Life, actually

I was pondering about various issues of life in my usual depressed state. The meaning of life, the meaning of our life and the purpose of our life when I came across this beautiful story told by my friend Ankur. I am reproducing it as well as I remember in the hope that it will help redefine our lives or help us keep to the right paths that we have chosen.

There used to be a gardener who used to carry water on two cans balanced on his shoulders to the royal gardens. One of the cans had a hole in it. After many years of service, the can asked the gardener (believe in it folks! it doesn't cost you anything to go through this post or the implications therein) 'Why do you keep using me for the purpose of taking water to the Royal Gardens knowing fully well that I have a hole in me?' The Gardener then didn't reply. He took the can of water to the paths they had travelled daily for all those months. On one side, there were beautiful flowers blooming all around while on the other, the land was arid and dry. The Gardener pointed this out to the can with the hole and it is said the can breathed a sigh of relief on knowing his importance in life to those he hadn't thought about.

It is the same with us human beings. Each act we undertake, every act of kindness that we indulge in results in happiness to a select few who, though unknown to us, pray everyday for us and thank God for our existence. It is like what my room-mate Mithu told me: Each person is born on this Earth for a purpose, whether we know it or not. I can only hope that my existence has brought a few of those smiles to some people, albeit a few in number...