Tuesday, July 29, 2014

CARING IS LOVING



 C is for 'Care'.

The sweet word ‘Care’ encompasses a plethora of human emotions in its tiny belly. It expresses itself in many grammatical forms viz. care, caring, careful, and in the phrase ‘care giver’. However, there is one thing in common in all of them. All revolve around the feelings of love, compassion, sympathy, empathy, affection, kindness, concern and regard for others. In short, all that promotes growth, goodwill and beliefs for leading a meaningful life.

Let’s explore its semantic contours to understand this deeply inspiring concept of life. Caring is like practicing yoga, balancing mind and body in an optimum healthy state.

Well, caring for the sick, elderly and the needy in the family circle is challenging but no less a rewarding task. A smile, a pat and a few words of blessings, is all that matters. Looking after their particular needs in terms of their age, medical needs and emotional health require magnanimity and genuine resolves. Performing this familial responsibility entails tolerance, loads of patience, understanding and above all endearing qualities. The ethics behind all these gestures is serving others. This in itself is ennobling.

Caring for the children comes naturally to us parents. We expend much energy, time and money in educating them, enabling them to stand on their feet. We try to inculcate in them life values to steer their lives in the right direction. Without the care, concern, and dedication of parents’ guardians and teachers in the formative years, the human child would be devastated by the harsh and hard realities of the real world.  Children to grow need loving care, encouragement, discipline and constant monitoring.  The responsibility to make them grow into healthy and responsible citizens, who can contribute to nation building rests with us.  It is all a part of our commitment to ensure that our children are well prepared for facing future challenges of life without being overawed.

As a family we take care of our spouses and work for building healthy, secure relationships based on care, concern, flexibility, sharing   and loving understanding of each other’s needs. This is how love grows and stays for ever.

We shower lots of love and care on our pets and regard them as members of the family. Even pets care for us and become our emotional anchors. The bond between man and animal is eternal.

As members of society, we need to care for sustaining a safe environment for all to reach their potential without the fear of dangers lurking here and there. If each one of us is aware, conscientious, caring, regarding others’ well being, then surely we will be concerned with menaces proliferating around us. We need to make concerted efforts jointly to overcome them.

There are still many pockets in the global community where members swear by love and compassion towards others. As they say, 'caring is loving'.

Friends, thanks for your views on the subject in advance.

image courtesy: Google

8 comments:

  1. Very nicely shared, Uppalji.
    Care, concern, compassion- all these are much needed in today's world...
    Thank God that "There are still many pockets in the global community where members swear by love and compassion towards others." That's what keeps our world happy :)

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  2. A lovely heartwarming contribution for ABC Wednesday. Sometimes midst the hustle and bustle of our busy lives we need to see the importance of such a powerful action. Thanks so much, Denise ABC Team.

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  3. Thought provoking Uppaljii
    , if only more World leaders cared more for each other, like Israel and Palestine, they don't seem to care how many women and children they injure and kill, ,so sad!
    Provoking wars is careless...They show no compassion..
    Best wishes
    Di,.

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  4. There is a difficulty in comprehending the abstract words like love and care. In my workshops when I ask a question 'do you love your country?', and the understandable overwhelming answer I get is in affirmation. But when I twist the question by replacing the word 'love' with 'care', and still get the same overwhelming affirmation, I suspect the answer. Because, 'care' can be affirmed only by actions. You do not 'care' for/about someone, or some thing if you are indifferent to, or do wrong or cause harm to that person or place. From this definition, people who do not follow traffic signals, who throw things on roads, who do not keep time, who cheat in taxes, who waste precious resources like water, power, food etc, and who indulge in corruption, they all do not 'care' for their country. And there is a huge percent of the country's population who indulge in the above.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Dilip,
      Thanks a lot for trying to clarify these two abstract concepts.I consider love and care as synonymous. When you love somebody you care for the well being of that person. Likewise when you care for somebody it entails you love him.In fact both these concepts are realized only in action. Helping, sharing in genuine spirit of magnanimity is love in action.

      As regards love and care for your country, you're absolutely right about utter disregard of ethics and morality in our dealings on daily basis. That is our national character. Politicians,bureaucrats, general public all are to be equally blamed for the malaise.
      There are some good people who want to make a difference but they get demoralized soon enough by the insensitive system.

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  5. we need to care more, collectively, or it all falls apart
    ROG, ABCW

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  6. You put so well how in everyday life there are so many who care.

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