single act of kindness has manifold impact. Compassion always brings forth high returns. A smile, a hug, a charity, kind words or affection always comes back to you in some or the other form. So never hesitate to help someone in need or bring a smile to a weary soul or feed the one who’s hungry. You are just increasing the balance in your moral account”, Mr. Smith had always taught his students.