45 - Neither Delay Nor Postpone

Throughout the vacation, children went to see Mama. Mama taught them good values. He taught them a lot of good things like importance of unity, how to avoid weaknesses like jealousy, quarrelsome temperament, bad addictions etc. He also taught them how to arrange books and other important objects properly and neatly. He narrated incidents of God and nourished them spiritually. Holidays were about to get over. Children were sitting with Mama. A child said, ‘Mama, now only ten days are left to enjoy. Then school will re-open.’ The other child said, ‘Then we will not get much spare time to come and visit you. We have enjoyed a lot with you during holidays.’

Mama looked around and asked, ‘One person is missing in your gang.’ The children replied, ‘Yes Mama, he won’t be able to come now.’ Another child said, ‘He will have to work day and night to complete his work.’ Mama asked, ‘Why? What happened?’ A child informed, ‘Mama, he is lazy. Whole vacation, he was busy playing. He did not touch his home work. He has not even covered his notebooks. Now everything is accumulated.’ Another child said, ‘His homework is incomplete for all the subjects.’

Meanwhile, the child entered. Mama asked him, ‘Why did you not come?’ The child replied, ‘I had to finish my homework. In school they give a lot of homework. Who could do so much work? I was feeling tired. So I have come to you.’ Mama asked, ‘Your friends have completed their homework, why have you not yet completed?’ The child replied, ‘I have no idea. I am not able to do so much homework. I am tired.’ Mama explained, ‘You have accumulated a lot of work, therefore you feel tired. If we finish our daily work every day, then it does not accumulate. You have not worked regularly, therefore it has become a big burden.’ The child said, ‘Mama, I will work day and night and complete it.’ Mama said, ‘This is not a good habit. When you try to finish it hurriedly in the end, the result is not good. You cannot do it properly. Before starting the work you must prepare a time-table. You must decide that every day you would complete a certain portion. By following the time-table, you can complete your work on time. Then you can plan for the next work. If we work every day, we can work with concentration.’

The child argued, ‘To work every day means to worry every day. It is better to finish it in a few days.’ Mama explained, ‘The quality of such work is not good. And there is a probability that you may not finish your work on time. And if you get used to such habits, there won’t be any discipline in your life. Then it becomes a habit to perform all the tasks in disorganized manner.’

The child did not want to accept his mistake. He told Mama, ‘But work is always done!’ Mama continued patiently, ‘Do you get the time to check up your work whether you have written all the answers properly or not? Your handwriting also won’t be good due to haste. Look! I will explain you in a different manner. How many times do you eat every day?’ The child replied, ‘Two meals a day and twice a day snacks!’ Mama asked, ‘Now, if someone gives you food enough for four days to eat in a single day and then no food for four days, would it work?’ The child cried out, ‘Food for four days at one time? How could we eat so much? I would vomit and next four days no food! I would die!' Mama said, ‘Right! You are absolutely right. Similarly if you finish entire homework at one time, you cannot understand anything. As our stomach does not accept food in excess, it throws it out, similarly our brain also cannot absorb it in excess. It will also reject. Therefore we must learn proper time management. Have you understood?’ All the children asked him together, ‘Have you understood? You must work daily.’

The child accepted his mistake frankly. He touched his ears in front of Mama. He told, ‘Mama, you are my real Guru. You explained me my weakness. Now I will work every day and never postpone.’ Mama congratulated him, ‘You have accepted your mistake in front of everyone. It is not easy. I am pleased.’ Mama blessed him.

Later on, that child got very good marks in his exams

Difficult words:
Accumulate - To pile up, collect
Burden - Load
Postpone - To delay

Points to ponder:
- By doing our routine work every day, we can bring discipline in our lives and it also improves efficiency.
- Even small things play an important role in shaping up our lives.

Exercise

Answer the following questions:
1. How did Mama impart good values in the children?
2. During the last few days of holidays, why did a child not visit Mama?
3. What reasons were given by the child for not completing the homework earlier?
4. Explain the advantages of finishing daily work every day.
5. Explain the disadvantages of postponing the daily work.

Fill in the blanks:
1. By narrating the incidents of God, he nourished the children _____________.
2. Why is one member of your _____________ missing?
3. His homework is incomplete for all the _____________.
4. If we work a little _____________ it does not get accumulated.
5. Before starting the work, we must prepare a _____________.
6. By finishing the work hurriedly, the _____________ of work is not good.
7. If we get used to such habits, there won't be any _____________ in our life.
8. The child accepted his mistake ___________.

Complete the following sentences:
1. Then you can plan _____________ work with concentration.
2. The quality of such work _____________ discipline in your life.
3. As our stomach does not _____________ proper time management.