Take heart, stay strong!

No matter what happens… 

In life, you’ve got to go on, and keep yourself fit enough to get on with the rest of your life. Remember, every issue is just like tissue, you use it and then throw it in the dustbin! Get ready, look around you. Make a place for the birds in front of your window, so you can watch nature….

Just look at this,  it got me so excited, when I heard about this 106 year old blogger. 

The DW television channel happens to be my favorite channel. It is positive and its documentaries are really good. The news is balanced. The program Euromax is so full of interesting clips of information. But the best was when I saw this piece on the 106 year old blogger. Wow! I mean how much more awesome can things get? I bet by the time we are 106, there will be other videos – or whatever style of videos there would be then –  about bloggers or authors of 120 years!

http://www.dw.com/en/106-year-old-blogger-in-sweden/av-43688348

Awesome.

Yes, life is amazing. Such programs give one hope. To be alive (being like a vegetable would be no fun) to be alive and blogging!?!! Really love the idea and concept. She lives alone in Stockholm, walks around independently, is mentally stable and has a sense of humor too. (Says, people only read my blog because of my age!)

I just loved it.

Here in Pakistan when you join university around fifty, people ask ‘Why?’

I say, ‘why not?’ (- For Gods’ sake!)

Same is the case with anything in life. Just go ahead and do what you like. (You will always hear, ‘but why???’) – Just make sure your loved ones are not going to suffer due to your decision.

There is this situation where a pilot has a room in my house on rent. Now, he needs a good sleep to fly. So, when my poor dog is doing his duty, the pilot cannot sleep. I get this WhatsApp message,

‘Bhabi, plz do something about the dog, I’ve already missed two flights due to this noise.’ So, I was up two nights trying to sort that problem. I mean how do you stop a dog from barking??? So, I locked him up in his open day time place. (Yes, this area  next to my window.) Now, you see when he barks normally, I sleep soundly. But when he barks in an outraged (‘why me?;) sort of way way, I can’t sleep. It’s like a baby crying. So, I couldn’t sleep! I told my friend Ayesha, at 1.30 am last night, and she said give him a laxotonil (sleeping pill). I did. I took one, and gave one to him too!

So, I woke up feeling like a rag in the morning. I dragged myself everywhere, doing my daily ‘chores’ but nothing was working out.

Have you ever noticed? Whenever you are not feeling well, it seems the whole world starts misbehaving! Have you noticed that?

I went to the jeweler shop – I had left something for repair, – they made me wait, and I was furious. I was to go to the university afterwards, and called, (while I was waiting) and found out I had to write yet another letter, so no point in going. So, decided to buy a pair of shoes. I was so happy I had my special discount card of Stylo  with me, and of course they told me it had ‘expired’, so no discount!

‘But you see I haven’t expired yet!’ was my reply.  It never works.

‘Baji, just call them, and they will update if for life!’ I sighed, I have to do everything! Yeah right, then their policy will change, like my university’s did… L Anyhow, happy with my new shoes, I went out and decided to get my hair trimmed.

In front of Roylys’ (the beauty parlor,) its very hard to get any parking. Surprisingly, I got an ideal parking. Remembering, they don’t take the card, I had to go a different way to get cash from the ATM, found out, it isn’t working. Ooops! I thought,’This isn’t my day!’ Just go back and rest. My throat was feeling bad, whole body feeling tired and awful. Ok, time to quit.

At home, I lay down, thinking of the rotten things happening to my dear friend. – Remembering my own rotten times- realizing, how important my dad’s advice has always been for me.

He saw me going through hell once, and breaking down. He paused, and looked at me all focussed….

‘Beta, no matter what happens, never let it damage you.’

Yes.

You cannot get damaged, unless you permit it.

He knew what he was talking about. Here he stood, before me, having gone through two wars: the ’65 and ’71 war. He was a POW and had got special treatment in the Indian Tehaar jail -which is notorious – hardly anyone came out sane from that place.

My dad did!

Alhamdolillah.

He had been in solitary confinement for over one month. After all that, to come back to his country to find out he had gone through all this hell for a country which was busy bickering away among themselves, never having learnt a lesson. In doldrums. How did he deal with it?

He kept his equilibrium.

When my life was falling to pieces around me, he tells me, ’do not let it damage you!’ He knew exactly what he was talking about.

Do not let it damage you… how? By keeping your sense of humor alive. Yes, laugh it off! Have faith in the One above. The One who is there watching it all, and is with you if you take His help, He is there.

Have faith.

I’m not that strong. I went to my mentors. One of them Abida Peer, said close your eyes, and say, ‘Allah’. Repeat slowly. Just say Allah. Think of nothing else. Just appeal to Him. Try to do this for at least five minutes. Keep increasing the time, till twenty minutes, while doing deep breathing…. There were a few others along with me that day, so we all sat in a semi-circle and closed our eyes.

Total silence.

Allah.

Slowly tears started pouring down my cheeks.

It is so powerful.

My heart beat became normal.

My breathing became normal.

I felt at peace.

Allah.

People have a knack of coming into your life. Agitating you, taking your peace from you.

Step back.

Remember, it is your peace, no one has the right to take it from you. Do not let them take it from you.

Be whole. Keep yourself whole.

Thank God, Ramzan is round the corner now. A time to step back from life, as I fast, and regain my lost equilibrium. The right time to ask myself the questions:

Why am I?

What am I doing?

Where am I going?

Is this where I want to go?

Yes!

Alhamdolillah. I am fine. At last I am fine. This is exactly where I want to go.

But.

So, many things have to be done and are happening, which I have to deal with on a daily basis. Which I really do not want to do, but then, that is the only way! So distracting. So diverting. But I know, through it all I am going to meet my own destiny as I will not sit still, as I’m designed to keep struggling.

Wait.

Am I afraid of pain?

Am I afraid of struggle?

Am I afraid of failure?

Did I expect a smooth uneventful journey?

Hellooooo!

This is planet earth, remember?

Here things happen in complicated ways.

So here I am in my own complications.

Which I’ll uncomplicated myself, in my own way, for my own benefit.

Today, this is all I want to say to myself with love for myself.

Yes, it is important to love ones’ own self too.

At least on this Friday, to forgive myself for all my lazy ways, and my procrastination as I watch my daughter at work. To forgive myself for the fact that every time I make an announcement for my event. Its date and day always clash!

I mean, honestly, how do I always do it?

Because I’m human too?

So, lets be human, lets forgive ourselves, and lets love ourselves in spite of it all. Lets just not let things damage us. Lets just be kind to ourselves too, as we are kind to others.

Lets just take heart.

Stay blessed lovely and handsome ones.  Have a blessed Friday.