Role models and true stories of kindness

From 16Guidelines

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa devoted herself to promoting love and kindness. She founded the Missionaries of Charity specifically to work with people whom everyone else had overlooked. When she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, she characteristically diverted the money from the ceremonial banquet to provide a meal for the poor in India. These are just two external manifestations of what became a consuming passion to help others. “I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, but only more love” she said.

Although she is now known throughout the world, Mother Teresa’s personal acts of kindness took place on a human scale. Her advice was: “We can do no great things; only small things with great love.” She said to one man: “If you can’t feed 100 people then just feed one.” To another, who came asking what he could do for world peace, she responded “Go home and love your family.”

Mother Teresa’s work is not without controversy. It has been argued that she failed to raise people out of poverty, and had no long-term strategic goals. Perhaps these criteria simply don’t apply to the role that Mother Teresa was born to play. In her Nobel Prize acceptance speech, she spoke about taking a woman from the streets and personally caring for her in the Home for the Dying in Kalighat until she passed away.

How can we explain the effect of Mother Teresa on the millions of people who never knew her, but who have been inspired by simply seeing her photograph or hearing about how she chose to live? She makes people feel happy. Seeing her image, they want to know more. She continues to bring people together in the name of kindness, and reconnect them with a deep down wish to put petty concerns aside and dedicate themselves to the well-being of others.

Bob

Abdul Aziz Said is an advisor and author on Middle East issues, Professor of International Relations and founder/director of the Centre for Global Peace at American University, Washington DC. He tells of his encounter with Bob, who once collected him from the airport to go to a conference. As they headed to the car, Bob disappeared, and Abdul found him helping an older woman with her luggage. A few moments later, as they walked on, he disappeared again. Intrigued, Abdul asked Bob what this was all about. Bob replied “In the Vietnam war, I was part of a troop that checked for land mines. As we walked gingerly across a field, suddenly there would go my friend, Dave. A few steps more, and there would go another friend, Joe. I learned to notice things and take opportunities one step at a time.