“We have not come into the world to be numbered; we have been created for a purpose; for great things: to love and be loved.” ~ Mother Teresa
My grandson wants to swim with sharks. Why I ask him? He wants to help save them, and he wants them to have a good life.
Mikhail Gorbachev is campaigning on water problems and is pressing the UN to adopt a convention on fresh water. Why? About 1bn people lack access to clean water and 2bn lack access to sanitation, and he wants to help them. Mikhail wants to help save their lives, and he wants them to have a good life.
A woman in Guangzhou province (whose name I don’t know) found a truck filled with 800 cats. She bought the truck and took the cats home to live with her until she could find other homes for them. Why? She wants to help save their lives, and she wants them to have a good life.
Olaudah Equiano was born the son of a chief. He was sold into slavery at eleven. He bought his freedom in 1766. Through writing, lobbying and leading others he helped to abolish the British Slave Act. “As a former slave the risks for Equiano were great, but this did not deter him.”* Why? He wanted to help save lives, and he wanted them to have a good life.
Satinath Sarangi was not from Bhopal, but he heard of the Union Carbide disaster. Satinath was not a doctor, he had recently graduated as an engineer, — but he knew in his heart that he must go and see what he could do for these people. Satinath has never left, he has remained and works tirelessly with others – still. I sat in a room with him a few months ago with 11 people who had come to hear what he had to say. He spoke of the work and courage of others more than he did of himself or his own work. His words resonated on my heart. They do still. Why? He wants to help save lives, and he wants them to have a good life.
June Callwood was a woman people looked up to because she was a woman of her word, a woman of action. Her good works were many from helping the homeless, to helping women escaping violence, to helping victims of HIV/AIDS, …June fought for a better life — for justice, for all of us. I sat in a small room with her once. Myself and eight other articling law students, and her parting words to us were “Who will speak for the children?” I have never forgotten her words or the conviction with which she said them. They resonated on my heart. They do still. Why? She wanted to help save lives, and she wanted all of us to have a good life.
There are so many more people living their lives this way. They have fears, doubts, meet with resistance, sometimes feel like giving up, they get tired and they get angry. But they carry on. Why? …because they know that we have not come into the world to be numbered, we have been created for a purpose.
Some are just becoming aware of their purpose, like my grandson. Others have left us a legacy.
*quote from http://www.antislavery.org/2007/campaigners%20equiano.htm
Janette Watt is a proud-brazen-instigator, a value-driven political thinker, a social critic and an aspiring dissident writer. Her writing and her presentations are informed by her life experiences as an activist lawyer, an activist educator and active member of the human race. She is the owner/president of Watt Communications. Read other posts by Janette Watt.
