A miracle called Compassion

In 1995 I was twelve. Keya, my little sister was four. It was the year Keya started school. God! She was so excited. She loved everything about school right down to the homework assigned at the end of the day.

As for me, I was annoyed to be saddled with a little sister even in school. Not that I saw her much, or at all during school hours. It just irked me that my parents expected me to keep an eye on her. Don't get me wrong. I loved her but I rather spent my free time hanging out with my friends than baby sitting even in school!

"Mommy, did you remember to pack me some extra bread?" Keya asked as she watched mother pack our lunches.

"Glutton!" I muttered just loud enough for her to hear.

"Am not." Keya protested

Every morning it was the same routine. She always checked to see mother had packed her a little bit extra for lunch and I would tease her about it.

Anyway, a couple of months into the school year, Keya caught a slight cold. But my little sister resolutely refused to stay away from school. "Teacher said there is a prize for all students who did not miss a single day", she reasoned.

Needless to say, mother wanted me to check on her during lunch. "How very annoying!" I thought. But I decided it was my solemn duty as a responsible older sister to look out for my silly little sister's well being.

So, during my break I headed to Keya's lunch hall. It took me a while to find her in the sea of red ribbons and blue tunics. Finally, I spotted her as she got up from her table and walked across to the far side of the hall and throw out her lunch!

Ah ha! So that's what she did with her extra food. That naughty little girl! I couldn't wait to rat her out to mother in the evening.

As I turned to walk back to my class, I noticed something moving out of the corner of my eye. It was a skinny little puppy. A puppy was eating the bread! It let out a yap of happiness while Keya gave it a loving pat on the head and headed back to her friends. If I didn't know better, I'd say the little puppy was grinning.

I walked out of the lunch hall quickly. I didn't want anyone to see me cry. I have never felt so proud of my little sister as I did that day.
_____________________________________________________________________ 
 "If you light a lamp for someone else it will also brighten your path." - Buddha.  _____________________________________________________________________
That was twenty years ago. The harsh realities of life has not dulled Keya's compassion since. Today, my little sister is still studying to be a doctor. But even before she embarks on a life long journey of healing she has already healed many hearts with her compassion.

I know... because I am one of them.

________________________________________________________________________________

#madeofgreat
This post is my entry for a contest organised by Indiblogger and Tata Motors.

The #madeofgreat campaign is a Tata Motors undertaking with brand ambassador Lionel Messi. Lionel Messi personifies Tata Motor's DNA of trust, authenticity, reliability, simplicity, as well as its commitment to innovation like no other.


For details please visit http://madeofgreat.tatamotors.com/


Question for Readers: What do you think of Tata Motor's association with Lionel Messi?

The best comment posted before 11.59 pm of Nov 26, 2015 gets a chance to win Rs. 750 worth of Amazon Vouchers (Condtions Apply) 

9 comments:

  1. Tangerine , that was a lovely thing to hear and the happiness when we see our dear ones helping others and knowing that we had a wrong conclusion about it on the sight was really true.

    Sisters and brothers are always lovable even when we think that they are too boring in times.

    About Lionel Messi association as Tata Motors, Always a True inspiration will have his association with a inspiring brand. We all know that Tata is famous for their branding in India and their pride in making a company from a scratch to a great.

    Lionel Messi was also the same. So the better ways ahead are the ones that are created between them.

    Tangerine, a great one and keep the spirit writing the best one's like this.

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  2. Hey Tangerine what a beautiful post. Thanks a lot for sharing the beautiful experience you had so many years ago indeed a wonderful experience I could live through your post
    Indeed a nicely written post. I wish you good luck for the contest
    Here is my answer
    The association of Tata Motors with Lionel Messi is that of two greats. Lionel Messi has been exceptionally talented who with his hard work, determination and sacrifices has got better and tougher in his chosen sport so is the Image, reputation and quality of TATA Motors that have transformed brilliant ideas into masterpieces of engineering and created a brand and products that we are so proud of as Indians. Lionel Messi has transformed his body and the mind body co-ordination into a masterpiece of precision and excellence it would not be wrong to say that Lionel Messi is the TATA Motors of sports where as TATA Motors is the Lionel Messi of vehicles both giants in their own spheres driven by the drive to excel and lead by example. So Lionel Messi is the best choice for becoming the brand Ambassador for TATA Motors
    aaloke19@gmail.com

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  3. I can understand how sometimes annoying younger siblings sometimes surprise you with their capacity for greatness.

    My Answer: I think Tata Motors couldn't have selected a better brand ambassador. A winner in his own right, Lionel Messi is a living example of everything the Tata name symbolises

    S. Bhatt via sumanta.inbox@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Your post defines #madeofgreat to the hilt. Goodluck for the contest
    My answer is:
    Authenticity, reliability, simplicity, as well as its commitment to innovation are the pillars of strength on which TATA have built a brand that has put India on the global map. It is a brand that has stood the test of time just like Lionel Messi who tackles opposition on the field with his skill,agility,strategy,brilliance and raw power to reach and score a goal so has been the track record of TATA motors who has become a brand leader and a global giant. These qualities make TATA Motors and Lionel Messi perfect partners who stand for the same set of values thus Lionel Messi is the perfect brand ambassador to represent TATA Motors.
    Hope my best to be a winner here; do contact me for the prize at mahima2014j@gmail.com
    fingers crossed

