Friday, November 4, 2011

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE POOR...


The difficulties, hardships, and trials of life, the obstacles one encounters on the road to fortune, are positive blessings. They teach you self-reliance. The person who has battled with poverty and hard toil will be found stronger and more expert than the one who could stay away from the battle.
My dear friends, here is a short description of what it means to be poor, unloved and uncared for, in the eyes of the destitute that are scattered all over our world.
Being poor is getting tired of people wanting you to be grateful. Being poor is knowing very well that you are being judged with every step you take, and every breath you breathe. Being poor is hoping that you will be invited for a sumptuous meal.
Being poor is not talking or meeting people because they will probably laugh at your clothes and your living conditions. Being poor is not taking the job because you just cannot find someone whom you can trust to watch over your kids.
Being poor is finding the letter your loved one has written to a charitable institute asking earnestly for child support. Being poor is relying on people who do not give a damn about you.
Being poor is wondering if your well-off sibling is lying when he/she says he does not mind when you ask for help. Being poor is knowing very well that your children visit friend’s houses but never have their friends over to yours.
Being poor is knowing exactly how much everything costs. It is heartening when you get angry with your kids for asking for all the crap that they see on the television. It takes guts for a woman to come back home after shopping, clutching a box of food that she has bought with her savings and then trying to think of a way to make her children understand that the box has to last for as long as the next savings.
Being poor is accepting the fact with a heavy heart that any type of hand-me-downs is always accepted as new, since ‘ Beggars cannot be choosers.’ Being poor is people wondering why you didn’t leave.
I would like to end this note with a small quote by Muhammad Yunus, who is a banker to the poor.
“ When a destitute mother starts earning an income, her dreams of success invariably center around her children. A woman’s second priority is the household. She wants to buy utensils, build a stronger roof, or find a bed for herself and her family. A man has an entirely different set of priorities. When a destitute father earns an income, he focuses more attention on himself. Thus money entering a household through a woman brings more benefits to the family as a whole.”
Yet, we find so many women all over the world being mercilessly abused and tortured. WHY???

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