One day, we will hear someone bitterly recounting that they gave everything to someone, that they helped them get an education and study, lent them money to build a house or get married, gave them advice, were their friend, and did so much more, only to be met with silence and ingratitude. Life is not a transaction. People are not helped in order to buy them, tie them to oneself, and later reap the benefits in old age. Love cannot be paid for with anything. Anyone who has children with the intention of using them, of securing a happy old age, of enjoying life with them, is unworthy of having children. People cannot be bought, the soul cannot be sold for any good deed, our life cannot be secured by any actions, any merits, any charity toward people, whether poor or rich. A good deed is a reward in itself.
To expect everyone to love us is a misguided life. On earth, we suffer and die. Here, we lose and leave everything behind. Here, no one can remain healthy, no one can avoid death, no one can avoid injury, criticism, or being more or less deprived of rights, here there are no people who do not cry. On earth, we suffer, and we do not directly see light, but only through tears and from there, through a rainbow. As soon as you embark on the path of good, the shadows of evil will surround you and try to stop you.
Only those who know that life is a struggle can be happy, those who know that everything is won here with love, that it is worth it to simply be good to others without expecting a reward, those who know that we leave this place but live forever in heaven, that we will sort through and talk about everything we experienced here, that we will be happiest in heaven because we were brave here in difficulties, in suffering, because we did good without anyone knowing, because we did not expect help from anyone, but were happy to be the ones helping.
This excerpt is from Tomislav Ivančić’s book “Be bold and courageous“. Translated from Croatian and prepared by Ivo Grgić.
