Say A Little Prayer

This is a moving email which I was forwarded by a friend. Reading it I was saying to myself, "I hope this is not true!" It has a powerful message, which hopefully everyone should get by the end of reading the story.

Please do Ardaas (say a small prayer) for all mothers and fathers who are not with us. And if you are lucky and your parents are with you, please love them every moment of your life.


Story from Seoul:

My mom only had one eye. I hated her... she was such an embarrassment.

My mom ran a small shop at a flea market. She collected little weeds and such to sell... anything for the money we needed, she was such an embarrassment.

There was this one day during elementary school. I remember that it was field day, and my mom came. I was so embarrassed. How could she do this to me? I threw her a hateful look and ran out. The next day at school..."Your mom only has one eye?!" and they taunted me.

I wished that my mom would just disappear from this world so I said to my mom, "Mom, why don't you have the other eye?! You're only going to make me a laughingstock. Why don't you just die?" My mom did not respond. I guess I felt a little bad, but at the same time, it felt good to think that I had said what I'd wanted to say all this time.

Maybe it was because my mom hadn't punished me, but I didn't think that I had hurt her feelings very badly. That night...I woke up, and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. My mom was crying there, so quietly, as if she was afraid that she might wake me. I took a look at her, and then turned away.

Because of the thing I had said to her earlier, there was something pinching at me in the corner of my heart. Even so,I hated my mother who was crying out of her one eye. So I told myself that I would grow up and become successful, because I hated my one-eyed mom and our desperate poverty.

Then I studied really hard. I left my mother and came to Seoul and studied, and got accepted in the Seoul University with all the confidence I had. Then, I got married. I bought a house of my own. Then I had kids, too.

Now I'm living happily as a successful man. I like it here because it's a place that doesn't remind me of my mom. This happiness was getting bigger and bigger, when someone unexpected came to see me "What?! Who's this?!" ... It was my mother...Still with her one eye. It felt as if the whole sky was falling apart on
me.

My little girl ran away, scared of my mom's eye. And I asked her, "Who are you? I don't know you!!!" as if he trying to make that real. I screamed at her "How dare you come to my house and scare my daughter! GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!" And to this, my mother quietly answered, "oh, I'm so sorry. I may have gotten the wrong address," and she disappeared.

Thank goodness... she doesn't recognize me. I was quite relieved. I told myself that I wasn't going to care, or think about this for the rest of my life.

Then a wave of relief came upon me...one day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to my house. I lied to my wife saying that I was going on a business trip. After the reunion, I went down to the old shack, that I used to call a house...just out of curiosity there, I found my mother fallen on the cold ground.

But I did not shed a single tear. She had a piece of paper in her hand.... it was a letter to me.

She wrote:

My son... I think my life has been long enough now. And... I won't visit Seoul anymore... but would it be too much to ask if I wanted you to come visit me once in a while?

I miss you so much. And I was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion.

But I decided not to go to the school.... For you... I'm sorry that I only have one eye, and I was an embarrassment for you. You see, when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost your eye.

As a mother, I couldn't stand watching you having to grow up with only one eye... so I gave you mine... I was so proud of my son that was seeing a whole new world for me, in my place, with that eye. I was never upset at you for anything you did.

The couple times that you were angry with me. I thought to myself, 'it's because he loves me.'

I miss the times when you were still young around me.

I miss you so much. I love you. You mean the world to me.

My world shattered!!!

Then I cried for the person who lived for me. My MOTHER!

I am not asking you guys to forward this email to anyone. Just pause for a moment and pray for our parents so that God gives them all the happiness that they rightfully deserve.......!!!!!

That was the end of the email. Waheguru! Waheguru! Told my mum this story and I made her cry! Woops. I suppose it really does encourage us to appreciate all we have around us, while not getting too attached to people. Guru Ji teaches to live a life which we can rejoice, not a life which we regret. Something to think about for all of us (including mysefl!).

ਸਾਰਗ ਮਹਲਾ ੪ ਘਰੁ ੩ ਦੁਪਦਾ
saarang mehlaa 4, ghar 3 ,dupdaa
Saarang, Fourth Mehl, Third House, Du-Padas:

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
ik-oNkaar satgur parsaad.
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:

ਕਾਹੇ ਪੂਤ ਝਗਰਤ ਹਉ ਸੰਗਿ ਬਾਪ ॥
kaahay poot jhagrat ha-o sang baap.
O son, why do you argue with your father (for the sake of the worldly wealth and gain)?

ਜਿਨ ਕੇ ਜਣੇ ਬਡੀਰੇ ਤੁਮ ਹਉ ਤਿਨ ਸਿਉ ਝਗਰਤ ਪਾਪ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
jin kay janay badeeray tum ha-o tin si-o jhagrat paap. 1 rahaa-o.
It is a sin to argue with the parents who gave you birth you and raised you (for the sake of wealth and gain). 1. Pause.

ਜਿਸੁ ਧਨ ਕਾ ਤੁਮ ਗਰਬੁ ਕਰਤ ਹਉ ਸੋ ਧਨੁ ਕਿਸਹਿ ਨ ਆਪ ॥
jis Dhan kaa tum garab karat ha-o so Dhan kiseh na aap.
O son! That wealth, which you are so proud of - that wealth does not (ever) belong to anyone.

ਖਿਨ ਮਹਿ ਛੋਡਿ ਜਾਇ ਬਿਖਿਆ ਰਸੁ ਤਉ ਲਾਗੈ ਪਛੁਤਾਪ ॥੧॥
khin meh chhod jaa-ay bikhi-aa ras ta-o laagai pachhutaap. 1.
In an instant, every person shall have to leave behind all their corrupt pleasures (at time of death); you shall be left to regret and repent (leaving all this). 1.

ਜੋ ਤੁਮਰੇ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਹੋਤੇ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਹਰਿ ਤਿਨ ਕੇ ਜਾਪਹੁ ਜਾਪ ॥
jo tumray parabh hotay su-aamee har tin kay jaapahu jaap.
O son! The God, who is your (and everyone's) Lord and Master - chant the Name of that Lord.

ਉਪਦੇਸੁ ਕਰਤ ਨਾਨਕ ਜਨ ਤੁਮ ਕਉ ਜਉ ਸੁਨਹੁ ਤਉ ਜਾਇ ਸੰਤਾਪ ॥੨॥੧॥੭॥
updays karat naanak jan tum ka-o ja-o sunhu ta-o jaa-ay santaap. 217
(O Son!) The servant Nanak who spreads the Teachings; if you listen to it (attentively), you shall be rid of your (inner) pain and misery. 2.1.7.

(Ang 1200, SGGS)