It just keeps flowing ......
Gosh!!!I suddenly realize it's the middle of the second last month of the year ..... wow! Time really couldn't be bothered by anything that's happening around ... like a river, it just keeps flowing.
Those who have read my earlier posts will remember how I often compare our lives to a river and how much I have wondered about our lack of control, at important junctures, over what's around the bend.
The more I think of it, the more I like that analogy!
Sometimes, the river is only a stream, gushing, aspirational, energetic yet not powerful enough, not really sure which way will lead it to its destination; it has never seen its destination, doesn't know what it looks like, yet hopes to be there.
There lies the exuberance of young lives - God bless them - may they always dream, for they take humanity forward, they raise the bar...
And then the river grows in strength,matures, has figured out which way it needs to flow; many nuances are added to it - parts become tidal, monsoons make it overflow, cause havoc - behaving like dysfunctional humans that seem unable to "control" themselves, doing stuff that destroys, hurts, kills. At other places, the river serenely flows - nurturing life around it - almost like a responsible parent.
There lies the crucial middle years of men and women - with its many ebbs and highs, with its time of rage, despair, animation along with periods of joy, connectivities, fulfillment. I believe how one swims these tides depends on a lot on what has brought one so far, and how one swims these tides will further determine how he or she moves on to the final stages....Yet, this is where Life also unfolds its own plans... pushing us into arenas we may not have imagined, may not be very comfortable with or avenues that bring joy and happiness beyond what we expected. The strength of our character shows here - may we always be brave, honest, resilient and focussed....
Finally, the river also slows down as it nears its destination - ripe with all its experiences, tired with all its upheavals, but calmer now that it knows what really matters.....gently but surely, it continues its last stretch into the sea. It breaks itself into small parts, spreads its light wider, touches more, gives more before losing itself ......only to come back once again ....through the circle of life, to begin the journey one more time..... relentless!
They say the final stage of our lives pretty much reads like a report card of how we have shaped our lives so far - we look back at all the joyous moments, at all those things we could have done differently, but it's possibly too late now? Is it? Sometimes, it's not and we can still shift gears, adjust our sails as time begins to run out. We sometimes could feel a sense of urgency; at other times, we perhaps could feel ourselves at peace for having done as best as was possible. As we look ahead, we realize what really matters.... we are hopefully "wiser", closer to the Eternal Truth, whatever we may believe it to be...
Like during the year almost gone, we always have our moments of highs and lows, mostly unbalanced - but then this was never about mathematical calculations, anyways. I look back and see so much.... and God knows that this year has been pretty full for me!! So much that I didn't expect when I welcomed 2014 way back then.... yet it also gave me proud moments that filled me with love, strength, happiness.There was so much that I could control and so much that I simply couldn't....
Yet...
I learnt - sometimes the hard way - but learn I did;
I laughed - through my tears and despondency; with those that helped me live through these rough months - but laugh I did;
I loved - when those who loved me left one by one, sometimes by choice too; I pulled my "connects" closer, I was thankful for their warmth that gave me strength - but love I did;
I lived - through the hard times, the sad times, the good times - pulling on every positivity at my command, keeping my faith, hoping, dreaming too - but live I did.
As for Life.... like that river, it just keeps flowing....
Those who have read my earlier posts will remember how I often compare our lives to a river and how much I have wondered about our lack of control, at important junctures, over what's around the bend.
The more I think of it, the more I like that analogy!
Sometimes, the river is only a stream, gushing, aspirational, energetic yet not powerful enough, not really sure which way will lead it to its destination; it has never seen its destination, doesn't know what it looks like, yet hopes to be there.
There lies the exuberance of young lives - God bless them - may they always dream, for they take humanity forward, they raise the bar...
And then the river grows in strength,matures, has figured out which way it needs to flow; many nuances are added to it - parts become tidal, monsoons make it overflow, cause havoc - behaving like dysfunctional humans that seem unable to "control" themselves, doing stuff that destroys, hurts, kills. At other places, the river serenely flows - nurturing life around it - almost like a responsible parent.
There lies the crucial middle years of men and women - with its many ebbs and highs, with its time of rage, despair, animation along with periods of joy, connectivities, fulfillment. I believe how one swims these tides depends on a lot on what has brought one so far, and how one swims these tides will further determine how he or she moves on to the final stages....Yet, this is where Life also unfolds its own plans... pushing us into arenas we may not have imagined, may not be very comfortable with or avenues that bring joy and happiness beyond what we expected. The strength of our character shows here - may we always be brave, honest, resilient and focussed....
Finally, the river also slows down as it nears its destination - ripe with all its experiences, tired with all its upheavals, but calmer now that it knows what really matters.....gently but surely, it continues its last stretch into the sea. It breaks itself into small parts, spreads its light wider, touches more, gives more before losing itself ......only to come back once again ....through the circle of life, to begin the journey one more time..... relentless!
They say the final stage of our lives pretty much reads like a report card of how we have shaped our lives so far - we look back at all the joyous moments, at all those things we could have done differently, but it's possibly too late now? Is it? Sometimes, it's not and we can still shift gears, adjust our sails as time begins to run out. We sometimes could feel a sense of urgency; at other times, we perhaps could feel ourselves at peace for having done as best as was possible. As we look ahead, we realize what really matters.... we are hopefully "wiser", closer to the Eternal Truth, whatever we may believe it to be...
Like during the year almost gone, we always have our moments of highs and lows, mostly unbalanced - but then this was never about mathematical calculations, anyways. I look back and see so much.... and God knows that this year has been pretty full for me!! So much that I didn't expect when I welcomed 2014 way back then.... yet it also gave me proud moments that filled me with love, strength, happiness.There was so much that I could control and so much that I simply couldn't....
Yet...
I learnt - sometimes the hard way - but learn I did;
I laughed - through my tears and despondency; with those that helped me live through these rough months - but laugh I did;
I loved - when those who loved me left one by one, sometimes by choice too; I pulled my "connects" closer, I was thankful for their warmth that gave me strength - but love I did;
I lived - through the hard times, the sad times, the good times - pulling on every positivity at my command, keeping my faith, hoping, dreaming too - but live I did.
As for Life.... like that river, it just keeps flowing....
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