I once read a beautiful story of an artist, whom children loved, because he could draw virtually anything for them. Children would literally jump with joy as he drew for them toys, engines, aeroplanes and trees laden with fruits. One day little Sheela asked him if he could draw faces. He said he could draw faces as well as show what is behind those faces. Sheela was puzzled by the statement yet she asked him to draw the face of her grandmother.
The artist drew a face of a beautiful young lady. Sheela gasped in surprise, “But that’s not my grandmother. This is the face of a young lady and my grandma is old.” The artist smiled and said, “It was her face when she was young.” He then drew few lines near her eyes, some across the face and more near the mouth. Looking at it, Sheela exclaimed, “Oh! That looks like my grandma!”
She then asked the artist, “How can a few lines on the face make a person look old?” He replied, “These are lines of worry; they come on the face when you are worried.” He proceeded to say, “See the first line came on your grandma’s face when your grandfather lost some money and they had to sell the house. And this other one came when her eldest son ran away from home and did not contact her for two years.”
The artist then showed her how different problems like the illness of children, feeling of sadness when somebody hurts you, death in the family and so on, keep on adding lines on the face. The more lines you get, the older you look. Then he added a curved line near the mouth that made Sheela’s grandmother’s portrait look cheerful. Her joy knew no bounds and she chirped happily, “And what is this line? It makes Grandma look so happy.”
Sheela smiled beatifically at the artist, feeling elated to see her grandma looking happy. The artist said, “This is the line your mother gave to her. Your mother always brought happiness in her life by helping her and taking good care of her.” Sheela felt a tiny tear of joy trickle down her left eye. She wiped it gently with the back of her hand and said, “I will be like my mother. I will always help mamma like she helped grandma.”
Patting her affectionately on her head, the artist said, “Please promise never to trouble her and always make hfer happy. Listen to her and always make her proud of you by doing your best in everything.”
“Yes, yes, I will,” Sheela said, shaking her head vigorously in acknowledgment, adding, “I will also take good care of her, when she is old. I will try to make more happy lines on my mother’s face.” She paused for a moment, for now she was breathless with excitement, and added enthusiastically, “On my father’s face too.”
All of us grow old and lines will come on our face, but we can try to make more happy lines than sad lines. We must do everything to make our parents happy. in our young age by listening to them, studying well, and giving our best in whatever we do. When children do well, parents feel the happiest. In old age, we must take good care of them. Make them feel wanted and loved.
Often people develop more lines in old age because of loneliness. Spend some time with your parents, talk to them, listen to whatever they wish to share. Sometimes children get so busy in life that they forget to talk to their parents for many days. Remember how your parents spent days waiting for the phone to ring so that they could hear your happy voices and your good news.
Let us try to make others happy and cheerful. Let us not be the cause of worry lines on anybody’s face by our words or behaviour. Lines will come with age, but let us be the cause of happy lines on the face of others. A few kind words cost nothing, but can make someone’s day. Let people remember you with a smile on their face. Smile makes happy lines. Be happy and spread happiness.
Nita Agarwal is an ex-Table Tennis State player, qualified teacher, self-taught budding painter, a successful blogger, who writes about her observations of life and people; and most importantly, a working housewife.
Parents need to be taken care of in old age.
Nice story. The smiley lines , worry lines, frown lines , the grinning lines, we have so many lines on our face. Each telling a story. That is how a face reader can read a face.
Youngsters who have jobs far away have to think of ways to look after their parents. Some of my friends happily wait for their children’s international call at late hours.
Time zones do make calls also difficult But keeping in touch is essential.
Yes Seema.
Very beautiful write up with a human touch.
Indeed, as we go through life, we keep drawing sketches along with it which directly affects everyone and everything in our periphery, be it touching one’s heart or affecting the environment, as we do so we reap.
A tender touch can work a wonder, in our own hand we can create a world full of bliss. Let us not be the cause of worry lines but let us learn to draw the lines of bliss.