Am I giving enough? When I see people who have the least, give the most, I keep asking myself – am I doing enough? As we descended South on #trailasone between Anuradhapura and Thabuththegama, again I saw the most amazing acts of generosity. Along the sides of the road to Talawa, amidst the multitude of fruit shops I was stopped. Sitting on a slightly broken plastic chair that must have been white once, an old lady asked me why we were walking. As soon as I said we were collecting money for a cancer hospital, she carefully got up, walked into her tiny tin shack and came out with a hundred rupee note that she dropped into my collection till. I am moved but not surprised. Why should I be? Parents and children standing outside half built red brick houses broke open savings banks to drop coins into as many of our tills as possible so that they could spread their donations between as many people as possible. In this beautiful country of ours, we teach our young that giving is a good thing.
Maybe that’s why some of us have set off on this long walk. To give in any way we can. The blisters I see on the people who have walked 300 km are an expression of this gift. The will to give up some part of yourself to help others.
Am I doing enough? When people are ready to give up their day’s earnings when they don’t have any money for the next day, am I doing enough? How many Rupees should I give up when I can afford so much more.
More walkers join us the next day, among them 10 year old Maya who completes the 25 km. Maya is not here to compete with the blisters. She is not here to calculate what percentile of her monthly income can be considered a big enough charitable donation. She is here to be part of a movement. She is here to give what she can. The act of giving is one of grace where we reach beyond our most basic needs and become part of something bigger. Everyone gives what they can. Every little helps. This too will leave a #trail. #IamThey.
Donations can be made through : https://trailsl.com/walkers/?walker=84.
Written by ~ Subramaniam Eassuwaren