This world has so much to offer; all we have to do is receive. During Milaap fellowship, I've had the opportunity to learn a lot of new things and yet the number of new and interesting things every day brings along with it will never cease to amaze me. As a kid, I always used to hear, “If you have a big heart, you will always have enough for yourself and to share with others.” In last two months, I've come to realize the truthfulness and beauty of this saying.
Millap is a community of generous lenders, and with every dollar they lend, they create a bridge for someone. But I want to talk about our generous borrowers. Yes, our borrowers are generous. Here are a few extraordinary acts of giving I've experienced in past few weeks.1) WelcomeDuring my first weekend in Raybag, Airawathi Mang, a MAAS member invited me to her house. The only thing I can say for that weekend is it was the best welcome party ever.2) The trust of a motherKavita is a young woman living in Parmanandawadi village. When I went to her house, she was really happy and the reason for this happiness was her 7 days old son. What made that visit memorable for me was that Kavita choose to share her happiness with a total stranger. She let me hold her son and I can only imagine the amount of trust it would have taken.[caption id="attachment_5337" align="aligncenter" width="1500"]
Kavita and her son[/caption]3) SmilesNo matter where I go and who I meet, I’m always greeted with genuine smiles. It’s a wonderful thing to let someone know that you are happy to see them by a gesture as simple as a smile.4) Uta madi ri? (Have you had food?)Sometimes I get careless with my lunch timings, absolutely forget about it or simply get lazy to cook, but there’s always someone to remind me. (99 percent time it’s an invitation for lunch.)5) Cha? (Tea)Ever since I came to Raybag, I've been wondering why people here are so passionate about tea. Everyone here has tea, and everyone here is happy to invite people over for tea. They even care if a stranger who just happened to pass through their village has had tea or not.After 2 months, I think I finally understand. It’s their way of sharing warmth and connecting with each other.Things as simple as a good wish, a smile, a thank you, an appreciation are there for you to give away. All you have to do is give, and you become deserving to receive the same good.
Kavita and her son[/caption]3) SmilesNo matter where I go and who I meet, I’m always greeted with genuine smiles. It’s a wonderful thing to let someone know that you are happy to see them by a gesture as simple as a smile.4) Uta madi ri? (Have you had food?)Sometimes I get careless with my lunch timings, absolutely forget about it or simply get lazy to cook, but there’s always someone to remind me. (99 percent time it’s an invitation for lunch.)5) Cha? (Tea)Ever since I came to Raybag, I've been wondering why people here are so passionate about tea. Everyone here has tea, and everyone here is happy to invite people over for tea. They even care if a stranger who just happened to pass through their village has had tea or not.After 2 months, I think I finally understand. It’s their way of sharing warmth and connecting with each other.Things as simple as a good wish, a smile, a thank you, an appreciation are there for you to give away. All you have to do is give, and you become deserving to receive the same good.[stag_button url="http://m-lp.co/1rv1MaC" style="orange" size="medium" type="normal" target="_self" icon="thumbs-o-up" icon_order="before"]Do Good, Share The Goodness With Others[/stag_button]
