The Red Cross Home for the Disabled – where I received more than I gave

In November 2011, my Reiki Master Elaine Grundy told me about an opportunity to volunteer at the Red Cross Home for the Disabled, Singapore. There is a team of Reiki practitioners and Reiki Masters, who would go there every Wednesday, and give Reiki to the residents in the home.

Despite the odd chaos, I have to say that my life has been pretty blessed. My family is with me and healthy for the most part, my friends are all happy in their own right. I have never really been around people who are disabled, mentally or physically, apart from perhaps seeing a commuter in a wheelchair or one or two disabled people selling tissues in the neighbourhoods. So if I’m to be  absolutely honest, I will say I was a tad apprehensive, as I wasn’t sure what to expect or if I would know how to act around the residents. But I knew one thing – I wanted to give it a shot, and do what I can for them. Reiki has done so much for me, it felt good to be able to give back using it!

So I met up with Ann, who was overseeing the program then, for my first visit. I walked into the wards – and suddenly, it felt like I was in an entirely different world. The wards were full of men, women, and children who are either physically or mentally disabled, or both, in varying degrees.  I was paired up with Frances, and she brought me to the first resident I would give Reiki to. It was a teenage boy, who has very severe physical deformity. He is often in a curled up position, and almost always in bed, as his back is very deformed, as are his arms and legs. I had grounded myself well before I went to the home, but still, probably because I had never been around people who are so severely handicapped, it was hard for me emotionally while I was giving him Reiki.

Then at the end of the session, the most amazing thing happened. The boy turned his head towards us, and gave me and Frances the biggest, and most sincere, smile I have ever seen in my 32 years of existence. It was a smile of pure happiness and gratitude. At that moment, my heart probably shattered into about a thousand pieces.  It hit me, that while these beautiful, beautiful souls have so little, so little makes them happy, and they are grateful for every thing, no matter how small, that they have. All my daily worries and grouses now seem so ridiculous. I was truly humbled, and was seeing my world through very different eyes.

3 months on, I have met even more residents -men, women, and children. With their childlike innocence, they are so sensitive to Reiki, and even though most of them are unable to talk, they are able to indicate very clearly through gestures and facial expressions where they want my hands to be and when to move my hands to a different body position. It is honestly the most amazing thing, seeing them respond to Reiki so quickly – agitated residents have become calmer as we give Reiki, and I have had some relaxed enough to drift off to sleep right after.

While I have given them Reiki, these lovely people have given me so much more. They taught me to truly know joy, love, and gratitude, and to appreciate the things and the people I have in my life. While the worrywart in me cannot entirely stop worrying about silly stuff sometimes (hehe!), they have definitely taught me to be more thankful for all my blessings.