Truths that last a lifetime

Bubbu Tir  

SOME homespun beliefs travel with you all your life. As one evolves, one outgrows and sheds a few nuances about life-philosophies. Yet there are a few that remain intricately woven into one’s mindset. All of us are blessed with a friend-philosopher-guide, in the form of a co-traveller. I looked up to my father and hoped to imbibe a few of his traits to ease out my own journey. As a child, I came back crying from school, as my maths teacher made me stand in a corner for not being able to ‘disentangle’ an algebra equation. ‘Humiliated’ would have been a more polite word for what I felt, when my classmates looked around to see how I was coping with the punishment. Dad put a reassuring arm around my shoulders and said, ‘Cheer up, this is just a small hurdle that you need to overcome with your potential. Gear up for bigger challenges with determination and a never-say-die attitude. Give it your best shot and watch the sceptical glance turn into admiration.’ I firmly placed this advice, rather command, into my survival kit. It came handy. 

Another trait that I am still struggling to adopt was his largesse. He never allowed negative thoughts to invade his mind. ‘I need my heart and brain for a better purpose than to be wasted in petty games. Why develop permanent stances in this temporary life? We are here for a while, let us make it worthwhile.’ Sure enough, it helps. People will let you down, hurt and cheat. But then, it is for you to best deal with the blow and move on with renewed energy, or build up the misery. How does one know, whether a push has been more beneficial than a pull in a particular direction? At times, a jolt out of inertia is the best favour an opponent does to you. Just as we trust a doctor to use his judgment for our cure, allowing him to medicate or operate, we have to trust the tools of Providence too. 

The third thing I learnt was never to shed a tear, if it could be helped. It is the greatest disservice to the Master and the life that He has bestowed upon us, if we get punctured easily by an odd trial or tribulation. Does a little deprivation or denial matter in the face of the abundance that He has placed at our disposal? Did we even deserve all that came our way? I think it makes more sense now than when he taught me, leaving the world three decades ago. Each pitfall had a purpose, each hurdle contributed to the design of destiny. Now, I see a pattern emerging like a mosaic painting. 

Humans are an impatient lot, needing to know the solutions even before the problem arrives. Discomfort unnerves us. Bargain for the sparkle and shun the heat accompanying it. In this journey, a lot has to be earned with diligence and dedication. A lot gets lost, but one must keep moving. As they say, the ones who have blossomed as roses have mastered the art of adjusting with the thorns.