We have arrived at two ‘New Years’ almost simultaneously. The Islamic New Year 1430 (those many years since Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be peace, migrated from Mecca to Medina) began last Sunday, while the Gregorian calendar we just entered is 2009 (those many years since Prophet Isa, Jesus, upon whom be peace) was born. May Allah make these ‘New Years’ good for us, for our country and for our world.
We have inherited some of the baggage of the year past. For the past several days, Israel has again been on its usual, criminal offensive in Gaza, killing innocent civilians. It is trite to even lament the plight of the Palestinians: it has always been lamented. Only Allah, through our prayers to Him, can deliver them. The fact of the matter is that America supports Israel, Arabs support America, and so Arabs (other than HAMAS and HEZBOLLAH) support Israel. That is the fact of life in the Middle East. Perhaps, just perhaps, an Obama Presidency beginning January 20 may change things.
Over here in Nigeria, we have our carry-over problems; major among them our lack of electricity. For Nigeria too, lamenting our plight has been our wont. In order to keep hope alive, let us just pray that may Allah make 1430/2009 different, and better, from the past year.
Therefore, rather than dwell on the gloom and doom that has been our lot these past years, let us open the year with a couple of uplifting stories about making someone happy today. Both are said to be true stories, although they are qualified as Urban Legends, those stories that could have true origins but have been embellished to make them more touching. You may have read them somewhere, but many others may have not. Therefore there is no harm repeating.
The first story is titled The Milk Of Human Kindness:
“One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal, he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, ‘How much do I owe you?’ ‘You don’t owe me anything,’ she replied. ‘Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness.’ He said, ‘Then I thank you from my heart.’
“As this boy, Howard Kelly, left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was stronger also. Until that moment, he had been ready to give up and quit.
“Many years later, that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Howard Kelly, who was now a doctor, was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall to the hospital room. Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day, he gave special attention to the case. After a long struggle, the battle was won.
“Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge, and the bill was sent to the patient’s room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words: ‘Paid in full with one glass of milk.’ Signed, Dr. Howard Kelly.
“Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed, ‘Thank You, God, that Your love has spread abroad through human hearts and hands.’
“Dr. Howard Kelly was a distinguished physician who, in 1895, founded the Johns Hopkins Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Johns Hopkins University.” (To read further on Dr. Kelly, his legendary generosity and this Urban Legend, go to http://www.snopes.com/glurge/milk.asp).
The second story is titled The Hospital Window: “Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.
“Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside, narrated by his new-found friend.
“The patient near the window told the other that the window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats.Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.
“As the man by the window described all this in exquisite details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene. One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band - he could see it in his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.
“Days, weeks and months passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.
“As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
“Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window besides the bed. It faced a blank wall.
“The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate to have described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man who had died was in fact blind, and could not even have seen the wall. She said, ‘Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you and make you happy.’ (For further reading on this Legend, go to www.cpcn.org/news/StAgatheQuebec_05.pdf).
“There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can’t buy. Today is a gift, that is why it is called The Present.”
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