I am going through a dilemma these days. My 1-month old fairy girl, Siya, is not well. Some doctors say it is whooping cough, some pneumonia and one says it must be tuberculosis. I can’t help but pray that whatever it is gets cured soon. To add to it, my mat-leave has ended on 21st March, but I need to be with my little one at least for a few more months so she can recuperate and get started on her growth path. Now my dilemma is whether to join office so I can support my family financially or continue to be with my baby as long as she needs me. As is usual in such cases, my brain and my heart are at war with each other.
I am mulling over such thoughts and staring at the walls of my bedroom. Staring back at me is Winnie – The Pooh, my favorite Disney character.
I’ve always loved Pooh. He is innocent, silly, funny, crazy-for-hunny, extremely kind and a great friend to have. Things are always happening in 100-Acre-Woods where he lives with his buddies – Piglet, Tiger, Rabbit, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Owl, Gopher, Heffalump and Christopher. They are always helping each other, discovering new things and simply being friendly. Pooh stickers on my wall are my personal reminders for just what we need to learn today.
Under the mad rat race in every field – relationships, business – everything, there’s a fundamental ingredient. We are all trying to find happiness. And we can find happiness in doing something only if our doing helps, benefits or simply pleases some real person. No technology is great for its own sake. It’s usage to people – whether it helps them grow their business or stay connected or simply have fun, is the crux. No business is successful if while doing it you are sacrificing precious time with your family. No amount of money is worth having if you cannot spend it for the people you love.
I know some of you might call me impractical, an emotional fool, but think about it for a moment and you’ll understand why I am choosing to stay hungry, stay Pooh-ish, stay with my little one as long as it takes for her to be healthy again even if it means stretching hard on my family budget.
p.s. Excuse me Rashmi Bansal, for naming this post similar to your book “Stay Hungry Stay Foolish”.
p.s. In case you are wondering, the above image is a collage of snaps from my bedroom wall. 
You too can order some wallies like the ones above from here.
Imagine losing both your parents. Being married for 11yrs, trying every way but not having kids. Imagine that for the last 8-10 yrs you’ve been suffering with various aches and pains which eventually were revealed to be because of a cancerous growth in the uterus. Also there’s another small tumor in your liver. You are facing a major surgery and possibility that the tumor in your liver is also cancerous. On the evening before your major surgery, what would you be doing?
Lying hopeless in the hospital? Blaming fate and God for all the bad things happening to you? Feeling dejected and depressed? Angry? Hurt?
Read on…
Location: Pushpanjali Crosslay Hospital, Vaishali – bed number 322. I am with my one month old daughter who has been admitted for pertussis / pneumonia. It’s a twin-sharing room so another family joins us on bed number 321 the night before our discharge.
The patient is a middle aged woman, I’ll call her “Prerna”. As we start exchanging our stories, she tells me, “I lost my mom when I was very young. My dad expired a few days ago. I don’t have any kids. We’ve been married for 11 yrs. Tried all sorts of medicines etc to help conceive, but no luck. However I am lucky to have my husband. He is a god-sent man. Men (specially in India) treat women very badly when they cannot bear a child. Even when the problem is with the man’s health, the woman will always be blamed and punished for not being able to have kids. But my husband loves me no matter what. He treats me with respect and kindness. After all whatever is happening to me is Allah’s wish. I am sure he does have something good for me, too.”
I was moved to tears. Here was a woman who had all the reasons to spread hatred and ill-will, sorrow and dejection but she chooses to do otherwise. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, indulging in sorrow, she counts her blessings. She recognized the kindness in her husband, was thankful for him and asked blessings for him. She continued to pray and chant her routine prayers even when nurses came over to administer IV injections or fluids. Whole night she went through blood transfusion which was quite an ordeal, but she bore it with a very brave heart. Morning she was sitting in her bed and praying as per her ritual again. She had not let adversity disturb her faith in God for the last several years. I was stumped by her courage.
“Prerna”, meaning inspiration – what else can you name her?
p.s. The doctors operated on our dear Prerna didi successfully yesterday and also did tests on the growth in the liver. It was found to be non-cancerous. Do send your prayers and wishes for her speedy recovery!
