just something i came across and reminded me of my last post

My Eudaemonic Life

Not far away from my house is a Cancer Society which houses about 30-40 cancer patients. It provides them medical and residential facilities, a kitchen and recreational activities for their stay. These patients come from different parts of the country, mostly the interiors. The only thing common to them is that , they are all kids, from an infant to 17 years suffering from different forms of cancer.

I used to visit the society to spend some time with the kids. But later, I was asked to teach them dance. At first, the thought was exciting but few days later, it started to get tough. It was an exhausting process, weakening me emotionally. It was not easy to be around people who were dying, especially when they were kids.

On my way back home, I questioned and complained to god. These were kids so full of life and love. They didn’t have an inkling of what was wrong with them, their families couldn’t bear the huge expense of the treatment, and more than that, they were KIDS…God’s small bundles of joy and hope. I stopped visiting them because of the emotional toll it took on me. I remember going back home and crying, simply because there wasn’t much you could do for these children. But then my mother explained otherwise. “You give them just one hour of your week. In that hour, you are giving them memories that might last them all their life, memories that they’ll cherish as long as they are alive.”

That changed the way I looked at these children. I figured, the least I could do is give them some love. Dance, was just an excuse, we hardly ever danced. Expecting the kids to memorize the steps, sync with the music was inhuman. Kids, undergoing chemotherapy were too weak to even move on their beds, dance was a long shot for them.

As I said, dance was just what we called my one hour (usually turned into two hours and more) with them. Most children wouldn’t eat during chemotherapy. It was difficult to deal with the hair loss. Constant fever, weakness and heavy medication led them to be irritable all the time. My only job then, was to feed them. I would take the kids in my arms and sweet talk them into eating . Feeding even small morsels could be difficult, but then it was some sort of an importance they felt when “didi” fed you. Luckily it worked. The parents would often tell us how the kids wouldn’t eat if they tried to feed them, but gladly ate when I fed them.

There are some success stories and some failures. I’ve seen two kids die, both aged between 5 and 8. I’ve seen one suffering brain damage, so inspite of her 14 years of age, she can now barely move or speak. But you are grateful for the ones who did make it. Infact one girl, Koel from Calcutta, even stars in the Cancer Society Commercial that is aired on TV showcasing the success stories.

Even today when I visit them, they greet you with such happiness and love, that all complains, all unhappiness fades away. They smother you with such unconditional love that you can’t believe could exist.

Like every other ambitious person, I too hope to have a meaningful job, a nice family, a successful career….but more than that, I now know what gives me happiness-providing the same to others.

A Cup of Coffee Called Life

“What’s your favourite novel?” a friend once asked, and thanks to the very hectic schedule I was living those days, I couldn’t recollect any. After thinking really hard, “The Alchemist” came my reply. Somehow, that answer of mine, surprised me a bit as I am not really fond of Paolo Coelho, thanks to the speed of his plot and sometimes the lack of one (a personal opinion!)

Later, as I was reasoning my answer, I realized, the reason I liked the book was, it was everything I believed in. I think if Paolo would have named the novel as “Life”, it would still have achieved its purpose. As Paolo speaks about signs, omens and destiny through his protagonist’s journey for the search of The Alchemist, everything he says is something that every individual needs to hear at some phase of life.

The omens could range from superstitions to hardcore proofs, but the fact remains that every human relies on these little ‘hints from God’. It could be a friend, a mother, a professor, a mentor, anyone who can inspire us in some way. Life is all about the unknown, the uncertainty, which is exactly what makes it so very interesting. How boring would it be to know that tomorrow you will meet the person of your dreams, you will get along well together and get married eventually? It also sounds so boring, let alone the idea of living a life wherein you’d know everything that would happen next. So, in some way or the other we are always looking out for a certain ‘something’ that will guide our way to accomplishment. It is that one phrase, a pat on the back or simply an ‘All the Best’ message that does the trick. Small actions have immense power of making a person feel positive and focused at times.

“Happiness is during the journey, not at the end of it.” This is another thought that we must, as individuals, try to keep in mind and inculcate in our lives. We are known by the people we meet, the actions we take and the consequences of our actions. People make the rest of the world for us, and it has never been an easy task to label them, the variety is so vast. Like in the novel, there are exciting and crazy people, there are kings and paupers, impersonates and genuine, know-it-all and down to earth people as well. In our search for ‘Self Actualization’ as Maslow termed it, we falter, we sometimes win, we achieve, and sometimes lose, we cheat and we get cheated by, but the only one thing that remains constantly with us is our ambition. That one wish of ours, that one barrier we would like to claim we achieved. Most of the times, the lessons of life are not learnt at the final stages of achieving our ambition, rather they are learnt at the various levels towards it.

The best part of the novel is its undying optimism and that is what makes it one of my favourites. In a world drenched with crime, corruption, terrorism and uncaring politicians who couldn’t care less about the masses they are ‘supposed’ to lead in their countries, positivity is something that everyone needs. Positivity was earlier a characteristic feature, a choice, but at present, it’s the need of the hour! With the world around us filled with so much negativity, you need to feel that things just might get better! That is the one good thought that can inspire us to no end. Everyone has dreams, everyone has apprehensions, and everyone needs a person, a thought, a sign to motivate us. And what happens next is the toll life takes, the experiences she brings and the lessons she teaches.

Imagine you are sitting by the sea. Your feet touch the waves lazily. The cool breeze eases your tensions away and you are holding a mug filled with hot, lovely smelling coffee. You take a sniff of it and its strong flavor makes you smile and you take a generous sip of the coffee. After the first sip you realize that there’s just no sugar in it! You’re too lazy to get up and add a few teaspoons of sugar in it and you eventually gulp it down, only to realize that the sugar was at the bottom of the cup. All it needed was some stirring.

That’s what life is exactly! Happiness is always around, all you need to do is, search for it and enjoy your cup of coffee called life!