Present Moment Living

Isn’t it always like any other day. Yes, we think so but deep down it never is.

Normal ordinary saturday late afternoon was no more sleeping in the afternoon and dreaming or planning the evening. We were shaken to the present moment by shouts of “Uncle!”, “Uncle” to learn from her friend that Vrinda (my 8 year old) has injured herself in the swing and bleeding profusely. Minutes later we were driving her to Apollo hospital to take care of a deep cut on the upper lip and I knew sutures were inevitable. Surprisingly me and wife maintained stoic and kept my daughter as much calm too, while we drove!

We had Vrinda’s class friend’s father (Mr. Srinivas- Oncologist surgeon) waiting for us at Apollo. He was at the end of his day’s work (read weekend) and stayed around longer for us. It din’t take long for him to suggest that she need to get suture’s done. It meant general anesthesia, it meant a visit to the operation theatre, it meant some tricky time with a small kid. Thankfully, a known doctor’s presence saw us through the rigmarole rather rapidly.

Yet there were ordinary humans like us whose kids, parents, spouses must have been waiting for the folks to come home at the fag end of the day-rather week! And we had streched everyone’s time yesterday evening! Add 5 hours of some serious forced present moment living (and probably some delving in the past when I mentally ran through so so many gratefulness ) when all that became important was to see all this went through smoothly.

I saw the universe’s perfection in everything. I saw how the whole scene played out and I saw how I could stay calm all along because I trusted this perfection and knew that everything will fall in place like the jig-saw puzzle. I saw how the universe arranged for all kinds of help as was needed. Yet, I saw all this was part of the everyday melee of life, and one should therefore take life as it comes.

While waiting at the lounge for her turn at the OT and thereafter I realized the fragility of life. I was shaken to the present moment! I was grateful for being alive. I was grateful to the thousands, maybe millions of people around me. I was grateful that Vrinda’s friend’s father chose to stay another 5 hours at then end of his weekend (he was about to go home), and so many others, nurses, caretakers, anesthesist, helpers, billing people, security, everyone who kept the show running so that someone somewhere need them, they were always there.

I also realized that why do we plan so much we couldn’t even keep the promise of making pav-bhaji in the evening that we did only a few hours before.

We sure need to value life ! I’m wonderful and thankful to be alive the way I’m . … and you can easily substitute “I” with “we” – but to mean it requires little practice & conviction.