Tempest

Sunday, 10 December 2006

Stand by me...

We set goals. We have dreams and ambitions. We have visions of where life is taking us. We adopt ideals of being strong, focussed, rational, logical, optimistic no matter what. We take a subconscious oath to do whatever it takes to stick to our chosen paths. Be it being successful in our chosen careers, a loving spouse, a generous parent, a supportive friend or an idealistic human being.

Little do we cater for life's unpredictable twists. We pledge to be rational and logical but in our wildest imaginations we don't dream of things going drastically wrong. We don't believe sudden bombshells or dramatic tragedies could be part of our life stories. It can't happen to me. It happens somewhere to people. It is reality, I empathise but it isn't my reality. But things do happen. Things that are out of our control. Things that we can do little to stop or change. Things that make out heartbeats stop for a moment...or many moments.

People die. A friend realises they have an incurable disease, Another loses the soulmate and love of a lifetime, someone close to your heart cries in anguish of having been raped by the one man they ever loved, a person you respect for his vision and focus has to give up his dreams and ambitions for a familial duty. Some cry, some rave and rant, some build up walls it would take years to erode and some stoicly take it in silence with a smile on their faces.

No matter what the manner of endurance, all ultimately learn to take what life doles out to them in their stride. They have to. 'Life goes on', it is said. It is the natural corollary to survival. But then the thought persists...'Why?' Why did it have happen? Why do they have to undergo the test? Why should it hurt? I told myself it doesn't matter. Am not bothered. Its ok.

Daddy always said, 'lie to the world if you have to, but never be foolish enough to lie to yourself'. I had forgotton those words. Pricky repeated them to me today. A tear rolled down my cheek as i thought 'it does matter'. The fact that these things do happen was not the cause for my woe. But the fact that I could do nothing to change or help them hurt me. It was the feeling of helplessness that hurt.

Then I realised that everyone learns the lessons of life. They must to survive. I can't stop the people I love from getting hurt but I can definitely give them the courage to stand up straight, give them the hope to see beyond the despair, Give them my unwavering faith, be strong for them when they need the strength the most. I can definitely do that. It looked like a mountanious task a few hours ago but, weighed against how much I love them it was nothing.

'Darling, darling stand...stand by me'.

'I will', my heart whispered.

Posted by Pavitra :: 12:39 :: 6 comments