smiling pockets

This story started on reddit and posted by Yahoo and Facebook so it’s probably been read and shared by millions. But we couldn’t let an awesome thing pass so we’re posting it here, too, to remind us of the great things about humanity.

This photo of Balpreet Kaur, while waiting in line at her university’s library, was taken without her knowledge. She has visible facial hair due to hormonal abnormalities. Her picture was subsequently posted online, in the funny section, and captioned: “I’m not sure what to conclude from this.” The online ridicules about her looks soon followed. Balpreet was then informed by her friend about the thread and she posted a beautiful response, instantly garnering warm reactions from the redditors. It turns out Balpreet is a Sikh and her religion prohibits her from cutting her hair. The one who took and posted her picture later issued an apology and the exchange of posts from the readers has been heartwarming, far from the usual inflammatory comments you read from the comments section.

Here’s Balpreet’s response that made our day:

Hey, guys. This is Balpreet Kaur, the girl from the picture. I actually didn’t know about this until one of my friends told on facebook. If the OP wanted a picture, they could have just asked and I could have smiled However, I’m not embarrased or even humiliated by the attention [negative and positve] that this picture is getting because, it’s who I am. Yes, I’m a baptized Sikh woman with facial hair. Yes, I realize that my gender is often confused and I look different than most women. However, baptized Sikhs believe in the sacredness of this body – it is a gift that has been given to us by the Divine Being [which is genderless, actually] and, must keep it intact as a submission to the divine will. Just as a child doesn’t reject the gift of his/her parents, Sikhs do not reject the body that has been given to us. By crying ‘mine, mine’ and changing this body-tool, we are essentially living in ego and creating a seperateness between ourselves and the divinity within us. By transcending societal views of beauty, I believe that I can focus more on my actions. My attitude and thoughts and actions have more value in them than my body because I recognize that this body is just going to become ash in the end, so why fuss about it? When I die, no one is going to remember what I looked like, heck, my kids will forget my voice, and slowly, all physical memory will fade away. However, my impact and legacy will remain: and, by not focusing on the physical beauty, I have time to cultivate those inner virtues and hopefully, focus my life on creating change and progress for this world in any way I can. So, to me, my face isn’t important but the smile and the happiness that lie behind the face are. So, if anyone sees me at OSU, please come up and say hello. I appreciate all of the comments here, both positive and less positive because I’ve gotten a better understanding of myself and others from this. Also, the yoga pants are quite comfortable and the Better Together tshirt is actually from Interfaith Youth Core, an organization that focuses on storytelling and engagement between different faiths. I hope this explains everything a bit more, and I apologize for causing such confusion and uttering anything that hurt anyone.

…

I do not think explaining myself and the way I am is a waste of energy because storytelling in itself is a way to fight the apathy in this world; by simple interactions like this, we can better understand each other and make this world more open and loving even if it is just one person or many. It is not as if I have rejected all of society and its canons; like a lotus, we are a part of this world, but we all shine with our own splendor that transcends everything. I’m still a normal girl, making mistakes, going to college, having friends, reading Harry Potter; I am still living the life I want, and trying every day to be better and overcoming my many shortcomings. In fact, my faith has propelled me into directions that I never thought possible; it obligates me to be a leader and a servant for the world. While we are a part of society, we are also part of ourselves.

We have no sufficient words to express our admiration for this girl, but we’re REALLY HAPPY about all this; I mean, it’s not often that you’d view humanity in a better light.

You can follow the thread HERE and read the apology that followed HERE.

Tagged: Balpreet Kaur, SIkhism