Someone I (barely) know, and yet strongly feel for, passed away on Saturday. He was (until then) a cancer survivor. He fought for 20 long years before he gave up, and he did not give up on life, he gave up on this artificial way of stretching life – medicines.
I (possibly – because I am not very sure of his thoughts) share quite a few things with him – and prime amongst them is my complete disdain of medicines, and artificial support.
Does that mean, if I ever had cancer, I would refuse Chemo and drugs. Of course given a choice, that's probably what I would do, but then we all work different in the real world as compared to “possibilities” .
He lived life on his own terms, and that for me is a life well lived. He left behind a million memories, and few hundred inspired brave hearts. His wife married him inspite of knowing that he was soon to be gone. I think that equanimity and grace to choose the “right” thing is what makes me admire her more (again I don’t really know her at all).
A silent tribute to the guy who fought, bled and died. A little salute to the spouse who decided to stick to a poem that was inherently and blatantly “fragile” – who chose love over the desire for “permanency”. (Think about it, such a welcome relief from “our” daily struggle to acquire houses, cars, eat at fancy places, vacations, jewelry, watches…..thats all people like me focus on day in day out, while there are folks like this lady – who go about achieving their own little greatness – unrecognized – and purposefully sailing in their own sea of anonymity).
Finally, a gentle kiss for a little someone, whom I have known really well over the years, who made a decidedly similar choice, a decade and half ago – her own personal “right” choice, her own personal haiku – her own way of telling the world that “no matter what others achieve in life – I have beaten a large set in the game – I have selflessly chosen “greatness”.”
If this passage does not explain – why I continue to feel so tiny and so humbled in my personal life…..- let me put it this way, its not easy being constantly harangued by these mighty ubiquitous brave hearts :-)
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