Of Bruises and Pain

Who knew that one sprained leg and restrictive physical movement would teach me so much about myself ?  I am basically a very skeptically person. I  need physical evidence like bruises, measure temperature or hear the sneezes to empathize. Naturally it applies to me too. It is frustrating for me to understand  with my own pain. Yet a week of controlled pain - thanks to painkillers, forced rest and slowing down in my everyday activities taught me to be humble. In many ways it was a like travelling 25 years in future -giving me a glimpse of what life has in store for me in my senior years.

Handicapped parking, staircase railings, lift chairs all started to make sense and I can appreciate the advancement in technologies like motorized scooters as well. Just a minor damage to one part of my body brought me literally to me knees. It has taught to ask for help and not feel guilty about it. If I ever had any doubts about my contribution in housework, it is suffice to say within a day it was clear that I was the indispensable  union worker - the house could not function well without me. 

I am learning to accept that although the body is mine, I don't control its healing. Patience, lots of patience is the first lesson. I also have a renewed respect for my old imperfect self - I could move, walk, run, and even jump with both legs. 

The most important lesson I have learnt is that you can never plan anything. Life happens when you least expect it. You can wallow in self-pity or laugh at the situation you are in, the pain and time to heal remains the same.

So here I am learning to make the best of the situation, hobbling and complaining, at times. Grumpy and at times trying to comprehend what this is supposed to teach me. In the meantime, I will continue to work 50% of my capability without trying to feel guilty about it. 

Unfolding your dreams

Life is fluid and unpredictable. Yet we are always setting goals  in personal and professional life. Come to think of it, isn't it foolish and to a certain extent arrogance on our part to plan ahead? The  unfolding events revealing our path slowly as we move ahead in life, makes all the more reason for us to just go with the flow.

We all like to plan and create our own path, it is considered desirable trait to be ambitious and chart your own course.I am all in favour for it, after all even a river follows a course. Yet wisdom dictates that time is ever changing  and to survive and be happy, we need to go with flow. 

What is life in the end, if not a series of experiences, as fleeting as the drops that merge into a flowing stream? In a nutshell life is not our memories, it is not our plans for future, life is now. Every minute, every breath we take is life. I also feel, that living is meaningless  without connecting with other beings. Every touch, every smile, every tear that we share, every heart that we touch, is what reaffirms that we are alive and kicking.

The people we connect with, open our hearts to, and show our vulnerabilities to, are who in the end complete us . They are the dots  we need to connect to reveal the picture of who we are. Life is in the end all about how much we have enjoyed meeting the people, of lending a helping hand and of joys that warm our heart

We will all pass away,but if we have lived our lives being true to ourselves, living in the present and just accepting that this wonderful opportunity to be part of something bigger than we can imagine is a blessing, an opportunity to traverse the flow of life, we would have lived our life successfully.