I have always taken them for granted. Sometimes when the phone rings and its ma or papa and I am busy doing some trivial thing like loading the dishwasher, I talk to ma and I am so distracted with my current activity. There are other times I tell papa .. I will call you right back. I usually do , but sometimes I get so wrapped up in my chores that I completely forget to do so. Even though I honestly meant to call him right back. Then its already time for him to go somewhere or too late for them to talk, thanks to the 12 hour time difference.
Two weeks ago ... a very dear and loving family friend and our family doctor passed away. He was so young and the shock has still not left my system. I think I spent a couple of days feeling miserable. It didn't help that we took his medicines everyday so even thoughts about him were not so far away. I have had a lot of aquaintances who have left us in the past few years. But honestly nothing has hit me as hard as this one. Dr. Martins was a brilliant homeopath with diagnostic skills that I am yet to see in any one else except the omniscient Dr. House on TV. Besides his medical prowess, this man was also such a generous social worker, giving free treatments to hundreds.I still have not reconciled to the fact that I will never see him again. It just breaks my heart. I hope he is happy wherever he is and I really hope his family can somehow reconcile to his loss better than I have. May his soul rest in everlasting peace!!
Anyway the reason, I mentioned the above incident was to mention what the shock has done to me. It has really dawned upon me that life is so fragile. To have the opportunity to say goodbye to your closed one, knowing that his days are numbered is one thing but to suddenly have to deal with it is so difficult. I always thought I was very strong and could deal with anything. But this incident has left me doubting myself.
Now when the phone rings and even if I am busy I just have decided that almost everything else can wait. I am eternally grateful to the lord for having such wonderful parents. I donot stop to thank them often for everything that they do for me. I thankyou papa and mamma for all that you both do , silently and happily. The conversation that I dread having with my dad everytime is "Have you been exercising?". He knows that I hate to hear it .. but he really hopes that I would get fedup one day and just do it. I hope I can make him happy about that very soon. Mama , she misses me all of sudden and calls. I am not around physically for her ... all I can do is atleast talk to her till she is satisfied and at peace. But instead I talk to her and continue working on the zillion little stuff that I am working on.
Well, hopefully this is going to change from now on!
