There is this friendly, elderly server working in a restaurant near my office. I couldn't see him last week when I went for my usual bite. I didn't give it much thought, assuming it might have been a day off for him.
When I visited the restaurant for breakfast today, I saw him back at work. He was looking quite dishevelled and desolate. I smiled at him as usual and enquired about his health, as I thought that he was not keeping well. He looked back at me with lifeless eyes and told in his typical hurried style that his wife had passed away ten days ago. I was about to pull out a chair to sit, but felt stunned and stood there, staring at his face, unsure of what I should say. I made the usual enquiry about her age and health issues. He simply told me that she was 62 and was not known to have any health issues till the last moment. All that she felt was a sense of breathlessness for the last five minutes before it all ended forever.
Not wanting to probe him further and thus causing him relive the pain of separation, I ordered my food and sat there in silence throughout my breakfast. When I paid the bill and gave him the usual tip of Rs. 10, I felt a tinge of pain and a little silly for assuming that a single printed currency note will make him feel better today. Not having the courage to look at his lifeless eyes I walked back to work surrounded by a sense of glum.
Five minutes was all it took for him to lose his companion of many decades forever. Reams have been written about the uncertainty of life, but now that I am slowly moving towards middle age myself, having crossed the impregnable enthusiasm of youth, every such loss around makes me dwell deeper and deeper at the bonds around. Five minutes is all that they had to say goodbye, to relive the companionship of 40+ years, to apologize for those hurts caused knowingly and unknowingly, to say how much they loved one another, to share the gratitude for a life of togetherness. Five damn minutes that we all waste away buried in our gadgets and meaningless pursuits, behaving as if we have eons of life stretching ahead of us.
Wake up, people! Greet your parents. Hug your spouse. Kiss your children. Celebrate your friendships. Be grateful to all the people that matter to you. Convey your affection every time you get a chance. Our clocks are all ticking and the needles can stop anytime. Let's make sure that we make each moment count. Take care!
A.
These days, I increasingly think about all those people from my formative years, who used to advise me to be not so sensitive. Paying heed to their advice could have saved me from lot of heartburn, betrayals, pains and sad phases. Being able to perceive what people have in their mind, without even being told, is a curse one could have avoided by developing a thick skin.
On the other hand, by becoming insensitive, I could have lost the blessings of being able to relish the little joys of life. The tenderness of early morning Sun, the serenity of late night Moon, the joy of witnessing a seed sprout, the boundless love in the eyes of pet canine, the relish of soul-soothing strains of music, the tactile bliss of feeling a pencil tip caress the surface of paper, the soulful smile on the face of a beloved one, the tender touch of a child, the ability to love without ever being in need of any reciprocation or consummation, the protective blessings of a parent's embrace - would they have become lost forever for me, a 'collateral damage', if I had developed thick skin in order to protect my heart?
Would I ever know?! ❤️
- A.
Yesterday, just as I was packing up my diary and journals of 2022, a strange thought crossed my mind. What is all this excitement of New Year’s Eve about? What are we actually celebrating on 01st January? How and why are we celebrating the beginning of a new year without even knowing what’s in store? Or, are we celebrating our having gotten rid of another year, with all its twists and turns, thrills and travails? In fact, even when we celebrate our birthdays, do we celebrate our getting older and moving one step towards the final destination? Or, do we celebrate our still being alive and getting another chance of life, no matter how uncertain? Just as I was mulling the last question, the penny dropped.
We humans, despite how psychologists and writers portray us to be, are optimists by nature. Marching on to the beat of a deeply inscribed desire for survival, we always keep finding opportunities to get better and evolve. This urge is what helped nations ravaged by wars and plagues to rebuild themselves and emerge stronger out of their ashes. This urge is what keeps the seemingly weak organisms thrive despite the ever-looming danger of predators and bigger threats.
All these little milestones of new years and birthdays are nothing but microcosmic expressions of that Universal urge to evolve and keep going. This urge, this sensing of opportunity is what fills gyms on the first weeks of the new year. This is why people sound more optimistic and energetic than at any other time of the year. This is what makes us all set lofty goals, make sparkling plans and dream colorful dreams for the year ahead. Just as I felt that, I also sensed the overall sentiment in the air around this time – a sense of opportunity.
The year 2022 was one of hope. Having been caged in for two years by the pandemic, the whole of humanity rushed forward in 2022. We all hoped for a better year in 2022 and at least for most of us, it turned out to be better than the previous few years. Now, this 2023 may be the time, we all put our feet firmly and grab our opportunities - of not mere materialistic nature, but of a superior kind. With the pandemic showing signs of finally being controlled, can we grab the opportunities of Life this year?
The opportunity to love, to exist in peace, to better ourselves, to improve as a whole as mankind, is up for grabs. Can we make use of that opportunity? Hate is ruining the world. Materialism and consumerism are threatening our long-term survival. Spirituality is slowly vanishing, supplanted by self-aggrandizing interpretations of eternal truths. Human ties are either loose or vanishing altogether. Will we find the opportunity to bond better with our fellow humans this year? Will we make better use of this shining opportunity called 2023? Knowing the human spirit, which has the knack of raising above itself when an opportunity beckons, I am hopeful we will.
So, here’s hoping you and yours have a pleasantly memorable 2023. May this be the year where you fulfil not just your desires but also your destiny. May this be the year that we all grab the opportunity to be the better versions of ourselves – healthier, kinder, calmer, more sensible and more divine!
Happy New Year 2023!
As the first Sun of 2024 went back home, I was busy preparing my new diary and journal, packing off the old ones to their crammed space insi...
