The world of Tzu Chi March 2020(Vol.120)

42 2020 • 03 she was walking on the right path and that all she needed to do was to stay the course. Tan went from household to household on her collection trip, knowing like the back of her hand where to stop and in which corner there would be recyclables waiting for her. She has worked in this district for years, and people are used to seeing her around. Many save their recyclables for her and take it out to her when they see her coming. Others put their recyclables in a fixed corner for Tan to take away. I grew curious as I saw how she worked. She was on her own, with no one to help her carry her load. She did not even have a trolley or a cart. How then did she cope when there was a large amount of recyclables or when the weight was too much for her to handle? That question was answered later during the trip, when I learnt that she would patiently take the recyclables home in instalments or on repeated trips. When the recyclables were heavy, she would, using all the strength she had, drag them a few metres at a time, stop to take a breath, and then continue on. She would keep this up until she had gotten the entire load home. She did not rest once she got home, but immediately went on to sort the recyclables she had collected. She even washed soiled items. Then she put everything in order, grouping the recyclables by type and preparing them for other volunteers to haul away by truck. Her meticulous approach showed that she is the type of person who would rather do more herself than add to others’ trouble and leave loose ends for them to tie up. She knows that if she does more herself, she makes the work easier for others. She exemplifies a spirit of service and consideration for others. eople