In this lifetime...

To love, is my purpose,
I experienced oneness, in loving those seeking children.

To respect, is my pride,
I experienced upliftment, in honoring those underprivileged kids.

To educate, is my aspiration,
I experienced contentment, in exploring with those scared Newtons.

To nourish, is my fulfillment,
I experienced bliss, in nurturing the tounges and bellies of those poor citizens.

I experienced it on Feb. 2, 2012 (http://surrenderlistenandgive.blogspot.com/2012/02/this-is-fulfillment.html).

Yesterday (Feb. 8,2012), I went to share the hand made Valentine's day cards with those children; to realize that they need more of all this. They are waiting and looking forward for me to come back with food and do some science.

This first event happened, with the financial support from just 2 acquaintances. When I asked them, why did you write the check to me and not to any established organization, this is what I heard:

The first one, a college classmate (who hasn't met me in 22 years) said,
"For I believe in you, your word and commitment just by reading your sharings on FB."
She feels that she is very privileged and knows that the world can be changed through education.

Another, my roommate from IIT-Delhi (who I meet regularly),
"I see you as a messenger."
She wishes to create some good karma for herself.

A complete stranger mother at my kids school on reading about this, joined me. She served those children gourmet Thai food in the eco-friendly, very pretty plates she had bought. She joined me, for she always wanted to do that, but could never find an opportunity to do it. "I simply grabbed the chance and felt the bliss in serving.", she said.

My heartfelt gratitude to 3 of them and now, I am heading for Delhi to create a similar event on Feb. 17th. With an intention to serve underprivileged kids with love and honor, in addition to giving them an exposure to access their inherent exploring boxes.

I saw the twinkle in the eyes of the kids here (in US on Feb. 2nd), that makes me beleieve, that just because they are poor or have uneducated parents doesn't mean they cannot be a Newton. I need not stop at just serving food, love and honor.

Therefore, I seek your prayers that once again, I be provided with all that is needed to make it happen.

Thank you for reading.

Gunjan Raizada Chakravarty
***
Aum Tat Sat (God is Truth)

This is fulfillment

I reached school with Lana (a young mom from my kids school) to a public school, in East
Palo Alto; a school for needy kids whose parents are working 2 or more shifts to make ends
meet.

It took us almost 20 minutes to set up the tables with plates full of pad Thai noodles, forks,
napkins and a cup of water inside the library. We invited those 22 4th/5th graders inside
around tables of 4. They were surprised by the treat as well as the dish they had never seen
or heard about. I was surprised with their reactions. Other than a girl in yellow jacket and one
boy, everyone tried it gingerly, loved it and asked for second helpings.

***
After that, I sat with my plate on a table with 2 girls and a boy. Lana sat on another table with
3 girls. Everybody was giggling, talking and eating.

I closed my eyes to pray, before eating.
The boy on my table asked me, “Do you always pray before eating?”
“Yes”, I answered smilingly to the shocked boy.

I asked them what kind of food they liked and they took turns to answer shyly.

“Where do you live?”, the boy asked me very inquisitively.
I had my mouth full of noodles, so I signaled with my hands to wait for my answer till I finish
chewing.
One of the girls understood my signal and explained what I meant to him and the girls
continued to talk.
When I was done, I looked at him to answer.
“Why can't you talk with your mouth full?”, he asked me skipping his previous question.
I just looked at him, for all through those few minutes I was chewing he was looking at me.
His looked confused and angry, as if I were from another planet; doing things he had never
seen or heard about.

***
We got onto the floor in a big circle holding hands. I introduced my self and kicked off the
Physics workshop about gravity and gravitational force. When I asked them if anyone has
heard about it, only 1 girl and 2 boys shot up their hands.

When I asked them, if they would like to explore science with balls, weighing themselves and
tissue roll; all but one boy (who did not try the food) screamed yes. So, he decided not to
participate and left the room.

We talked about knowing air is in the room and how can we feel it. Some of them answered
through the sound of the fan, by moving hands and feeling it in their hair. We blew the air out
of our mouths and then blew out the air onto the tissue paper in front of our face. Everyone
raised their hands to see the impact of air and nodding that they all experienced it.

