There is good news on the web this morning from Sri Lanka regarding the tsunami that hit the day after Christmas. DNA testing has confirmed the parents of the infant that miraculously survived the tsunami and is known as “baby 81.” After more than six weeks, he will be reunited with his parents. The parents, naturally, are pretty happy about this. The baby’s actual name is Abilass Jeyarajah and he is a few days short of being four months old.
He has been known as “baby 81” because he was the 81st person admitted that day to the local hospital. Now that his parents have been identified he has a name, but I’m sure we’ll read about him for the next twenty years and the media will keep us informed of his progress and I’m also sure it will not be the last time he is referred to, in subtext, as “baby 81.”
The story says a lot about parents’ love for their children, but it also says a lot about the advantages of monotheism. The child’s parents lost all of their worldly possessions to the tsunami, but in celebration of the child’s return the mother plans to perform the following religious rituals.
She will smash 100 coconuts as an offering to the Hindu god Ganesh, a dude who apparently has an elephant’s head.
She will offer sweet rice to the warrior god Murugan.
She will sacrifice a rooster to the goddess Kali.
These are noble sacrifices I admit, but for someone who has nothing material left, is homeless and is living in a camp for survivors, it is an inefficient expenditure of net worth. If the same thing were to happen here, we would also celebrate our fortune, but we would probably only offer a prayer to the god, er, God, and that would be sufficient.
Perhaps the child’s mother is media savvy and she realizes that with all the media coverage of her child that people all over the world will be touched by the story and will probably donate money to the family. Therefore she can throw away some meager possessions in celebration knowing there will be more coming to fill the void. I’m suggesting, however, that a hundred coconuts and some rice might come in handy right now for people living in an area of the world that is still in need of food and supplies (or so I read).
Anyway, the good news is the child will be reunited with his parents and I guess it is their prerogative to celebrate the in the way they prefer, and we can all celebrate a happy ending.
Because here in Jimbo’s world good news is always welcome.
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