Struggle

 

Struggle 

Life is never free of struggles; from birth to old age, the journey is full of them. Some struggles are natural. The moment a child is born, the fight begins—first to breathe, then to sit, walk, and speak. Slowly, the child learns each step.

But soon another kind of struggle begins—the struggle with restrictions. “Don’t touch that. Don’t eat this. Don’t go there.” Rules, rules, and more rules. A child is hardly free to act on his own will.

Of course, some rules are necessary for safety. Yet many are imposed not for the child’s sake, but for the parents’ sense of control. They want the child to know that he is under their authority, that his wishes cannot overrule theirs. Too much freedom, they fear, could be a danger to themselves.

Children respond differently to this constant restraint. Some rebel. Some submit. And some… transform their silent struggle into words, becoming writers and poets.

A Little stress,A little worry

A Little stress A little worry 

When a wealthy person falls ill, the common advice is: “Don’t worry, don’t take stress.”

But what really is stress? What worries me? Unless we understand them, how can we avoid them?

The truth is, the absence of all worry and stress has itself become a reason for illness. Life has grown so comfortable that effort has disappeared. When everything can be managed without moving, why would anyone bother to walk? When food can be soft and easy to swallow, why should the teeth do any work?

But now it’s time to give some “healthy stress” back to life.

Let the legs worry a little — by walking.

Let the hands take some stress — by cooking something new instead of the same old parathas.

Let the teeth exert themselves — by chewing something fresh, crisp, and green.

Let the eyes lift away from the iPad and laptop, and look at the faraway sky where clouds, the moon, and the stars shine.

Let the ears turn from TV dramas to the cheerful songs of birds.

Take a little stress in life, worry a little — not to weaken yourself, but to keep life alive.

Once, these activities seemed like a waste of time. But after running around hospitals, I have realized: the real waste of time is happening now.