Friends and relatives the way it is in the current situation. Actually, I'm reminded of a funny quote. Someone said, “Success is relative, because the more success you have, the more number of relatives you will have.”
It is the same with friends too. If you're famous or rich or powerful, suddenly, you'll see yourself surrounded by friends. Swami says, “As long as your pocket is deep, you'll find any number of friends, but once the wind stops blowing in your direction, everyone disappears.” In fact, in today's times, the problem has become even more acute and complex. Because of social networking sites, chat groups, and so on, we make friends easily. In fact, youngsters compete with each other to have more number of online friends. I think somewhere in this whole process, the concept of friendship has become so diluted and shallow.
If we ask any of these youngsters, “From your hundreds of online buddies, can you at least pick one or two who are truly genuine and selfless friends?” Probably, he or she will say, “Hmm... I have to think...”
Here, I'm tempted to share a story about friendship that we posted on our website sometime ago. It is the story of eight-year-old Tejaswi who refuses to eat salad. Her mother tries her best and finally gives up. Then she requests her husband to take over. Surendra, the husband, is successful in convincing the daughter to have the salad, but it comes with a condition.
Tejaswi wants a promise from the father that she will get what she wants if she finishes the full bowl of salad. The father says, “Yes, I promise you whatever you ask for. But, don't ask for very expensive gadgets. I don't have that much money.”
She says, “It's a very simple thing, father. You only have to permit me.”
So, the father says yes. She completes the bowl of salad. And then, he asks, “Okay, tell me, what is your wish?”
She says, “Father, I want to shave my head.”
So both the parents are completely perplexed. The father says, “It's such a preposterous idea. You're a girl. Why do you want to lose your hair? We can't do this.”
She says, “Father, you promised me. Do you want to go back on your word?”
Left with no choice, father says, “Okay, we will go to the salon and get your wish fulfilled.”
On Monday morning, the father as usual drops Tejaswi in the school. When she gets down the car, at the same time another boy alights from a vehicle and calls out to Tejaswi. Both are so happy to see each other and they walk into the school, hand in hand.
The only interesting thing is that both have shaven heads. Just then, the mother of that boy Girish comes to Surendra and says, “You have an angel for a daughter. My son has leukaemia and because of the chemotherapy, he lost all his hair. He was feeling so depressed and thought that if he comes to school, everyone will tease him. That's why he stopped classes. But your daughter came to our house and convinced my son to come to school. She even said, ‘I will take care of this teasing problem’ and that is why she took that decision to sacrifice her hair.” It is said the happiest people in this world are not those who live on their own terms, but those who change their terms for the ones they love. I think that is true selfless friendship.
It is the same with friends too. If you're famous or rich or powerful, suddenly, you'll see yourself surrounded by friends. Swami says, “As long as your pocket is deep, you'll find any number of friends, but once the wind stops blowing in your direction, everyone disappears.” In fact, in today's times, the problem has become even more acute and complex. Because of social networking sites, chat groups, and so on, we make friends easily. In fact, youngsters compete with each other to have more number of online friends. I think somewhere in this whole process, the concept of friendship has become so diluted and shallow.
If we ask any of these youngsters, “From your hundreds of online buddies, can you at least pick one or two who are truly genuine and selfless friends?” Probably, he or she will say, “Hmm... I have to think...”
Here, I'm tempted to share a story about friendship that we posted on our website sometime ago. It is the story of eight-year-old Tejaswi who refuses to eat salad. Her mother tries her best and finally gives up. Then she requests her husband to take over. Surendra, the husband, is successful in convincing the daughter to have the salad, but it comes with a condition.
Tejaswi wants a promise from the father that she will get what she wants if she finishes the full bowl of salad. The father says, “Yes, I promise you whatever you ask for. But, don't ask for very expensive gadgets. I don't have that much money.”
She says, “It's a very simple thing, father. You only have to permit me.”
So, the father says yes. She completes the bowl of salad. And then, he asks, “Okay, tell me, what is your wish?”
She says, “Father, I want to shave my head.”
So both the parents are completely perplexed. The father says, “It's such a preposterous idea. You're a girl. Why do you want to lose your hair? We can't do this.”
She says, “Father, you promised me. Do you want to go back on your word?”
Left with no choice, father says, “Okay, we will go to the salon and get your wish fulfilled.”
On Monday morning, the father as usual drops Tejaswi in the school. When she gets down the car, at the same time another boy alights from a vehicle and calls out to Tejaswi. Both are so happy to see each other and they walk into the school, hand in hand.
The only interesting thing is that both have shaven heads. Just then, the mother of that boy Girish comes to Surendra and says, “You have an angel for a daughter. My son has leukaemia and because of the chemotherapy, he lost all his hair. He was feeling so depressed and thought that if he comes to school, everyone will tease him. That's why he stopped classes. But your daughter came to our house and convinced my son to come to school. She even said, ‘I will take care of this teasing problem’ and that is why she took that decision to sacrifice her hair.” It is said the happiest people in this world are not those who live on their own terms, but those who change their terms for the ones they love. I think that is true selfless friendship.
