A ‘Smile’ is a small word but a it has big impact. In spite of knowing its importance, how seldom do we use it !! Frugal as we are with it, imagine the plight of those who cannot afford one.
Imagine not being able to smile at that special girl you see in the hallway each day. Imagine not being able to express your happiness at the gift your boyfriend just gave you. Imagine not cracking up at the funny antics of 'Laurel n Hardy' or 'Tom n Jerry'. Imagine not being able to smile ever in your life. Scary, eh? Maybe now you’d not be so stingy with those smiles.
Still there are countless kids across the world who live through this all their life. And the cause of their affliction are 'clefts'. Clefts are pandemic in many developing countries of the world. Millions are suffering with unrepaired clefts. As a consequence of these clefts they cannot speak properly. They're not allowed in schools and lead a life of isolation, humiliation and abject misery.
Yi Yun, a small girl in China lived through 11 years of this. Abandoned by her parents, unable to communicate and tormented by the society, she led a life of neglect and despondence. For 11 years she had no friends, for 11 years she was alone. Really alone !! But her life changed. The Smile Train arranged a cleft surgery for the girl, after which she was able to go to school. With training she also started to speak coherently. Some of her first words were a ‘Thank You" to her sugeon.
This is one of the numerous stories that I have received in emails since last summer, the time I had made a small contribution to the organization. The surgery didn't just put a smile on her face, but it puts a smile on my face ever so often.
I got an apartment recently and would probably get a car sometime soon too. As have most of you. These things make us happy and that's what they are meant to do. But its something that’s a given every day of our lives. Every time I’d get into the car, I know it’d give me pleasure to drive it around. The leather upholstery, the mean speed it gets to in 6 seconds, the awesome stereo system and what not.
But the kind of smile that the The Smile Train gives me is so much better. In fact it’s the best because it catches me off-guard. There I am going through the motions of my perfunctory life, oblivious to the fact that there is life outside work and in comes this email with a picture of a kid whose life The Smile Train changed. Sometimes it’s the only sunshine I see during the day. Never discount the element of surprise :)
Friends, if any of you would like to make a contribution please check out this website. You can make a one time contribution or a monthly one. That's my ulterior motive of writing this piece anyways. Also, it would be great if you could share the website's link with your friends.
You can contact me too if you'd like any other information about the same :
vk.singhh@gmail.com
I exhort you to make this investment. The ROI is great. I can bear testimony to that ;)
19 comments:
I know I am going to contribute now :)
How are you doing now ?
Biyu :)
Thanks for leaving a comment, but I know that you were already contributing towards this :) So, I won't take your contribution as one that I brought in ;)
And I am doing well, thanks :) we should catch up offline !!
Whew! Its scary to think to be not able to smile!
Good post!
@Rakesh Thanks for your comments. I really appreciate them !!
@agapitos Thanks for the encouraging words. Merci :)
My contribution - check :-)
Attagirl :)
I just stumbled upon this blog and i am glad i did it. Am glad to know that you are doing your bit and have made your efforts to sensitize peoples mind. We take our lives for granted and forget the others who are deprived of those very pleasures of life. I was writing on the reasons for smiling. I have taken an idea from your post and am giving you the credit for it. So plz do check my post if its ok with you. It should be up on the blog in a few days.
Am following you too.
Shas, I really appreciate your kind words here :)
We can't expect to improve the world without improving individuals. More than helping anyone else, I think I am helping myself by doing this.
I read the post on your blog just now. Great work !! Funny as well as sensitive. I really liked it. Expect a lengthened comment there soon :)
Thanks for citing my blog in your post. I appreciate it. I'm sure it would help us spread the message.
And don't worry about taking the idea at all. All content on my blog is 'not protected' by the 'copyleft' laws :p hehe...JK :)
Vipen
I was just smiling on Shas's reason of smile, and found you have made her smile.
So rushed here to see, if i can have my smile more bigger, but was surprised to see that you have made me smile but nature of smile has been changed.
Good Work Dude!!
I will see what can i do for the cause.
Keep Smiling
Good Work boy, good work.
Heave ho !!
@Makk Thanks for the encouragement dude !! I appreciate it. I'm glad that you have thought of doing your bit for the cause. Please feel free to contact me about anything pertaining this. Thanks again.
@John Aye Aye Captain ;-)
wow..i hopped in here frm shas's blog....n shes rite..he articles lovely!:)
thanx for makin me realise the worth of my smile!!!:))
best wishes,
divsi
"I feel a very unusual sensation - if it's not indigestion, I think it must be gratitude” - Benjamin Disraeli
Divsi, the words above echo my sentiments precisely ;) I am grateful for your kind words and appreciation.
Thanks !!
thank you, I've put a link to your post from my facebook :-)
Dawny,
I appreciate you dropping by and commenting. And I thank you for helping us spread the message.
I'd look u up on fb. Though I am not very active there :)
aww nice for you to have found me on facebook :-)
Seeing positive articles speaking on the works of smile train, truly warms my heart.
This organization is changing lives around the globe! http://www.squidoo.com/smiletrain smile train is well worth it!
Thanks Oooooooooooo ;) The work they do is truly amazing !!
Cecilia, thanks for helping us spread the message !!
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