Finding it in his heart ~

There was an old chap I met at the physiotherapy centre where dad visited quite a fair bit after having undergone a total heap replacement. This old chap was on a wheelchair and doing some physiotherapy workouts. I observed him for a while doing some light weights while on the wheelchair and I saw the look in his eyes. It was not that of rage, anger or despair but that of resolve. A tremendous amount of resolve to strengthen himself despite being bounded to the wheelchair for the rest of his life.

As I was leaving, I had to settle the bill and this old chap rolled out with his wheelchair, panting from all the workout he was doing. I guess he had to settle his bill as well. He smiled at me and I smiled back.

"Tough workout eh?"

"Phew... tell me about it. Being on a wheelchair is a whole new experience for me."

"What got you on the wheelchair?"

"Motorcycle accident. Was riding my bike home one evening, next thing I new someone rammed me from the back. By the time I woke up, I was lying on a bed in this hospital with my wife beside me."

"Sorry to hear that. Did you know who hit you?"

"Yea, he owned up to it. He did pay me compensation but that doesn't change the fact that he placed me on a wheelchair!"

"Sorry to hear that..... You must really hate the guy."

"I did hate the guy up until this morning when I woke up and finally realised hating that guy isn't going to change the fact that I am stuck to this chair on wheels. I found it in my heart to forgive him."

I found it amazing because I don't think I would be capable of forgiving someone who caused me to be on a wheelchair. Especially for someone like me who is so active in sports. Taking away the use of my legs would be a cardinal sin!

He had one simple reason - "I realised I could have been the one on the wheel and cause another to lose the use of their legs. I still have my life and I still get to be with my family. That alone is something I should be thankful for".

Forgiveness, compassion and a kind heart are attributes that are slowly depleting in the current age of modernization and burgeoning world of commerce, where time waits for no man and all that matters is money matters...... this old chap made it look so easy.......