My Mother Said: Love is Like Iron

I have a round-about way of expressing emotions. I either state them so bluntly no one takes them seriously or I act out by repeatedly wheedling at the object of my affection or agitation. I did the latter with my mother yesterday. I was lamenting the lack of time she spent during the day with me and the rest of the family. I jokingly commented she didn't love me enough, and didn't think about me enough. I guess it really hurt her. She popped up today with an adorable earring rack--she knows me too well--and a story.

It sounds sweeter in Punjabi to me, but I can't write in the language so I'll paraphrase in English.

Iron is heated in a forge and shaped by fire. When the iron hammer hits it, the iron clangs loudly. Gold is heated and shaped in the same way with an iron hammer, but with a softer sound. The shaped gold asks the iron, 'Why do you cry so loudly?' Because the gold keeps his pain to himself. The iron tells him, 'When others strike you it does not hurt so much, but when your own attack you the pain is unbearable.'

The Tale of Lalo and Bhago

Once upon a time Guru Nanak Dev Ji happened upon Saidpur, the village of Malik ('master') Bhago and Bhai ('brother') Lalo.

Bhago was a rich man. Lalo, a simple carpenter.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji was asked by both to have a meal at their homes. Guruji declined Bhago's feast to dine at Lalo's humble abode.

The rebuffed Bhago asked Guruji, "Why have you refused my offer? I am rich and Lalo is but a poor man."

Guruji answered by taking the roti from Bhago's house in one hand and the roti from Lalo's house in another. He closed his fists. From one hand spurted blood and the the other milk.

Guruji showed Bhago that the riches he coveted were obtained by bullying and stealing from other people, hence his roti was tainted with blood. While Lalo, although poor, was an honest and hard-working man and the fruits of his labor were life-sustaining and sweet, like the milk.

The morals of the story are:
1) the ends don't justify the means.
2) God is omniscient.
3) If you're full of shit, eventually someone's going to call you on it.

Here are some references:

1) http://www.sikh-heritage.co.uk/personalities/bhai%20Lalo/Bhai%20lalo.htm
2) http://harisingh.talwandi.com/2009/07/25/lesson-no-12-%E2%80%93bhai-lalo-malik-bhago-and-bhai-lalo/
3) http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Bhai_Lalo%27s_honesty
4) My nani <3