The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.112)

TZU CHI 112 27 transported away by the truckload. Upon learning from the volunteers that the recyclables would end up discarded as junk if not sorted for recycling or reused, the frugal Grandma Say resolved to commit herself to recycling work, as she dreaded the thought of recyclable resources being relegated to the dumpster. She has never looked back since. Simple aspirations In 2011, the wooden house Grandma Say used to live in was demolished. After relocating to a new unit in the block of flats she currently resides in, she began tuning in to various programmes and Master ChengYen’s lectures on Da Ai TV, from which she learnt the importance of protecting the Earth and preserving it for future generations. She also heeded the Master’s call to step up environmental conservation efforts through recycling. Grandma Say was initially concerned that moving into a block of flats would mark the end of her engagement in recycling work. However, her devotion to recycling work proved enduring, as she would be overcome by the urge to gather recyclables scattered by the roadside. She would store the collected recyclables in a corner by the doorway of her unit in anticipation of the monthly Recycling Day, when she would deliver the recyclables to the nearest recycling point. Over time, she has developed a habit of retrieving recyclables wherever she goes, to the extent that it has become an indispensable part of her daily routine. As her load of recyclables grew by the day and filled the storage space to capacity, she would rinse collapsible items such as PET bottles, aluminum cans and milk tins clean and flatten them, before depositing them neatly into a large bag. Grandma Say was troubled by the sight of recyclables piling up in the living hall, taking over the space intended for visiting friends and family to lounge in. Hence, she resorted to stashing away the recyclables under her bed in a bid to fully utilize the limited space afforded by her apartment unit. In another of her attempts to maximize storage space, she would clean, dry and compress used aluminum packaging of all sizes into compact squares for easy storage. Meanwhile, newspapers, cardboard scraps and large plastic bottles would be arranged into bundles, tied together, and stored in a designated corner or in one of her bathrooms, which has been converted into a storeroom. Grandma Say has not only managed to work her way around space constraints, but also adhered to the Master’s principle of “cleanliness at its source” by ensuring that the recyclables are kept clean and organized so as to not attract pests. Her attention to cleanliness extends to her home environment, the tidiness of which she strives to maintain as evidence of her self-reliance. Grandma Say had once injured her spine in a fall that left her temporarily wheelchair- bound for several months. Her son was worried for her safety and invited her to move in with him and his wife. During her stay at her son’s house, Grandma Say was meticulously attended to by her daughter-in-law, yet she constantly felt unfulfilled, as if a void was expanding within her. Once she had regained her mobility, she resisted her son’s and daughter-in-law’s pleas to stay, and hastily returned to her apartment unit to resume her routine recycling work. Some have sympathized with Grandma Say for choosing labour over an otherwise blissful life in retirement. However, Grandma Say would Staying Active and Alert through Recycling Work