I remember it was when I was 16.\u00a0 I had applied for a small internship as a junior counselor.\u00a0 A ten-year-old girl came to me and asked, \u201cWhy did my parents separate?\u00a0 Is it because of me?\u201d<\/p>\n
I said, \u201cNo, of course not!\u00a0 Why do you think it is your fault?\u201d<\/p>\n
She said, \u201cThey always argue about where I should stay.\u201d<\/p>\n
Being a film fanatic even back then, I remembered what was said in the film \u201cMrs. Doubtfire,\u201d and I took the moral of that and said the following to this innocent girl.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow listen to me, Catherine, sometimes there are issues that are beyond our control.\u00a0 Sometimes they may even be too hard for the grown-ups to sort out.\u00a0 In such situations it\u2019s hard for them to stay happy and they may have arguments all the time.\u00a0 But dear Catherine, let me tell you something: just because they may not love each other doesn\u2019t mean that they don\u2019t love YOU.\u00a0 There are many, many different kinds of families\u2026 some have no father, some have no mummy, some live with their grandparents or even foster-parents.\u00a0 There are some that live alone in orphanages.\u00a0 But remember one thing, Catherine.\u00a0 Maybe sometimes problems get sorted out, maybe sometimes they don\u2019t.\u00a0 And if they don\u2019t, don\u2019t be upset and don\u2019t blame yourself, because always, always remember that you\u2019ll have a family in your heart forever, and within your heart, no one can separate it from you.\u00a0 Don\u2019t let yourself down or get upset.\u00a0 If you have any issue, remember that there\u2019s your mummy, daddy, or you can talk to me\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
When I finished my internship, I heard that Catherine had become a fantastic gymnast.\u00a0 I have not seen her since.\u00a0 But the amount of relief I could see in her eyes made me feel special.\u00a0 It made me feel happy and satisfied that I was able to help her out.\u00a0 I may not have done anything great, but whatever I did, at least it helped her realize that basic happiness and peace in life.\u00a0 What more could one ask for!\u00a0 And I feel proud today that I have helped someone, that I made them feel good.\u00a0 That pleasure is something that can only be understood when felt, no words can describe it.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Image:\u00a0Flickr\/jlz<\/u><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Editor’s note:<\/p>\n Some marriages last for a lifetime. Watch: How an Elderly Couple Demonstrates What Love Is.<\/a><\/p>\n