Everyday Heroes

sundarusha · Mar 5, 2010

The weekend is here and I was desperately looking forward to a bit of refreshing news. It would have to be a big one in order to make up for the emotional toll that has taken on a lot of us due to this week's Nithyascandal, the kid directing air traffic control, stampede at UP temple, pentagon shootout by a lone gunman to name a few.

There may be many more but the mind tends to become numb after a few jolts.

Ahh! I found the good news to cheer me up. It comes as a breath of fresh air to definitely uplift our moods.

It is the story of this quiet, unassuming woman named Grace Groner who passed away at the age of 100 this january. She was born in a small farming county and became orphaned by the age of 12. She and her twin sisiter were raised by friends of her parents who paid her college fees to Lake Forest college.

Like many who lived in the depression era, she was very restrained with money, buying clothes in rummage sales and walking everywhere rather than buying a car. She did not marry and lived in a one bedroom house till her death with a few furniture, mismatched dishes and a TV that seemed age-old.

After graduation from the college in 1931, she worked as a secratary in Abbott labs for 43 years. In 1935, she purchased three stocks in Abbott's for $60 each. When she passed away, her attorney informed Lake Forest college that it was worth 7 millions and it is a gift from her to the
college for the 1300 students to pursue internships and study abroad programs.

It has been very soothing for me reading her story and the way of life she lived. She lived a simplistic life, was not called by any fancy 'swamy' names, did not go seeking for fame, did not collect enormous amounts for conducting workshops and yet had altruistic thoughts for the benefit of the society. In fact, no one other than her close friends knew about this fantastic woman.

There are so many everyday heroes and undeclared swamis in our midst.
Even thoughh each one of us may not be able to emulate them 100%, thank God for such Graceful people.

radsahana · Mar 6, 2010

Dear usha,

It indeed brought cheers to me, after reading all Nityascandal news and Chili Earuthqyake,which has left very sour taste in me. it.

She has passed the good deeds to other,what she got from her parents friend, and what a noble way to repay it.

If everyone of us try in our own small way to pass on the good deed, the world will be more cheerful.

Well narrated, and enjoyed reading it.

sundarusha · Mar 6, 2010

Hi radsahana,

thanks for visiting here with the lovely fb. Glad to share the news that brought cheers to our spirits.
Wish more of us are able to do just even a tiny share as her.
Indeed her generosity warmed my heart.

Nandshyam · Mar 6, 2010

Usha.. nice gentle reminder to all of us that good exists out there yeah.. read about her this morning.. so nice of her isn't....

The news was spot on - Jananam unmai, Maranam unmai. Everything else in-between is manmade, maayai, so why stress so much about it She's a great model on how to lead a content life and not get tied out to materialistic luxuries

God bless her soul !!!

Srama · Mar 6, 2010

Usha, you do make a point here. Just this morning I had a conversation with a friend that we as normal people can make a difference in really simple small ways and it might make a difference to somebody's life or to this earth. In the same vein, I was impressed when I read this article on yahoo about philanthropists in Asia -

"Among the most striking honorees is Chen Shu-Chu, a 59-year-old who Forbes said has been selling vegetables in Taiwan's Taitung central market since 1963 and who had to drop out of school to support her family.
Her donations include $32,000 for a children's fund in 2004 and $144,000 to help build a library at the school she once attended. She plans to set up a $313,000 fund this year to help the poor with education and healthcare, the magazine said." Entire news item can be found at:
Forbes lists Asia Pacific's most generous givers - Yahoo! News

susri · Mar 6, 2010

Dear Usha,
Nice to read your post.
Very easily people became avid for money.
There are people who are not really greedy. Just because of these few good intent people, we are getting rain, or else, certainly the whole earth would have gone dry.

Kamalji · Mar 6, 2010

Dear Usha,

My first question to u is, where were u all these days? rather months? Do u know u are a fanastic writer, and i am a big fan of yours ? And how much we missed yr writings ? And now since the slot was empty, it soon got filled up, with Tube Light, Ladhika, Knot to Share, and other writers.But dont worry, u will always have a spot in our hearts, as this heartwarming story proves to us.

What a lady eh ! She lived sparcely, so that she could leave a fortune for others.And no tom toming about it to anyone.

Any day better than the indian babas, whose antics we are seeing every day.HAHA

Superb, and do post soon, thick and fast.

REgards

kamal

ganges · Mar 6, 2010

dear usha

Beautiful writing. Yes. We recognise the wrong persons more easily than the true athmas like the lady. The pity is such good persons never being recognised when they are alive. If tomorrow some other swamiji comes, some of the society will still go behind him. We will not learn from our mistakes.

Keep posting and thanks for sharing.

ganges

Cheeniya · Mar 6, 2010

Dear Usha
The story of the old lady was like 'Chicken soup for the Soul' As you rightly observe, there are thousands of such unsung heroes amidst us. But newspapers and TV channels ignore them because such news is of no commercial value to them. In this age, sensationalism is the name of the game. They show sting operations in graphic details over and over again. The recent episode of Nithyananda was shown by Sun TV so many times that I lost the appetite for watching TV.

Tell me honestly. Can the story of the old woman that you have narrated ever make it to the prime slot? Even in the socially conscious newspapers like The Hindu, it will be reported in small print in some obscure corner!

As long as we allow our appetite for sensational news whetted only by the amorous misadventures of Nithyananda and Devanathan, there is no redemption for us!
Sri

Amma15 · Mar 6, 2010

Dear Usha,

Truly refreshing! What a nice way to spend the weekend - filling our hearts and minds with flowers and beauty like Grace Groner rather than with stones like Sun tv news and Nithyananda.

Thank you for sharing and cheering us up.

Regards,
Usha