I celebrated my birthday with orphan kids. Here's what happened

Hey,

Everything I’m about to share with you is unfiltered.

One of the most joyful days, etched in my memory.

This might turn out to be a little long,

But I’ve a very special message for you at the end so I’ll appreciate you hanging out.

Do you mind a backstory?

If you just came here to know how it went, you can scroll down a bit.

On the sweltering afternoon of May 3rd,

I was drafting one of my newsletters, wholeheartedly until I got a call..

As the unknown number kept flashing on the screen,

I silenced it to sleep,

But during that entire focused deep work session,

A bug of skepticism entered my head.

Nonchalantly, I wrapped up the newsletter and tried calling that number

To my surprise,

It was none other than my gymbro, whom I treated like an elder brother, Ajju.

He asked if I could spare some time & informed that he had urgent work and needed my help.

As he lived nearby, I rushed my feet towards his house

After I met him, I came to realize that today happens to be his birthday.

Hugged him warmly, with a sense of curiosity,

“Bhai," I enquired “Is everything alright?”

His lips remained sealed as he followed me towards his scooty,

And we were going to an unknown place now.

"Do my senses deceive me, or is it treat time already?" I tried breaking the silence

Rather than a simple "Yes"

He chose to respond by handing me a bag full of chocolates,

All the while keeping his lips sealed.

We stopped in the middle of a busy road, alongside a cluster of slum houses on the left.

He finally broke his silence and said,

“Bhava (brother in Marathi), we're here to share the joy of my birthday with them.”

With excitement for the cause still brimming inside me,

Watched him hurrying towards the children playing by the roadside.

For the next 60-120minutes, we gave chocolates to every kid we saw.

We didn’t get enough time for talking,

But I made a promise to do exactly as he had done, but in my own way.

I headed back home with this one thing in mind

Uhm.. Well, I've promised him but I was still unsure about what changes to make.

While heading home, I saw a group of children joyfully playing within this vicinity.

A surge of overwhelming empathy and love shut my mind numb

It felt EUPHORIC.

I rushed towards the gate-keeper to ask if birthday celebrations were allowed here.

With his approving nod,

A surge of dopamine course through me as I swiftly made the decision.

My mother too, loved the idea and agreed to accompany me on my birthday.

Time hurried along, and now it's the rainy morning of July 24th.

We had a cake, chocolates, and various other snacks.

Whilst I sat in peace waiting for my mother,

I daydreamed about the heart-warming smiles they’d have when I cut the cake.

By 2:30, we were at the location.

A group of almost 20 children with disabilities waiting for us both.

My heart was both filled with tears and warmed with joy,

As I witnessed their humble living conditions and the constant shower of smiles they shared.

Enthusiastically clapping and wearing bright smiles, I fed each of them a little piece of cake

After talking to them, they said have never experienced such an event.

I barely fought back the urge to cry.

After some time, we decided to go home and requested the receptionist

To distribute the food amongst everyone present.

And just after I reached home and freshened up,

I burst out a load of tears as if I’ve kept them loaded from a decade.
(Glad no-one was in the room lol)

Having gathered my strength, I moved forward with the day but whilst sleeping that night…

Thinking about the reason I cried and my mind came up with this strange question..

“The world doesn’t love you,” I uttered to myself

“Your parents don’t love you and over that, you have disabilities, would you even survive a month like this?”

My head shook in disbelief, as I sympathized deeply with them.

So this is what I wanted to tell you…

It’s normal to celebrate your birthday:

• With your loved ones

• Buying expensive things for yourself

• Spending endless money on parties/alcohol

Just for a second, think…

“Is this even real fun?”

Ask this to yourself right now and analyze the answer carefully.

Spending your money on fleeting pleasures brings momentary satisfaction.

Maybe 1 week, 2 weeks or even a month…

Just imagine sharing your joy with someone else,

Someone a little less fortunate than you.

While their memories may wane, 

But the recollection of their present enjoyment is a treasure you can carry for years.

Try sharing the happiness, the smiles.

Every deed, no matter how minor, carried out with compassion holds significance.

That’s it for the day folks.

I’ll see you on the weekend.

Peace,
V.