KARMA IS FOR REAL

The notion of karma is indeed ancient; it was the Buddha in the sixth century BC who was one of the first sages to warn us that we are the creators of our lives. So profound is the meaning of this word that later philosophers, such as Spinoza ["Nothing exists from the nature of which some effect does not arise"], and Sartre ["With our choices we define our destiny"], shared the same theory. One of the things I learned from my parents is the importance of being generous to those who need our help. That is why there is no time when, if someone approaches me to ask for money and if it is a person who is really in need, I will not give it to them without hesitation. I am glad I do because it so happens that the building I live in is in the middle of its 50 years certification process, which means large expenses for its residents. Several of the apartments were already sold, and many are currently for sale. Although my case is not of such an emergency, being retired and living on a fixed income makes me feel anxious. One night, while I was immersed in a YouTube mystery movie, a notice from the Miami government was shown during an interruption. The notice informed the viewer that the city of Miami offered 40 years loans with no interest to all those who had to pay extraordinary assessments in their buildings; i.e. if their annual income was less than a certain amount. While I immediately thought the ad came from someone who was trying to sell a service, the next day I started looking for the website that had been shown on TV. To my astonishment, I discovered that everything mentioned in the ad was true. All I needed to do was fill out an application and submit a series of documents that proved I deserved said loan. After completing my application and submitting the necessary paperwork, I asked the building manager to inform all other residents about my finding. So he did, and several of them were also approved. I will finish this story thanking the parents I was lucky to have, and who surely knew that karma is for real.