The Gift Of Presence

Posted by Atul Sahu on Apr 7, 2018

[I happened to share this beautiful story in our Laddership circle.]

Jignasha was sitting on the banks of river Ganga attempting to write her first Laddership reflection. Just then a child came by selling flowers and wheat balls to feed the fish. One went and another came by and then another one. So, she thought to herself that these kids are here to tell her something. She put her laptop aside and started having a conversation with them. One came and started telling her all these stories and then another one and then another one. In about 10 minutes there were already seven including herself. By now these boys knew that she is not going to buy anything from them and they also changed their hats from nagging sellers to just being children.

Some kids were curious about her computer and phone and asked if she had some games in them. She instead asked them counter questions like ‘do you climb trees?’ And… every kid had a tree climbing story, with intricate details of which tree in which season, where are those trees and the forests across the river. She was curious what they thought about playing computer games now. Their eyes were fresh with all the tree climbing stories and with the same enthusiasm they unanimously said they enjoyed climbing trees more than playing games on a mobile. All the kids by now had forgotten that they were on a job, so she gently nudged them and asked if they have to go do their job, and the kids said, no (didi) sister we are enjoying here. She said, let’s have some fun and tell me how and what we should do? And what followed after that transported Jignasha back to her childhood. By now all the boundary of she being their potential buyer had broken. She was now their ‘friend didi’.

One of the kids told her, we have lots of fun here, we dance, we laugh, dive in the Ganga and then one kid shows some intricate yoga poses that he learnt from seeing the yoga posters in Rishikesh… we do many such small things, come, we will take you for a walk. They held her hand and took her to a faraway temple in the forest. This was their favorite place, where they celebrated birthdays from whatever little money they earned. One smart kid told her about their adventures in the forest, another one who was quiet and smart told her about his little fears. They showed her fishes in the river, made her listen to bird calls, showed her the dried up streams and water pathways in the forest. Little things she would have never noticed.


Through the whole event as it unfolded, she offered to these children her complete presence and willingness for them to be her guide into the story of their lives. They now have a relationship, they have laughed together, and they were holding hands and taking care of her. When she was tired walking uphill, they told her their stories and gave her the gift of a new story.

There are so many stories woven into this one story. Every kid had a story and they collectively had a story. So, one can really look at it from a micro, mezzo and macro level. If we look from high up at a systems level, we can see patterns that allow these children to be resilient and happy, we can see so many factors contributing to their being. At a micro level, each child is different and is a collection of his own story that is so unique to him.

Jignasha felt this little child in her nurtured, that little child that can be so present to the very existence. That child who can tune into voices of the forest, look at the little fishes with great amazement, enjoy the cold water (really cold) baths in the river.

Posted by Atul Sahu on Apr 7, 2018 | permalink


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  • Meghna Banker wrote ...

    What a beautiful summary of curiosity (jignasha) :)) It took me in a visual journey of what transpired with Jignasha. Thank you Atul for bringing this to us all. My take away is, we are all a collection of stories that is so unique - yet so interwoven and so interconnected!

  • Jaideep Jagadeeshwar Rao wrote ...

    This is so visually rich- thank you for capturing it for us Atul :) I was there last week too, and I had met Amit, who must be in similar gang... I taught him how to give hi-fives and everytime we bumped into each other, we shared hi-fives!!

  • Jaimit Vaidya wrote ...

    woww... thank you for sharing this gift of presence! :) .

  • Trishna wrote ...

    Such a beautiful emergence all because Jignasha was open-hearted and present to what was unfolding right around her. Lots to learn, thank you for sharing!

  • RITESH GOHIL wrote ...

    Amazing story. Conversation can lead you to the forest of joy and peace.

  • Dharav wrote ...

    I am getting a wish to get some company of 'friend didi' for myself also. And i wish that I can also gift people that kind of presence. Kids were so happy with that.