Teaching me to fly again...

Life is a long trail of ups and downs. Sometimes, we find ourselves reaching a peak of ecstasy whereas at other moments we lie deep down amidst the bottomless roots.

 These unforgettable instances of life teach us a million new things of importance and build in us a courage as sturdy as a mountain. The irony is that we tend to remember the low points in our lives more distinctly and easily than the moments of elation. 

Maybe, pain resonates at a much more closer and deeper level than happiness. Or maybe, we as humans find peace in glorifying our pains.

Although, at times when God seems to test us beyond our capabilities, we get too immersed in the very idea of pain and fail to glorify or justify it. At times like these, we need to share it. We need to vent it out. We need someone who can at least take off the burden of our problem, even if it be a delusional thing to do.

A few years back when I was going through an exceptionally bad phase in my life I realized how a simple act of sharing my woes could provide me an optimism to carry on and win back my confidence.

I had lost a loved one, my best friend had snapped all contacts with me, my mother was quite unwell and I was not in talking terms with my elder brother due to some stupid reasons. In short, life was totally drenched in gloom and I could not find any reason to hope for the arrival of spring.

It was not feasible to share my troubles with my mom because of her health issues and my best friend was nowhere in sight to lend me a helping hand. So basically, I was left alone to tackle this emotional torture. 

It was during those days, I had got back in touch with a teacher of mine through Facebook. She used to teach me mathematics and English when I was a primary school student, later she married and went to Australia. She was more than a teacher to me and I adored her for all the special attention I got from her, be it watching movies together or enjoying a day out shopping.

So naturally when I got back in touch with her we began writing to each other every day and sharing all the nutty-gritty’s of life. It was in one of those mails that I wrote to her how my life was a complete mess at that time and I out poured all that accumulated within me in that email to her.

She called me the same day in the evening and I started crying hysterically on the phone. We talked for more than an hour that day. She poured in the much needed words of optimism and wisdom.

Then she used to call me every day and like an elder sister, she would keep uplifting my spirits and helping me move on. Slowly, I started to cry less and talk more. She even suggested me a few books that really bought back the optimism in me.

 It’s true that our loved ones are angels sent by God to lift us up when our own wings have trouble remembering how to fly. Being #together is the ultimate joy of life and although it may sound cliched but happiness doubles when shared and sorrow truly vanishes when we have a shoulder to cry on!

Check out this website to know about housing.com https://housing.com/

They Showed me the right path....

When it comes to learning and growing not just in age but wisdom too, I think that my own suffering have been the greatest of all teachers.
As Charles Dickens said 'suffering has been stronger than all other teaching and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but I hope - into a better shape'.
No pain we suffer goes useless. It teaches us patience, humility, compassion, faith, confidence. Its only after shedding tears that the road ahead seems clearer.

It is also true that in these moments of trouble and trials does our real attitude stand out. Being a medical student I come across tens of patients and their despaired family members each day as they are scattered throughout the hospital. Each one of them waiting to get rid of his agony and distress.

Last month I had been posted to a government hospital in Delhi as a part of my 3rd year curriculum. I was supposed to collect the blood samples of 'bed no. 12' - female ward that day. So with all the necessary instruments like syringe and collecting vials etc. I made my way to the ward. On reaching the bed to my surprise the patient, a girl of about 17 years was surrounded by other inmates of the room.She was narrating them something and they all laughed. And the wards which are usually a gloomy place was filled with laughter and zest.

As I took her blood samples I tried to strike a conversation with her. (We are even taught to do the same with any patient in order to divert their attention while pricking a needle).
She told me that she was a student of class 12th and had secured a good 90%. She aspired to be a doctor and had toiled hard for the entrances the whole year but this unwelcoming illness made her miss all the entrances which meant she would have to wait for another year to be able to get admission in a college.

After taking the samples I ordered her to take rest and not talk much. She spoke again 'laughter is the best medicine, isn't it? I am helping myself and others get well soon' :)
I was amazed at her spirit and determination. How subtly did she made me learn that not only being happy is indeed the best medicine but its our outlook to things that makes all the difference.

