What amazes me about Sona is her unflinching faith in God to take care of her.
I met Sona (name changed) quite a while ago, and soon we became friends, speaking on the phone sometimes and meeting occasionally.
Sona is of Sikh background. In my conversations with her, I learnt that she was a widow with a school-going son. She lived in an impoverished locality in a city very far from the place where she was born and brought up. She worked in a mall to earn her livelihood. She told me that she did not have a big social support system or many friends. She said she depended only on God for her sustenance. She seemed very content spending time doing service and worship at the Gurdwara. She spent more than half her monthly income on rent for the tiny one-room place where her son and she lived, and most of the rest of the money on food. She owned neither fridge nor television. Despite the seeming odds, she seemed very content.
The recent lockdown affected Sona economically, as the place where she worked was shut and she had no source of income. When I called her, she said, ‘All is well here.’ She did not complain. She said that the rations she had would last. ‘Let’s see what happens later’, she added bravely.
What amazed me and continues to amaze me about Sona is her unflinching faith in God. Waking up early in the morning (at around 4 am), she engages in devotion to God, after which she gets about with her daily chores.
Some days ago, I got a call from Sona to wish me for Eid. I asked her how she was doing. ‘I just want to get back to work,’ she replied. Strong and brave Sona was hoping that the lockdown ends and things get normal because her work is her bread and butter. She does not enjoy the luxury of being able to work from home, unlike many of us.
I marvel at Sona’s trust and faith in God. She leads an undistracted life, worshipping God and working hard for her livelihood and facing many challenges. The source of Sona’s strength is God. She is a living example of living life with faith in God, of spirituality in practice. I am glad that I can look up to Sona for inspiration in these difficult times that the world is going through. I salute her simplicity and her spirituality.
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