There are moments in your life when life slips out of your hands grain by grain. There are emotional crises one goes through – a bereavement, disease, injury, disability, conflicts etc. that take us to the brink. A shoulder to cry on or a patient ear can help dilute some of the pain and suffering. Some of us lose our battles with life because we do not get timely help. Yet, others are fortunate to find a good Samaritan, an NGO or someone else that rescues them.
I can’t help but remember the time my children were stranded alone in a train. My life had come to a standstill then. If it weren’t for the timely help of some strangers in that train, I don’t know how I would have got them back. Those strangers who included some Railway Police Force personnel selflessly helped the children they didn’t know. I can never forget that day and can never fail to feel gratitude for #MyCrisisAngel. I hope to do the same for many others in my own small way.
I can only hope and pray that every person in distress is able to find a Crisis Angel. And you know what, most times it is ordinary people like you and me who can be someone’s guardian angel. A stranger who helps a road accident victim and takes them to the hospital. A doctor who works the hardest to save that victim’s life. A police officer who reaches out to the family and informs them. All of us are cogs in the wheel of goodness. This goodness sustains our society, makes us believe in the other human being for being there in the time of need. Essentially, this is what sustains the world.
This year has seen some terrible tragedies hit our country. Floods have hit the North-East and Jammu and Kashmir. Cyclone Hudhud devastated Vizag and neighboring areas. The army and disaster management teams worked day and night to help with relief and rescue. Also coordinating rescue and relief were ordinary citizens. Those of us far away did our best by garnering support online. Hence V.O.I.C.E (Volunteers online for impact in Crisis and Emergency) which is a group of ordinary citizens from across the world helped co-ordinate one of the largest relief efforts in J&K. They are also doing the same in the North-East and now Andhra Pradesh.
www.InCrisisRelief.org has been working relentlessly for people in disaster zones.
Remember, we all need that helping hand. Let us be that Crisis Angel for someone out there in need. Contribute in any way possible. Donate money, blankets, food, medicine etc. If you can work on the ground or mobilize relief, that is priceless. Remember every small effort counts in making someone’s life easier.
Remember this Diwali, let us brighten our lives by helping someone in distress.
Do follow InCrisisRelief.Org on
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/incrisisrelief
and Twitter at @Incrisisrelief
I highly appreciate the spirit behind this well-meaning post. Thanks Rachna for spreading the word about this organization. Rescue and relief require a concerted action by the communities.
And I can’t even imagine what it must have been like when your kids were stranded alone in the train. Thank god for all those helpful folks who could help.
Thanks, Beloo. Thank God for those helpful folks and for everyone else who helps people in their time of need.
I remember reading the train incident earlier. We all need an angel in our life and as Indians we need to learn a lot and act on Individual Social Responsibility, everything is not just for the authorities to do. All the best for the success of the campaign
I completely agree, Prasad. We have to chip in too as a part of our social responsibility.
I had read about that scary train journey… I think on such occasions we realize there are people who will be there for us…On such times when hopelessness seizes us someone comes along to help, well at most times..
I know, Naba. That was such a scary incident. You know we always hope for that angel to materialize. And I think it is time we did not hesitate in helping out and being someone’s angel.
Nice one…Well,I wil ltry and do my best for this Org
Thank you, Chowlaji!
Just like how we would expect others to help, we should also lend a helping hand to those in distress. Sometimes I feel we tend to think a lot before helping others, and that thinking and waiting time could indeed make a difference in someone’s life!
So well put, Ashwini! Sometimes, we do think so much before weighing if we need to help someone and that could be so costly!
Yes we all can be crisis angels. Very inspiring and beautiful thought.
Thanks so much, Rajlakshmi!
Being a crisis angel for somebody in distress definitely brightens our lives!
From personal experience, I can say that the value of any crisis angel is known much more when we ourselves are helped by a crisis angel when we are in distress.
You are right. We realise the importance of this when we have been in a strenuous situation.