Baba

Ever noticed the sign above the door, or the name on a building you enter, as you go about your daily life? I think you know the answer.

Our older brother recently shared an image of a marble plaque above the entrance to a girls’ school, in what used to be a small village in rural india.

That plaque is from 1960. The name on it was that of my grandfather — my Baba. He built this school in memory of his wife who died prematurely.

Pause  and think for a moment — an all girls’ school, in 1960, in rural India. At a time, when girls were destined for early marriages and domesticated lives, he saw the promise of education for a generation of young girls. And he invested in their future, and the future of the generations of girls that followed.

The school is flourishing even today, educating girls from neighboring villages and local communities. My grandfather was a pious man, who put others before himself. That plaque above the entrance does not even begin to tell his story. This is a gentle reminder of the impact of today’s actions, on tomorrow’s lives.

I know my Baba is watching over us from the heavens above. I am certain that none of the young girls who walk through that entrance, ever look up to see the name, or to stop and think. Not that it matters. When we do good for others, without expecting anything in return, it is the gift that keeps on giving.