One Fine Day!

The life of a social worker teaches us many things and exposes us to the stark reality of life. Generally, I fix an appointment before visiting a family. One fine day, I fixed an appointment with a mother in a family impacted by the death of the father and the only bread winner of the family due to Covid.

I travelled by bus to reach Red Hills, to meet this family. After reaching the exact address, I called the mother on her mobile as the door was locked from within. But there was no response to my calls for over 10 minutes. I could not enter the house as there was a dog tied up that would not let me near the door. (In reality though, more than the dogs, we are scared of people shouting at us during a visit many times).

Not wanting to return without fulfilling the purpose of the visit, I tried at frequent intervals right in front of the gate. Luckily for me, the mother attended the call and told me that she was hospitalized for the delivery of her baby and so didn’t respond earlier. She called her father and informed him to receive me at the door. I got the necessary details and information about the family and knew that they are deserving candidates of our services. Needless, to say, I was happy that the task was accomplished after a long-distance commute. That day, I learnt lessons in patience and perseverance. I also learnt empathy and compassion and that there’s always another side to the coin. The new-born baby is part of Bala Mandir’s virtual home. I am happy that the additional waiting hour, helped me enrol him in our journey over the long term.

Y Arulraj