Monday, October 17, 2011

Meeting Mother Teresa

My mom’s older sister, Monikochamma was in Bangalore several years ago and intent on visiting the Missionaries of Charity location in the city and making a donation.  The autoricksha driver was struggling to find the location and after getting lost a couple of times, finally relented, “It is somewhere close, madam, but you will need to walk now.”

Undaunted, she proceeded on foot, occasionally asking for directions from people in the neighborhood.  This can be exhausting as many will confidently provide directions even if wildly incorrect.  Finally a lady sweeping the front walk waved Monikochamma forward, “You’re close, you just need to go around this corner and in the gate.”

At last she had arrived.  She was greeted by a nun, who gave a tour of the facility and staff.  Monikochamma made a donation and then asked, “Does Mother Teresa ever come to Bangalore?  I know she may be in one of the locations but I would love to meet her if that was at possible.”

“She is not in the building just now as she is sweeping the front of the mission.” 

Monikochamma stood in awe.  Here was an example of the saying “Be the change you want to see in the world.”  The Nobel Laureate was simply deep in her day’s work at the mission.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta at a pro-life meeting on July 13, 1986 in Bonn, Germany

Mother Teresa, Wikimedia-Commons User Túrelio