Anyone can be gentle. Anyone can give service. Anything can be service.
A day at the Houston Food Bank community kitchen! My special experience with Anand (my brother) over the holiday in loving memory of Ishwar Kaka.
Anand and his friend Scott who came with us, both have autism. Some of the tasks were a bit harder for them, but the kitchen members were so kind in encouraging and coaching them. Standing in the heat of the kitchen without break for 3 hours to package the meals was hard for them undoubtedly but Scott and Anand didn’t even think of giving up. It was also a very multi-racial kitchen, one that makes you love America — nearly every race you can imagine was included — Caucasians, African Americans, Mexicans, Philipinos, Indians — you name it! All working together.
We were working alongside staff members at the kitchen and some prisoners are part of a rehabilitation program. I knew Anand and Scott would at first be a little nervous around the prisoners, but at the end Anand said, “It didn’t even matter who as a prisoner and who wasn’t. I couldn’t even tell.” When Anand had to take a break to go to the restroom, he returned and was having difficulty putting on his plastic apron. (Since it was plastic it was hard for Anand to open and separate and also to tie). One prisoner so gently and compassionately helped Anand put the apron on it. It was a beautiful and powerful moment to witness.
Anyone can be gentle. Anyone can give service. Anything can be service.
When I asked Anand and Scott at the end how they felt about the day, Scott said “I felt like I was serving others and it felt great. Lately I’ve only been focusing on myself and I wanted to do something for others.” The power of that statement?
One month ago Scott lost his mother to ALS. As a teenager with autistm, Scott really needed his mother in this world. But still in his heartfelt reflection of giving the first words that came out of his mouth were that over the past month, when coping with his mother’s lost as best as he can understand given his autism, he had been focusing on himself too much! What courageous and selfless inspiration. He also thanked me for inviting him with Anand.
When I asked Anand how he felt about the prisoners he said he felt good about it and learned that anyone can serve. Every day since we served, Anand has been positive, compassionate, and in touch with his emotions in a way that is usually very very difficult for him. Sometimes, Anand has a lot of difficulty controlling his anger. Only last week he had really hit me in the evening time as I was teaching him because of something he was upset about. But that day, you could tell Anand was able to feel the spirit of compassion and caring.
That’s not always so easy for Anand because of his autism, and I know not all lessons and all days will end feeling like success.But for me, it is because of the memory of the days like the Houston Food Bank, that I know the process of working with Anand is always one that is successful and one that I will never give up on and one that has shaped the fiber of my character. And I can’t help but think it was Ishwar Kaka’s spirit that helped craft the entire day so beautifully. It will be a gift for me always.
At the end of the day, we gifted the kitchen some quotes on posters we had hand-made. They wanted to put them in the kitchen immediately but safety regulations required them to be laminated first. Anand also wrote in his power point presentation that this day of service was dedicated in loving memory of Ishwar Kaka.
Ishwar Kaka (also known as ‘the toilet man’) was an inspiring social activist. He fought untouchability by building thousands of low-cost toilets throughout rural India.”
(The author of this post Aditi Chokshi is currently a student at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. She has been an inspiration to so many people who’s lives have been transformed through her selfless spirit of service and immense love for all human kind.)
Posted by Meghna on Jan 17, 2012 | permalink