We didn't stop at only visiting the old people's home; we later on went ahead and organized a corporate visit to Infant Jesus Children's home in Kothanur, Bangalore which currently cares for over sixty children who are HIV positive in the age group from newly born to fourteen years. These children are either orphans or have been abandoned by their parents. I have always kept a special place for children in my heart.

When I arrived at the home, I was warmly greeted by the children who wore innocent smiles that said a lot in my mind. One child called Praveen of about three years of age came running to me and hugged me demanding to be lifted. He had wounds and sores all over his skin and looked sickly. Immediately I lifted him up and he smiled brightly at me. I started battling to hold back my tears as I contrived a smile on my face.

Thoughts raced in my mind about Praveen's future, health and whether he knew why he was in that home. I felt a lot of grief in my heart as I stared helplessly in Praveen's eyes and the bright smile on his face. I reached out to my pocket, got a sweet and gave it to him. This attracted the other kids to come running to me for sweets. I gave the few sweets I had to a few lucky ones and closed my eyes for a moment to hold back my tears. Later I enquired about their education, visited where they slept and also talked to the sisters who take care of them. We played games with the children, took lunch with them and later donated an assortment of gift items to the home.

In a wider context, we need to do more for charity to help people who are less fortunate and are living a miserable, helpless and hopeless life. And more than charity, we need to show them love because it is what they need most from us than just material things. Love doesn't only encourage them but indeed offers them a hope for tomorrow. Its time we rise up from our comfort zones, busy schedules and luxurious lifestyles and reach out to the disadvantaged people who we have ignored so much and even secluded them from society. It's painful and often brings tears to my eyes whenever I see how much we have ignored the disadvantaged people but I want to remind you dear reader that what goes around comes around.