Life in the capital city of India is so fast paced and busy. There is no time to stop and stare. A slit- throat competitive atmosphere prevails everywhere. I travel by DTC everyday and undoubtedly catching a bus is an extremely tedious task. You are pushed and crushed.The drivers halt the buses way ahead the directed mark. People literally want to grab and kick you out to 'edge' a place in the ever increasing number of commuters.

It was amidst such a scenario one day that I saw a lady in her 60's trying in vain to clutch the bus door handle.
But then suddenly a guy in his 20's who was standing beside me on the bus stop ran and not only shouted on the driver to stop the bus but also climbed and helped the woman get into the bus. The lady was moved to tears as she blessed the boy and thanked him.

As I and many others witnessed this incident, not just today but almost everyday I held my head in shame. And realized that its easy to crib and point out mistakes but to see a change we need to create it.

As we walk forward to shoulder bigger responsibilities we should never forget the lines learnt back in pre-school days: 

 "little deeds of kindness

little words of love

help to make our earth an Eden

like the heaven above".

And lastly an incident which was the first one to come in my mind when I read the topic.
It happened about 15 years back when I was around 7 years old but as they say that some incidents teach us lesson of a lifetime and no matter what they remain imprinted in our memories forever.

My uncle was about 65 years old then. He was a man of great principles and a thorough disciplinarian.
He would often come to our house and take us for shopping or to nearby places. We obviously liked him dearly.
On one such day, he decided to take us to the nearby book shop.The shop was a 20 minutes drive from our house.
While coming back in the autorickshaw we got stuck in a huge traffic jam. Uncle had an appointment at 5 PM and realizing he was already late, as he had to drop us and then go to his place he paid off the auto and decided to walk us to the house for it was only a 5 minutes walk from there. Since mobile phone were not common in those days so he had no way to inform anyone.

As we walked, suddenly a large stone on the road made uncle lose his balance and he fell down getting severely injured. later that week, he left for his heavenly abode.
I still remember his words that 'what better could it be to die for those morals and principles on which you have lived your entire life'.And uncle truly did that.
Now whenever I am running later I remember his punctuality and make it a point to at least inform the person waiting for me. I strive hard to live on and sustain my principles and beliefs just like him. And I am sure that when he sees me from up there he smiles and is so happy to know that I learnt what I saw and inculcated it in my life too!

I am sharing what 'I Saw and I Learnt' at BlogAdda.com in association with DoRight.in.

No 'mercy' in killing!

Hippocrates, who is known as the father of medicine says in the famous 'Hippocratic Oath'- "I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel".

It is lawfully compulsory on every student of medicine to take this oath before he/she gets certified to become a registered medical practitioner.

This very clearly and explicitly shows that Euthanasia in its very basic sense in an act not morally lawful.

Euthanasia originated from the Greek word for "good death". It is the act or practice of ending the life of a person either by lethal injection or the suspension of medical treatment. Because of this, many view euthanasia as simply bringing relief by alleviating pain and suffering. Popularly known as 'Mercy Killing' around the world.

But whether intentional or accidental, killing someone just because he has been suffering or under torture can never be justified.

Medical science has been growing every minute by leaps and bounds.What is incurable today could be treated successfully tomorrow.

In such a scenario, Euthanasia to me appears nothing more than a blind folded pessimism.

As far as economic and psychological burden faced by the family and relatives of patient is concerned  I wonder if the value of someone's life would decrease if he is crippled or diseased?

Besides, God and nature can never bestow us with pain or suffering which is beyond ones endurance. Had this been a case, existence was next to impossible. No matter how trivial our breaths be or how fragile the beats of heart, the very fact that we are alive is proof enough that we ARE capable of carrying the burden the functions performed by various cells and organs. That our body has NOT given up yet and it is trying its best.So can forcing it to stop in between be justified as ethical or legal?

Legalizing euthanasia in the name of mercy and dignity is equivalent to glorifying murder and suicides!

It is against society, against humanitarianism and nothing more than a retrogressive and pessimistic approach to cater issues of medical science.

Even the most diseased condition (give what so ever pathological name you may to it) cannot mar our souls. For it still upholds its vitality and liveliness. 

The existence which you call meaningless is actually striving hard each moment to breath, to beat and to live. An act of dignity, an act of insurmountable courage and optimism.

power and blessing to that soul.

Let it thrive.