Let me tell you a burned bread story.

When I was a child, I remember my mom used to prepare breakfast food for dinner. I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening, my Mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned bread rolls in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed!

That night, my dad did was take a bread, smile at my mom and ask me about my day at school. I don’t remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him put butter and jelly on the burned bread rolls. He ate all of it without making a face or saying anything about it!

While I finished my dinner and moved to wash my hands, I remember hearing my Mom saying sorry to my dad for burning the breads. And I will always remember what he said back, “My dear, I love burned breads sometimes.”

Later that night, I went to say good night to dad and I asked him if he really liked his breads burned. He hugged me in his arms and said, “Your Mom works so hard at office and home and she is really tired –a little burned bread never cause any harm!”

As I have grown older, I’ve thought about that a lot. Life is full of imperfect things and imperfect people. I’m not the best at most things, I forget birthdays and anniversaries like everyone else. But what I have learned over the time is that learning to accept each other’s faults and choosing to celebrate each other’s differences is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.

Now, may I please have a bread piece? I don't mind if it's the burnt one, it's perfectly fine. Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

Let us embrace all aspects of our life - Both the wonderful and the challenging. This applies not only to our personal life but also to any relationships we have. Beyond individual interactions, empathy extends to societal levels, influencing how we understand and address the needs of entire communities and social groups.

In the corporate world, whether it's a boss-employee relationship, teamwork within departments, or partnerships with other companies, mutual understanding is essential. By appreciating each other's differences and working together effectively, businesses can thrive and achieve success.

Lastly, I would love to share two beautiful thought-provoking quotes.  Obama, said, “Learning to stand in somebody else’s shoes, to see through their eyes, that’s how peace begins. And it’s up to you to make that happen. Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world.” Exactly! Peace begins when we learn to see things from others perspective and take-action. However, it is also crucial to set boundaries to protect our emotional well-being. As Vironika Tugaleva wisely said, "Empathy without boundaries is self-destruction.”

 

Thank You

PTee(Arun P T)