Next, we dropped two books one small/light and another big/heavy from the same height in
pairs. They got back excitedly to share their observations about the sound it made, whether
they hit the floor together or not etc.

Passing the ball to their partner in all possible ways got them rocking. The screams, the
laughter, the excitement filled up the room. They got back together in a circle to share
whatever way they shot the ball, it came down following a path like a rainbow, even if it did
not hit the ceiling. So, we were all convinced that something invisible is pulling the ball down.
“That invisible force is Gravitational force”, I whispered and they looked at each other
amazingly.

In the last exercise, I told them to place one book on the weighing machine and note down
its weight. Then keep on adding 1, 2, 3 and 4 books and to read its corresponding reading on
the scale. I showed them how the machine showed the change in my weight with 1 palm, 2
palms, 1 knee etc.

I gave them this as an exploring assignment to find a weighing machine at home, school,
hospital or in grocery stores and play around with it carefully noting down the numbers. The
machine gives their weight, which will be different on moon. For, the weight of the same
person using the same machine depends on gravitational force, which is way less on moon.

I kept on iterating during the workshop, that they are are all awesome, wonderful and born
scientist. Just keep exploring and just keep asking questions. Their eyes would light up and
spine lift up each time I said those words. I noticed that it was more pronounced in the girl
students.

***
To wrap up, I asked them to draw or write on a sheet of paper what they liked most in our
time together. They spread out all over the room, lying down with ease on the carpet. They
started scribbling with colors and peeping into each others sheet.

I walked around the room and saw meticulous drawings of ball exercise, dropping of books
and precise layout of food in the plate, with fork and water cup neatly placed on each napkin.

When I announced, its time for me to go. Surprisingly, the girl in yellow jacket (who had given
a cold shoulder, when they had walked in) spoke. She uttered lovingly, softly with her focus
on the drawing “No, I don't want you to go. I won't let you go. Why do you have to go?”

My heart was touched by the transformation visible in her words.

“May be I will come back soon again to do more science and get some more food, how about
that is , if you like it.”, I asked.
They all screamed happily, “Yes.”

Then, I asked them to take their colorful sheets home to share it with their parents. I was
shocked to see a sudden drop in their faces, the sadness surfaced all over. The energy in the
room dropped from laughter to pain. A pain, I heard it in their silent turning (away from me
bodies) and walking towards the back wall.

“My parents don't care for me....”

“They will put it in a trash bin....”

“They will be mad, if I show them something...”
I heard them mumbling.

Sensing their dejection, I immediately said, “Hey, give me all your colorful drawings, I would
love to have them, see them, keep them.”. All but 3 boys, ran forward with joy and gave me
their masterpieces.

At the end, I stood at the door to say bye to them and give them a button, “I love Physics” with
my contact information. Almost all girls hugged me very affectionately, most boys waved bye,
shook hands or gave me a hi-five. While hugging them, I felt a familiar love and an extreme
closeness. Our hearts felt connected.

As they formed the line outside, I blew out kisses to them and most of them blew it back. All,
but one (the boy who sat next to me on my table while eating) were smiling with eyes lit up.
He was the last one in the line, he left gazing at me as if I were still a strange creature.

***

I drove to pick up my kids, feeling all calm. There was no exhaustion, even though my body
was physically tired. Physically, I was not dancing to my favorite music while driving, but I was
joyful. I was sitting amidst noisy traffic stuck at the red light, getting late to pick up my kids
(which usually freaks me out), but here I was feeling a strange calmness in each and every
cell of my body; similar to what I experience only in deep meditation.

I heard myself say, “This is fulfillment. To honor, is the purpose of my life. This is bliss.”

***

Then, I returned back to their school just before Valentines day. I took with me some valentine
cards with kisses taped on top, which I felt motivated to make for them.

I was there, just to hand them over in 5 minutes and leave. But, first in the rush of running
students was the boy who kept on staring at me when I was eating on his table. He run and
simply hugged. And so did everyone, together in groups of 3 or 4.

We walked inside a room, to hand over the cards. But their eyes were searching something
around me.

“What are you looking for?” I asked.

“The Thai food.” I heard.

***

Aum Tat Sat (God is Truth)