Inspirations for life : Silent Warriors

Inspirations for life : Silent Warriors

  Today was her third visit to my clinic. She used to come once in a week. A  middle aged ,smart looking, individual who had come looking for comfort in the peaceful world of Ayurveda with a desire to find freedom from headache that refused to go. She said, she had no energy in her, nothing much to look forward to in her life. I looked into her eyes. I missed the glow of satisfaction in them. I felt, the medication won’t help her much unless I counseled her towards a more positive outlook………

   

She is just an example of many individuals who at some point of life have felt that they have no enthusiasm to move on in life, who have lost hope and faith towards a better tomorrow, whose past experiences have left enough impressions to make them ignore their present and be not so enthusiastic about future. But there is more to life. We need to look beyond our own emotions,  towards  people who have enough faith to keep going ……..despite all odds.

Today’s article is a tribute to all such people around us, who have the potential to take life as it comes, who have mastered the art of living in the present moment, who have found  their own way  to subtly challenge life, who have risen above the need to be dependent on someone other than their own self for their happiness. They are the people who have promised to themselves that they will never give up

  

  I call them ‘Silent Warriors’. I know many but I will share about only three such people today.

   

The couple had been trying to have a child of their own from the past many years. The lady had two miscarriages and one still birth. She was pregnant again . That day ,the medical examination  revealed, their  conceived child had some genetic defect . They should not continue the pregnancy. It  was terminated. Doctors advised that she should not try to conceive again, it was not safe for her. The life had come to a standstill. Their strongest desire of being a parent would never come true.. Their genuine desire had given them the courage to challenge the destiny. It was the lowest point of their life and at that moment they took a decision. They decided; they will not  give up. The couple adopted two children as it would complete their family. Twenty Years have passed since then  and they could experience the joy of being  parents ,for they chose ‘not to give up’.

 Every morning I go for a walk in a nearby park. The park is well maintained and has a reputation for having most beautiful seasonal flowers . A walk in this park is considered therapeutic due to well maintained lawns, beautiful flowers and the pleasant aroma that surrounds you even after you have left the park. Every day I noticed a man , must be in his sixties, watering the plants. He would be there every day. I got interested in him due to the satisfaction and joy shown on his face while he was watering the plants. I was curious. He did not look like a Gardner. He was there every day, same time…. On some days when I did not feel like going for a walk, I went , just to check if he was there. And yes he would be there. At times I felt jealous of the contentment reflected on his face. I often wondered , how could watering plants in a park make someone so happy? Unable to control my curiosity I sought the answer from him. The answer was a revelation. Two years back he lost his only son in an accident. His son was engaged to be married. They were planning his wedding. The shock was too much for the couple to cope. Days changed into months but they were finding it difficult to accept that the centre of their life was no more. He was retired  thus could not seek the solace of his work. Then one day while sitting in this park he felt his son was around and wanted them to be happy. That day he decided to  'take charge of his life'. He ‘adopted’ the park and started to take care of it. Now he had something to take care of. Decisions like what to plant, how to plant etc. kept him occupied. His love and care made the park alive . The park blossomed and so did their lives. It lifted the sadness away from their home.

  Our news paper lands at our doorstep every morning at 6.30 a.m. I had got used to reading paper with my early morning cup of tea. Suddenly the time of newspaper delivery  started to fluctuate. I could not take it anymore after a week and called the newspaper vendor to complain. The phone was answered by his son. He informed that his father had a paralytic attack . He would not be able to deliver news paper any more so they have hired a boy to fulfill the job. I felt sad for him. Five months passed. I still missed the old man because his punctual delivery gave a relaxed start to my day. It was sixth month since that phone conversation. Then, the news paper started to arrive again at 6.30 a.m. in morning. Initially I thought they must have hired someone new. Overwhelmed by the timely delivery for almost a week now , I decided to praise the new delivery boy. Next morning  I waited for him outside our gate. I was surprised by what I saw. It was ‘Him’ again. His gait revealed what he had gone through. I had no words. He smiled at me. I could feel the water at the back of my eyes. He spoke. He said, he felt he simply could not imagine himself bound to bed all his life. He had suffered attack on his left side. Doctors had said that seeing his age , chances of recovery were low. But he decided, ‘not to give up’. He had a keen desire to ride his cycle and deliver the news paper. So he gave paralysis a tough fight and won. Hats off to him!

I have no more words. Compared to these ‘Silent Warriors’ my problems seem insignificant. These silent warriors exist all around us, sometimes very near to us, but so engulfed are we in our own sorrows that we are unable to see them, feel them. Look beyond your tears. The world has a lot to offer. I draw my strength from these silent warriors. I salute them for their courage , optimism and positive strength. When feeling low, just sit back, relax and look for silent warriors around you. If this does not work , seek professional help but NEVER LOOSE HOPE AND NEVER GIVE UP ON LIFE.

© 2013 Dr.Moninder Kaur