“Ma”, I asked, “Is big better?” “Of course”. Ma’s answer was instantaneous and spontaneous. “The bigger, the better”, she said. “The bigger the heart, the better you are equipped to love; the bigger the love, the better you are equipped to be all inclusive”.
Such a simple way to explain and process an idea —” wow Ma”, I said. Whenever we think in terms of big, bigger, we tend to get materialistic. A big house to an even bigger one, a two seater car to a four seater, then maybe a more expensive one.
A bigger wardrobe, a bigger shoe rack, a bigger circle of friends, a bigger holiday plan — the list is endless. But aren’t such biggies just an eye wash, a temporary satisfaction of an ever demanding, unquenchable thirst? It suddenly reminded me of the genie in Aladdin where it asks Aladdin not to make the mistake of wishing for more money, because “you simply will never have enough”.
A big city or a small town? A nuclear family or a joint one? These are very common topics that have come up for debate especially in schools and colleges. If we look closely, each of them boiled down to the basic idea — is big or bigger better? The obvious answer is whether big or bigger, it is not always better. Two companies merging and forming an even bigger company, does it deliver better? This is an open question.
A favourable interpretation
But if we move away from materialism and attach big and bigger in a different way, it forms a favourable interpretation.
A big heart, as Ma said, includes humanity in it. A big intention to do good, becomes bigger when like-minded people get together. Can we imagine the huge impact such work will have on us human beings? We would get better and better.
The big endless sky looks bigger in the open and it envelops us all. If we open up our minds our betterment is assured. A better attitude, a better understanding ensures. The bigness of human nature triumphs. Here, from big to bigger and even more it is positivity at every step. one cannot measure the depth of a good deed. It is also encompassing — it indicates a big heart.
Plant a small tree. It grows, gives better shade and is part of a bigger greenery. It is a small deed but a big way to return to Mother Nature of the endless gifts that she has endowed upon us.
Gifting a small amount to someone who needs, might seem insignificant to the giver, but this deed may help solving a big problem for the needy. Looking around us, we find that if we see with a broader view, we can do so much. If we just act responsibly, we make a better society. This may be through simple acts, insignificant, but result in a better form.
Using public property judiciously and sensibly leads to a better tomorrow. Just turn off the tap after use, just throw the refuse in and not around a dustbin, order only as much as one can eat, offer a lift to a colleague — small acts, but it reflects a big heart. And we leave the world a better place for the future.
Taking up the responsibility of one unfortunate to the extent that one can, can become a trend. Imagine the impact on the world! Holding the door open for someone, helping an elderly to cross the road, letting contradictory views to be heard are all examples of a cultured mind. Such minds are always in high demand — for they show the greatness of the owner and acts as a kind of assurance that betterment might one day become the way of life.
Someone who is different in a positive way is always noticed. Such a person is an example to all of us. We yearn to follow and be like the trendsetter. Agreed, it is not easy, but it is not impossible. The right path brings big obstacles. But bigger should be our resolve, and high should be our aim. It is only then that better things would come our way. And we can always say that “Yes! Bigger is better”.
Mamata Bandyopadhyay is a homemaker based in Dubai
