Love of a widow, a daughter, and a sister

By Sr. Lucia Aung

If we look around us carefully, there are many saintly people. Some really sacrifice their lives for the good of others. 

If we are really aware, we can find saintly people even in our own family. Most of the time, we are not just aware and we fail to appreciate their sacrifices.

Of course, there are people who work only for their own benefit. It can confuse us.

I would like to share a story of a mother, a widow, and at the same time a good daughter to her 80-year-old mother and a good sister to her special younger brothers.

Her name is Daw Thein Tin. She’s about 60 years old. 

The source of income of most Catholic Christians in my diocese is selling meat in small markets or in neighboring.

Daw Thein Tin sells meat in villages. Every morning she would wake up at three o’clock and would prepare for her mother and two special brothers.

At four in the morning, she goes to butcher’s house to get the beef to sell. 

At about 11 o’clock in the morning, she would come back home and cook for her family. At three in the afternoon she goes again to the villages to collect the payment for the meat. 

Daw Thein Tin has been doing this for almost 30 years. She suffers from a heart condition and diabetes, but she thinks of her family first.

She used to visit my house and share the story of her life. She never asks for help from my family but my mother would sometimes provide for Daw Thein Tin.

During the pandemic, she could not go out and sell meat because of the restrictions. So she comes to our house to clean and wash clothes to earn a small amount. 

My mother would tell me that she would sometimes notice Daw Thein Tin crying in the chapel. She is very pious.

There are many people around us who sacrifice their lives for others. Those are the saints around us. Let us open our eyes and ears to see those saints around us.