Get inspired: Be grateful for today’s life and health

Last Sunday, I visited a sick uncle in hospital, the University Hospital of Kigali (CHUK). He suffered a fracture sometime back and his leg is plastered in cement. He has spent over three months in the hospital. He’s in a lot of pain. To cut the whole story short, we should thank God for the gift of today’s life and health. At the hospital, I had time to sit and watch different moods of people. I moved slowly among the patients’ beds watching their moods. In the meantime, I was kept silently, in my heart, praying for their quick recovery. My uncle was really uncomfortable; he kept calling for the doctors and nurses to help alleviate his pain. I didn’t take long in his presence because I could not bear seeing him in so much pain. I decided to go outside in order to meditate a bit about life in general. As I slowly walked out, I saw many other patients who are victims of accidents. I sat just opposite the door to the patient’s wards. From there, I saw all kinds of people moving in and out. I saw young and old people with clutches. I saw victims of burns with bandages on the affected body parts. Among the burn victims, were babies as young as just a few months. Some wore big plasters on their heads and the neck. When I saw these innocent suffering creatures, I forgot all about the meditation thing. I asked one of the mothers what happened to her child. She said that her daughter was almost burnt to death due to a burning candle the child played with setting off a fire. Another woman who was carrying a baby burnt on the head told me that it was also a result of a candle lit the child’s clothes when had melted. These are sad stories. However, there is nothing as a mother who abandoned her burnt child in a hospital. The child’s legs had had to be amputated because of the severe damage caused by the fire. This child who is just months was burnt seriously and because of the serious injury, the doctors chopped off its two legs and an arm. Sources say that she left the child saying that it will never amount to anything. How sad! What misery, agony and pain the patients suffer! Dear healthy and physically fit friends, don’t you think that we have a reason to thank God for the gift of the day? I thank God for keeping me safe and healthy today. However remember to visit and pray for the sick, your care and love makes their day worth living. You can never determine what a person’s life will amount to. That abandoned child if given all the care and education can be very successful. It could be the next most inspirational speaker of inventor. gachakim@yahoo.com