Passing a blessing

Sometimes in our life, we take our blessings for granted. We only judge everything as far as our eyes can see. We don’t have time to measure the intangible value of life. We like to count our tangible asset or we like to judge people by their appearance. Nothing wrong about it, it is a common thing in this world. We follow the crowd.

One day I learn something from my dad. He was 60 years old and he started a new firm. My brother told that would be the bad business for my dad because he opened the service law firm for poor people. My dad never had a formal education, he never went to school. He was an autodidact person. He was smart and he had an excellent knowledge in law. Since he had no formal education in law my brother started to worry about our dad’s decision. My brother didn’t want to talk to our dad and he suggested me to talk to our dad. My brother thought I am the only daughter so my voice would be heard.

I arranged a good time to talk to my dad. When I mentioned my concern about his decision to open a service law firm and I told him that he could enjoy his life with all the money he had. He could travel around the world and he didn’t have to work hard again. He could spend the money for himself and it was a time for him to retire. Surprisingly my dad answered me with a great lesson of life.
He said,” If I still work this time, not because I am not happy with my achievement in life. I came from a poor family; I never went to school in my life. I could handle the difficulties in my life. Now it is a time for me to enjoy my life but there is something you have to understand. If I still work this time, I actually help people around me to pass the blessings” I didn’t get the message. My dad explained again” Think about this because I open the firm I gave a job for young lawyer, and that lawyer can also hire someone in his family as maid, the maid can get a job and can give the money for her family in the village and the money will go everywhere to help her family” I silently listened to him. My dad continued the conversation,” That is only can happen if I start the firm, if I still work and do something. Passing the blessings we have in our life. We need to start from ourselves. Don’t count everything by profit and loss. Do it for the sake of your happiness. There is a lot of thing in life can not be measured with money”

That was a great reason and great attitude in life. I was happy that I had the opportunity to listen to that explanation. Now if I do something in my life, I do it because I know that I am passing the blessings.

Jakarta, July 6, 2009 at 11.24 PM
**Lina Kartasasmita**

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