Interpreting Maladies: Children’s Day As A SABIA volunteer

Part of what I have gained from my experience as a volunteer is empathy. The ability to communicate my innermost fears with calm. And most of all, an ability to understand the magnitude of emotions, every child goes through. And children, teach you resilience more than any spiritual guru. That is how I would describe my day at the children’s ward. There is palpable despair but also hope. A chance to connect to the 'superheroes', waging their battles every day, was nothing short of inspirational. It’s also wonderful how they responded to the stories of average humans becoming invincible superheroes, all their flaws and quirks intact. “With Great Power comes great responsibility” Spiderman was reminded of his undeniable truth. That was the message we tried to send across to the little ones with a shot at all the happiness that Universe promises to bestow upon them. Power is what we have, to change their future by offering them the greatest superpower they can possess- the ability to read. The magic that storytelling wields in incomparable to other sources of joy de vivere. And to imbibe that in the future of our country, the tech- savvy and Internet educated, isn’t hard.. provided we lead by example. SABIA has offered me the opportunity to do the same. To All my fellow friends who were my companions in this noble effort- here's hoping we go on more such insightful journeys in each day. Cheers to SABIA and their vision. For reading not just makes you powerful- it also teaches you to hold on in face of adversities. That to me, is what a superhero is. That’s what we all, together, aspire to achieve.