How old would you feel, if you didn't know your real age? Whatever that number is, what's stopping you from feeling that way, now?
I’ve pondered over this question for about a week. What triggered me to think along these lines, is a personal situation in the family, where a very close dear one is struggling to find the meaning of life, and strength to fight, what’s potentially hanging over the horizon, a life-threatening diagnosis.
In short twelve weeks, I’ve seen the cheery, effervescent qualities in this individual slowly waning away, along with her health, being replaced by weariness, and doubt. As she prepares herself for harder times ahead, she’s struggling to understand, “why me?”
Truth is, its never about “Why Me?” It’s a question with no definite answer. We convince ourselves of the answer, eventually based on the situation we’re in. In the words of great, Bob Dylan “The answers, my friend is blowing in the wind”
More important is “What Now?” it remains the the most important question, and is often lost in gloom. The sooner you come to terms with the situation, the sooner you can start looking for solutions, to answer “What Now?”
Most often, the answers are governed by our attitude towards life. Some people live their age, some live to age, some age to live, some are ageless, while others don’t even know the difference.
“Life by itself is a terminal disease”. We all will fade away, in our own time. Knowing that one constant, “the truth”, what we do from the moment we’re born to the moment we die, is what we’re remembered for.
I cant say, that I have done enough in my life, to make people remember me for who I really am or was. But, that’s on a larger scale. I’m at peace, with who I am, and what I want from my life, on a much smaller, personal level.
I’m 38 years old. That number 38 though finite, has infinite meanings. To a toddler, it has no meaning, to a teenager it’s “old”, to my subordinated its “age of wisdom”, to my peers its "just life", to my elders it’s “youth”...and yet, we struggle everyday to understand this basic fact, age is nothing but a number.
Then why fight it, why worry about it? Often, people rely on the age old cliché-
“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. At any given instance, we always have at the minimum, two choices. What you do with the lemons is your call.
Life gives us lemons, because it doesn’t really know any better. Would it be better, if it gave us apples? May be then we can take solace in another cliché, “An apple a day, keeps doctors away”, but you’ll still get old, may stay healthy but will definitely, die.
Truth is, you cant drink lemonade for the rest of your life....no matter how long or short it is.
Think about the following, the answers may set you free;
1. Why are you, you?
2. If not now, then, when?
3. What is the difference between “being alive” and “truly living”?
Life is not about clichés. Life is about living every moment of it, whichever way you choose it to be. How you look at it, will define how it is going to be. I don’t know if I have the answers yet, but I think I’m on the right path.
Sameer Chandra is from 1989-90 ICSE batch of SDA Vidhan Sabha Branch. He works as Branch Manager at ATC Associates Inc. Sameer lives with his wife Nidhi and daughter Ria in San Antonio, Texas.
I’ve pondered over this question for about a week. What triggered me to think along these lines, is a personal situation in the family, where a very close dear one is struggling to find the meaning of life, and strength to fight, what’s potentially hanging over the horizon, a life-threatening diagnosis.
In short twelve weeks, I’ve seen the cheery, effervescent qualities in this individual slowly waning away, along with her health, being replaced by weariness, and doubt. As she prepares herself for harder times ahead, she’s struggling to understand, “why me?”
Truth is, its never about “Why Me?” It’s a question with no definite answer. We convince ourselves of the answer, eventually based on the situation we’re in. In the words of great, Bob Dylan “The answers, my friend is blowing in the wind”
More important is “What Now?” it remains the the most important question, and is often lost in gloom. The sooner you come to terms with the situation, the sooner you can start looking for solutions, to answer “What Now?”
Most often, the answers are governed by our attitude towards life. Some people live their age, some live to age, some age to live, some are ageless, while others don’t even know the difference.
“Life by itself is a terminal disease”. We all will fade away, in our own time. Knowing that one constant, “the truth”, what we do from the moment we’re born to the moment we die, is what we’re remembered for.
I cant say, that I have done enough in my life, to make people remember me for who I really am or was. But, that’s on a larger scale. I’m at peace, with who I am, and what I want from my life, on a much smaller, personal level.
I’m 38 years old. That number 38 though finite, has infinite meanings. To a toddler, it has no meaning, to a teenager it’s “old”, to my subordinated its “age of wisdom”, to my peers its "just life", to my elders it’s “youth”...and yet, we struggle everyday to understand this basic fact, age is nothing but a number.
Then why fight it, why worry about it? Often, people rely on the age old cliché-
“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. At any given instance, we always have at the minimum, two choices. What you do with the lemons is your call.
Life gives us lemons, because it doesn’t really know any better. Would it be better, if it gave us apples? May be then we can take solace in another cliché, “An apple a day, keeps doctors away”, but you’ll still get old, may stay healthy but will definitely, die.
Truth is, you cant drink lemonade for the rest of your life....no matter how long or short it is.
Think about the following, the answers may set you free;
1. Why are you, you?
2. If not now, then, when?
3. What is the difference between “being alive” and “truly living”?
Life is not about clichés. Life is about living every moment of it, whichever way you choose it to be. How you look at it, will define how it is going to be. I don’t know if I have the answers yet, but I think I’m on the right path.
Sameer Chandra is from 1989-90 ICSE batch of SDA Vidhan Sabha Branch. He works as Branch Manager at ATC Associates Inc. Sameer lives with his wife Nidhi and daughter Ria in San Antonio, Texas.
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