Memories
What happens when someone close to oneself passes away unexpectedly? A sense of despair sets in. One may walk about in a robotic manner, and the question , ‘why me?,' constantly echoes in the mind. The situation is hard and it takes immense courage to rebound, to return to the way one was, before losing their loved one. While life around seems unchanged, the way one views life may be altered. Ever since the day one is born it is said that their death becomes a certainty. Nobody escapes it. The only difference is that one may live to be a hundred and yet another may breathe their last, while still a toddler. Life and death are considered to be two sides of the same coin. It is hard to reconcile with the loss of someone who was yet to experience the vibrant youth, become an adult and graduate into old age over a period of time. The world may have lost a talent. In short, nobody knows what could have been had this child lived longer. For the parent and the sibling this is a huge blow. It may take years to recover. In some cases it results in a void that remains unfulfilled till they breathe their last. This does not imply that the death of an elderly has no downsides. The longer one lives, richer are their experiences. Human experience and subsequently behavior evolve over a period of time. These people, in all probability, created beautiful memories with their loved ones. The uniqueness in their interactions with those beyond their family and the way they were treated by their peers will remain unmatched. When they die they leave their children, grand children and their spouse behind. Many others are also left in their wake. Unknowingly, they may have touched their lives and made a difference for the better. The deceased does not return but the memories that they create are left behind. While facing such a loss it is hard and the memories, at least initially, cause pain. As time passes a new perspective emerges. That which caused pain transforms into cherished moments. They evoke joy and yet, retain a strange element of bitterness and sweetness combined. Those who love to preach may emphasize on the importance of detachment. That advice may be ignored as it is absolutely fine to retain the personal bond with a loved one who has gone into an unknown dimension. In my personal opinion it is human to shed tears and smile as one thinks of them. The one who is no more continues to be important-in their life and in their death. The departed deserves that respect. And, for those of us who may have interacted with the one who went away-Life will go on as usual. The one we lost will stay behind as a cherished memory. May be, someday, when we too, depart, we will meet those who went ahead. At the same time, we too will leave our loved ones behind, with nothing but, memories.