just like that

In good old days when I was teaching English language and literature to undergraduate students of FC College for Women, Hisar, I came across a piece of prose by Rabindra Nath Tagore: A Wrong Man in Workers' Paradise. It was an enjoyable write up and a senior colleague Mrs UK infact taught me how to teach prose when I approached her as an amateur, fledgling teacher.

It was about workers' paradise wherein no one would do a thing aiwen ee, just-like-that. Everybody was always busy doing things that had a purpose and a meaning. Literally no one had time to hark Robert Herrick's lament to 'stand and stare'. Nor the workers of that unique paradise had any concern for anything other than Wordsorthian 'getting and spending' without an inkling of laying waste their powers as they had no idea of things without purpose or meaning such as bounties of nature.

Ever since, I have wondered about this- the purpose and meaning-of all that happens, transpires, goes on in our lives affecting us sometimes to the extent of making us feel devastated, zero energy, minus positivity. So much so that the good angel in us alone keeps our head above water with :this too will pass, my child, this too will pass.

To be honest, nothing that happened in my little over half a century has ever been without a meaning nor without purpose. I recall how I used to stand near the window of my house facing the sky with my hands clasped together urging Him to let me understand, be able to draw the meaning of all that was happening when the running was rough, weather unfriendly, friends seemed distant and with my eyes closed prayed Him to give me strength to go on come-what-may.

True, the thuds of hard times have hit harder blurring the vision and wisdom incapacitating to take the pains that befell on board, in a stride.

But something there is that paves way for resilience to cope, bear, wipe the tears and stand up and march on. Its hard every time to see something good in everything and the loss has its own ability to overwhelm, weaken, diminish but then nothing happens just-like-that. It happens because it has to happen. The will part is okay to certain degree till certain age when making things happen seems simple. The indomitable urge to make the difference remains alive and kicking; the feel of purpose and meaning lures us to put our ideas into action. But this too is truism that Time mellows us and the grand design, the natural flow of things and happenings unfold their own purpose and meaning.

Eternal vigilance alone enables us strike the balance between the choice of when to act and when its just best to sit back and accept.