An Unexpected phone call!

“Memory is the treasure house of the mind wherein the monuments thereof are kept and preserved.”

                          – Thomas Fuller

The many years that we live in this world, we cross line with lives of so many people. Some leaving a mark in us, some becoming friends forever and some mere acquaintances who we tend to forget as we move on and some others who becomes memories… Memories of a beautiful time! And years later when something unexpected happens and triggers those memories… we literally go back into those times and relive them in the mysterious mind of ours. The ecstasy that brings… indescribable!

It was a very uneventful day… office day for me. We have an alternate days working schedule with 50 per cent attendance because of this lockdown. That kind of makes it a little easy to go to office in the midst of this second wave. May God bless the souls of people (so many) who had succumbed to this deadly virus and those suffering the aftermaths of the infection! And, may the infected get well soon without much complication! And, the rest, May God give them enough sense to follow covid appropriate behaviour!

So it was a very uneventful day. Made tea in the evening and had with my family. And, casually my father comes and sits next to me. He nudges me to look at him and I see him all beaming. His eyes and face an explosion of emotions and happiness as he says, Today I got two calls from my long lost friends… and he went on to say how two of his friends had called him and what all they spoke before sharing with me how surprised he was on getting their call… they had lost touch almost 30 years ago! Happy that they had searched for his number and called him… Happy for the happy memories that caught with him with these unexpected calls! And me, just happy to see him so much excited!

“So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good.”

                      – Helen Keller

All evening he moved around dreamily absorbed in his own world of memories. After dinner, I find him browsing in the gallery and about to share one of his stylish snaps. (He has lots of pictures of himself in different styles and poses… always takes a snap before going for a shave or hair cut! And sometimes he would be crazy about moustaches and grow them and send a pic to all before shaving! Men and their fashion!! ). I quietly watch him.

I could see ecstasy right in front of me then!

God Bless! 

28.05.2021

P.S. Please note that the word  ecstasy here in this context is used to mean extreme happiness... A kind of bliss. That's the first word that came to my mind and I didn't feel like editing 😊... The word's got a punch!!

The Dark Demon

There was a time when DEATH never affected us. But as you grow up DEATH becomes a reality so dark and as you grow even more, I guess, DEATH becomes a reality so peaceful! I am right now in that middle stage where DEATH is a "SCARY DARK DEMON"... beyond imagination!

Today May 25th 2021, got a shocking news! My colleague's second son, a mere four and a half year old boy, passed away in an accident. He fell into the pond in the courtyard in his hometown and no one realised until it was too late. He was visiting for the holidays. Him and his elder brother... another kid! The mother was away and I can't imagine her grief. How will she bear? A part of her taken away so young... She herself so young! She was here with her third kid, a two year old!

“Grief is like mending a knee. You can mend the knee and make it function, but the knee never actually heals”

                – Jason Reynolds

Everyone used to ask her how she would manage with three kids? And now what... How will she manage not having all of her kids? Worse would be the memories! Bet each and everything would remind her of him and the loss! I am no mother myself but I can imagine the depth of this grief to an extent... a bottomless void! A breakup itself creates such a void and torturous memories... A mother and a child... unperceivable! Have read somewhere... no matter how many kids a woman will have... one kid lost... he would be the most loved of all... always.

“Where you used to be, there is a hole in the world, which I find myself constantly walking around in the daytime, and falling in at night. I miss you like hell”

                      – William Penn

Have only seen similar tragic incidents in movies. Shed two tears and it was forgotten but of course the storyline and a few scenes would haunt at times but they could be conveniently forgotten and dismissed as just a story. But now... this. I seriously wish and hope it hadn't happened to someone I knew. Because I know her and her face comes to my mind... always smiling. Can't imagine sadness creeping into those eyes but the image keeps popping... the sadness.. the pain, and I try to forget. Forget the whole incident.

"It is a curious thing, the death of a loved one. We all know that our time in this world is limited, and that eventually all of us will end up underneath some sheet, never to wake up. And yet it is always a surprise when it happens to someone we know. It is like walking up the stairs to your bedroom in the dark, and thinking there is one more stair than there is. Your foot falls down, through the air, and there is a sickly moment of dark surprise as you try and readjust the way you thought of things."

                    – Lemony Snicket, Horseradish

Praying with hope that she gains the strength to bear and move forward without any negativity in her because its an easy time to get those negative thoughts in. Negative thoughts like all those what ifs and worse, blame! But who can one blame in this? Those who were there around and didn't keep track of the boy? Well, I am sure they would be self condemning themselves already! Or, the parents who were not around? I am sure they would be thinking of all those what ifs now!!

“He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds” 

               – Psalm 147:3

It's not easy and somehow, not right to blame anyone but the mind... it can conjure up so many thoughts... Who will think of right or wrong at this hour? Sense feels senseless!!! Nothing is right.

“We never truly get over a loss, but we can move forward and evolve from it” – Elizabeth Berrien

A loss that can never be remedied... A pain that cannot be erased... A moment that cannot be reversed... Unfathomable and Unbearable. Yet life got to move on accepting and forgiving. 🙏

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

                    – PSALM 73:26