When Teresa and her mother finally met after 32 years they hugged each other and cried.
It was in 1961 and Teresa was 63 years old.
Compassion Thrives in the Family
Although Teresa was away during much of her adolescent years, she kept in touch with her siblings via regular correspondence.
Both her elder sister, Ursula and her younger sister, Lucy were unmarried. Incidentally both were school principals in Singapore and Penang respectively. And the money they earned was used to care for the sick and needy.
Her only male sibling, Anthony, had taken the vows of a Catholic priest and was running 3 aged homes and an orphanage in Ipoh, Perak.
Although Teresa's family was dispersed over different countries, they were each doing the same work – caring for the aged and needy.
Lucy departed for treatment in England, Teresa brought her mother to Singapore. In Teresa's mind, "Ursula is not young anymore yet she is staying alone by herself. If Mother, Ursula and I could stay together, we can look after each other."
Ursula knew that her mother was a staunch Christian, so she bought a house next to a Catholic church.
On learning about Ursula's generous convictions Teresa was very happy that they were similar to hers. Teresa told Ursula, "Sister, I want to set up an old folks' home where we do not charge any fee. We will take care of the old, poor and the sick for free."
"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to run a life around." – Leo Buscaglia
No comments:
Post a Comment