Death stared at me up close this year, says cancer survivor Minakshi Ray. What did that teach her about life?
As I sit back and take stock of how 2014 treated me, I would say, it was a mixed bag. There have been losses and gains. I don't mean material losses or gains, rather I will remember the year in terms of the emotional journey.
Following my battle of survival against breast cancer, my perspective on life has changed completely. The biggest realisation that has dawned on me is that nothing is as unpredictable as life itself. Even in a roller-coaster ride, we know that there will be ups and downs and the "downs" are within our sight when we are on the humps.
Life, however, seldom gives us time to prepare ourselves for the next downhill ride. I no longer think of life as a roller-coaster ride, rather I think of it as a ‘blind walk’ where our only guiding ‘white stick’ is the conviction and faith that He will guide us, through distress, to light.
Recently, death stared at me up close. My life hung on a thread. I dare not take life for granted any more. Uncertainty being the essence of life, I am determined to make a conscious effort to live life and to love life.
In order to live a life that I love thoroughly, I have a simple list of “dos and don’ts” for the rest of my days:
- I will do things that give me joy; that liberate me. (This could mean enrolling in a make-up course, which I am contemplating seriously!)
- I will live without guilt or regret. Guilt and regret burden our days and nights. So long as I know that anything I have done was done in the best interest of the people I love and care for, I will be free of guilt; so long as I know that I have done whatever I could within my abilities to bring happiness to the people I love and care for, I will have no regrets. So long as I know that there might have been an error in judgement but my intentions were never wrong, I will go to bed each night with a smile on my lips and with a happy heart and soul!
With these two principles being my guiding stick, I will embark on a new journey (or blind walk) of 365 days and I will make every endeavour to make the journey a memorable one.
I am, generally, not a very demanding child of God, but if I have to ask for anything from Him, even before I start the walk, I will only ask for:
- More strength so I can forgive more
- More courage so I can admit and seek forgiveness when I am wrong
- More kindness so I can love people unconditionally and without being judgemental
Wish you all a very happy 2015. Love a little more, forgive a little more, forget a little more and LIVE a little more!!