    ReplyDelete
  5. Your post defines #madeofgreat to the hilt.Very well written and interesting post indeed.
    My Answer
    Tata Motors is a brand that makes durable vehicles, with its MADE IN INDIA mark makes every Indian proud. It is a brand seen globally as Trusted, Reliable, Innovative and at the forefront of technology. In its journey since inception it has overcome all odds, competition, and adversities with grit and determination. These same qualities are associated with Lionel Messi who was very talented and hardworking from a very early age. With each game that he played he kept improving his skills and built a career to become one of the best player of professional football. There qualities make both TATA Motors and Lionel Messi giants who perfectly compliment each other and Lionel Messi the right and perfect Ambassador who stands for the same values that TATA Motors does.
    bhuwan198grover@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your post describes #madeofgreat so well that it has winner written all over it. Good luck for your entry.
    Here is my answer.
    Like minds think and act alike looking at the track record of TATA Motors it has stood the test of time and built a business that was built using bricks of hard work on a foundation of trust. Authenticity, reliability, simplicity, as well as its commitment to innovation are the trademarks of brand TATA Motors. These same qualities are present in Lionel Messi who with his immense talent has made a mark for himself on the international football field .Facing all hardships he has worked hard toiling on the fields and in training sessions facing injuries and pressure to come out trumps and be a winner. Thus these two greats Lionel Messi and TATA Motors are made for each other .There association is a bond of two legends
    In case you pick me a winner my email id is : princess09hema@gmail.com
    Fingers crossed :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yours is a very well written post your .Its is a very nice description of #madeofgreat
    TATA Motors is a brand associated with performance, endurance and excellence. These words are also synonymous with Lionel Messi who plays as a forward and weaves his magic on the football field.Just as Lionel Messi is considered the best footballer in the world ,TATA motors which is Indias premier automotive manufacturer gives wheels to the people of India with its wide range of vehicles. Both believe in excelling in whatever they do and set examples for others to follow. They compliment each other as both are reliable trustworthy and leaders thus Lionel Messi is the natural choice as the brand ambassador of TATA Motors
    yagneshbjoshi10099@gmail.com

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  8. What a heartfelt story, I am thankful for having read this and I hope you like my thoughts too!

    Inspiration,
    Dedication,
    Discipline,
    Commitment,
    Trust,
    Loyalty,
    Excellence,
    Legacy,
    Immortality.

    These are not mere words but a part of our soul. Not just the ones that we carry around in our individual bodies but that supreme soul that binds us all together in this universe. That is why we teach our children values and morals so that these little pockets of our souls do not die away. But when we look around at our modern day lifestyle and society,it leaves a lot to be desired, right? Wrong :) I would say,as long as we have even 1 shred of humanity left,there is a ray of sunshine and that is what we see here.

    I am inspired by your story just as I am inspired by the stories of Tata Motors and Lionel Messi. As I said above about humanity and ray of sunshine, it is very few icons left in this world who make me feel that way. Both Tata and Messi definitely make it to this short list.

    When we talk about Tata Motors,we talk about the pride that every Indian feels because this is our truly global brand, a brand with a soul, with every product made to help us fly. This is a corporate behemoth that has not amassed its fortunes at the cost of the little man but by being a part of the very grassroots. The legacy of excellence and giving back to the society selflessly is so ingrained in Tata DNA that it has become part of folklore. Even today,in any Indian home, the moment a son/daughter gains employment in a Tata company, nobody talks about salary or CTC, they just thank their lucky stars that they are a part of Tata family. The very soul of India resides in Tata. Tata Motors has taken these very same values global, making Indians proud of what they represent. 'Look,we represent excellence, with a dollop of old world values, with love and respect' !

    When we look at Messi, we see a boy with dreams in his eyes and a man who has put everything he had in making them come true, and he did! With singleminded focus,dedication and hardwork, he has managed to outdo every obstacle he faced since his birth personally, healthwise and family financial situation wise. Every obstacle became just another step for him to grow and reach up the sky. And still, every time he walks out on the field, he plays with the same agility, alarcity and a a hunger to prove himself as if it is his first game! He hasn't achieved his demi-God status without superhuman efforts.

    When these two demi-Gods of their respective fields come together, there are bound to be fireworks and that is exactly what it is! Purely from a corporate point of view, there are rare instances when we see such a perfect fit form. It can be called a divine sign that a symbol of vibrancy and dynamism like no other has taken shape with the partnership of Tata Motors and Lionel Messi. More than a mere advertising gambit,it is an amalgamation of those perhaps 'lost' values that the world needs more of,now more than ever. Maybe the Gods are finally happy!

    Prajakta Sinha
    sinpra11@gmail.com

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  9. This is a miraculous post indeed :)

    When it comes to impact and impacting millions of lives, Yes, we can see both Tata Motors and Lionel Messi being the pioneers here. While the very name Tata is enough to make us go back to all our history books where we have seen there hardly is a comparable name that has contributed so much to the society in such an ethical manner, the very name Messi conjures up images of a boy-man who has turned the world upside down with his talent, determination, discipline and never-give-up spirit. The compatibility between the values they both share is intense and that is the reason this partnership works perfectly.

    With a concern for the society at large,everything that Tata has done has inspired us to dream big, conquer the world and pour all our energy back into the society to do good and inspire good. By facing his demons, Messi has done the same. He enjoys a God-like status in the world today because he dared to dream, achieved the sky and still hasn't lost his humanity a bit. He is still a child at heart and he gives back with his multiple philanthropic activities just like Tata does!

    Talk to any person in India, ask them about the companies they admire the most. Tata is right there at the top. This name is beyond bottomline, spreadsheets, return on investment and share price. It is equivalent to soul of India-soft, kind, diverse, dynamic, eternal. Just like that Messi has emerged as not just another football player but someone whose very life is an inspiration, whose personal struggles are a template for others to emulate and who has morphed into an eternal legend.

    While it would take eons to write about what makes Tata Motors and Messi great, as their list of achievements is too long for us to even skim over, suffice to say that this partnership is for the ages. As they say, some things are made in heaven :)

    Thank you for this opportunity.
    -Richa Shailendra, lovelyricha1@gmail.com

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