What kind of person am I?

There is an Amerindian legend in Guyana called “The Caiman’s Fire”. According to this legend, Caiman held the ball of fire in his mouth and never shared with people and other animals. Caiman enjoyed cooked food every day. People and animals also wanted to try the cooked food and they came to like the enticing taste of cooked meat and fish. Hence, they had a deal with Caiman to cook the food for them with the fire that he possessed for which they had to give him some share from their hunt. This deal was good for Caiman but gradually Caiman became selfish and take big share from others hunted. Eventually people and animals wanted to have fire for themselves but they failed all the attempts to get it from the mouth of the Caiman. Hummingbird had a trick to open Caiman’s mouth so that they can get the fire out of him. Caiman was invited to a banquet where there was food and drink. During this banquet every animals would do some acts to make Caiman laugh and open its mouth but Caiman was very cautious not to open its mouth lest fire fall out of his mouth. Everyone took turns to crack jokes and funny antics; everyone roaring with laughter except Caiman. Animals showed off their skills, and while everyone laughed and was having fun, the Caiman did not even break a smile. The birds did magnificent swoops in the air and brought expression of “oohs” and “aahs” from the guests but the Caiman remained as glum as ever.

Finally, green-tailed Jacamar began a very funny dance. As the Caiman looked on, he suddenly gave out a loud chuckle and burst out in loud laughter. Immediately, flames spurted form his mouth. All of a sudden, the hummingbird – as swift as every – flew into the caiman’s mouth, grabbed the ball of fire in his beak, flew away with it, and dropped in on a pile of dry wood. In no time, a great fire sprang up, and there was a mad rush to collect pieces of burning wood.

There are three kinds of people that cross our lives:

Closed fisted Person: These are like Caiman who refused to share the ball of fire with others rather kept it tightly closed in its mouth and also grabbed share from the innocent hunters. These persons come into our lives but create a negative impact. In turn, they have the power to control us. We try to dance according to their tune so that we might one day get what we lack.

Pope Francis says, "Tenderness is not weakness; it is fortitude. It is the path of solidarity, the path of humility. Please, allow me to say it loud and clear: the more powerful you are, the more your actions will have an impact on people, the more responsible you are to act humbly."

Open fisted Person: These are like other animals that showed off their skills in order to get the ball of fire from the mouth of the Caiman. They could be our parents, family, friends, teachers, and colleagues etc. who share their knowledge and wisdom so that we may be able to spurt out our best. These are people who will do their bit to contribute to our growth. They open their fist of knowledge and wisdom to share with us.

Pope Francis says: “Teachers, you have to teach not just the subject, but also life’s values and habits.”

Open arms person: These are like the Jacamar did the final dance to convince the Caiman to open its mouth and it did. Parents at times become Jacamar to get the best out of their children. They make their ultimate sacrifice to get the ball of fire from their children. They go to any extent to convince their children that they can do it. They never give up and never tire or retire but keep pushing. Their arms are always open to embrace and release when needed. They embrace with open arms when we fall and release us with open arms when we are successful.

What kind of person am I?