Dr. Daisaku Ikeda, my life's mentor says, "True health is to be found in having a positive attitude toward life and a strong self that refuses to be defeated by anything."
I found testimony to his words when I met this lady of 75years, in one of my virtual counselling sessions for an NGO during the lockdown. I sought permission from her to post her picture to which she readily agreed.
A mother of three adult children, from a humble background, she is suffering from colon cancer carrying a stoma bag in her body. What fascinated me was her courage and determination to fight all odds. She exuded love and compassion not just for her family but for all people around her.
Though she expressed her anxiety about the current pandemic situation it has not been able to dampen her spirits to serve others even a bit. It was revealed in course of the session that she was a woman with a large heart and her thoughts were not restricted to her family alone but for all people around her. As a counseling psychologist, making at least four to five virtual calls every day and dealing with people's anxiety, panic symptoms and depression she came as a breath of fresh air exuding compassion and courage and most importantly with an infectious smile that said "I'm here to win."