A Lesson in Sharing

The Navratras are a time for worship, abstaining from the good things of life ( read non-veg and booze). Two days, Ashtmi and Navmi also witness young girls carrying themselves from one household to another decked up in their finest. They are the 'kanchaks', representing the Goddess. They are worshipped by the lady of the house and thereafter served delicious food and sweets and sent off with Rs11 as a parting gift.
During one such Navratra, I happened to be at my parent's place. My mother had called some of these little girls. 5-10 year olds. As it turned out, there being no kids of that age group within the colony, the caretaker mobilised the children of housemaids and from a nearby 'basti'.

The girls came. Shy. Tentative. The younger ones holding the hands of their elder sisters. A few of them got their little brothers too.
After the customary 'puja', my mother made them sit down to eat.She served them the traditional fare. Puri, chana, aloo sabzi and kheer and laddoo in the paper plates. What happened next really amazed me.
The girls had a bite and then folded their plates with the food inside. My mother asked," Khana achcha nahin laga?". "Nahin Aunty, yeh ham ghar ja kar sabke saath khayenge", pat came the reply from the eldest. She was all of about nine years. We were amazed at this display of concern and the ethos of sharing imbibed by these kids.
And this was not all.
One girl, about four years old piped up. "Aunty, muzhe ek aur laddoo dijiye. Meri friend ko koi nahin bulata, uske liye le jaoongi". My mother asked, " Kya naam hai aapki friend ka?". "Nasreen", came the reply.
We were deeply touched. My mother made them sit down and eat and then packed all the food that had been prepared to be taken by them to their homes. And the four year old got all the laddoos which she carefully held in her little hands.
I could not help wonder how many of us have been able to instill this feeling of sharing amongst our kids?