On the Frailty of our Breaths

By -
'Did you hear the news?'

'Oh man, no news is good news, what news are you talking about?'

'It's all over Facebook! Where are you?'

It's been a couple of days since the news of Junaid Jamshed, Pakistani icon and larger than life personality tragically passed away in a plane crash, with about 40 other souls on board including his second wife. I had been recuperating from a somewhat serious infection that had left me bed ridden and canula-clad for three days. Being incapacitated in that way had led me to believe on several occasions that I mayn't make it. I did, I made it, but Junaid Jamshed- did not.

While in hospital, the emergency room always gives me some much needed clarity on my fragile existence. There was for instance, one old lady frantically fighting for breath. The plethora of medications had not aided her in ease of breath, whilst another young man yelled out in pain for anything to take away his misery.




But it also invokes in me gratitude, gratitude for the people around me who love me and want me to live, want me to prosper. It also humbles me, for a man in his mid-fifties, upon close inspection finding his wife to be at the reception calls out, 'Hey partner, what's happened?'

Partner, how sweet.

The truth is we are all so weak. We make plans, like Mr. Jamshed must have made. He had stuff to do the next day and the week after. But he did not see the dawn. I, on the other hand, was thinking about unfinished business, but in those moments when life was at it's nadir, the only thing that mattered was, 'Am I ready to meet my maker?'.

I got healthy, the despair turned into hope once again. The darkness was illuminated by the strength that comes with good health, the ability to enjoy food once again, to go back to a much loved calling, to once again get in bed without having the need to stay in there from delirium.

How frail we are, and yet how haughty! With such gusto and fervour we go about thinking how we will conquer the world, but little do we know about out next breath. How dependent we are on God's mercy and yet how miserly we are in His remembrance.

The demise of Junaid Jamshed had rocked the nation. Two days in, it's old news. Today no one is talking about it, there is the occasional post on social media, but the whispers and OMGs are over. And so it will be over for every soul that walks the earth. Quite profound for those who ponder.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What the Young Tree Whispered in my Ear

By -
Image
I rested my head against the car window, adjusting my angle to avoid the sharp noon sun rays. They filtered through the thinning foliage of the young tree that caressed the car door. I looked up lazily. She was not a big thing, young - but not too young. She had not seen many winters I suppose, but enough at least, to give me respite against the glare of the sun, the kind of glare that looks specially sharper in the midst of winter. Until then, I had not noticed the tiny red flowers that were scattered scantily all over her branches. They danced in the soft breeze, carelessly, along with their green counterparts. The beauty of the scene mesmerized me, until nothing in my peripheral vision existed any longer. Suddenly, it was just her and me.
Read more

The Thirsty Sparrow and what it Taught Me

By -
Image
There is an image in my head. It's been quite a few days, but it has not faded. It was a fleeting thing. The type of thing nobody would give a second thought to. I also remember thinking it's funny how even mundane things can be a source of inspiration, but more on that later. There was a little sparrow, dipping its beak with rapid precision, smack right in the middle of the traffic junction, in a little puddle of murky water. It was oblivious to the moving seas of cars swishing past. The puddle was in the 'neutral zone' of the junction- right in the center where no cars could overlap. In all fairness, it is Karachi and the traffic can get out of hand at any given second, yet this bird knew only its thirst and probably noticed that this particular crevice was somehow, immune to any danger. As I looked on for a minute at its incessant task, I realized that this was such a fitting analogy of the life I currently live.
Read more

The Scales of Life

By -
Image
 ... are tipped slightly against us. No one in their right frame of mind would or could doubt that. It is this very notion that makes life interesting - worth living. What good is the prize if its right there for the taking? What sweetness would be got from low hanging fruit?  When we raise children, an age old tested method to get them to do something is to make them work for something they want. It develops grit and enables a child to gain a deep seated appreciation for hard work. (Something being lost as time goes by, but that is another blog for another day.) I remember dangling novels in front of my daughter for doing her chores. Sure some might call this bribery but I beg to differ.  However, one must always resort to making people work to get at something (call it bribery if you will) in moderation. You can't dangle candy in front a baby and then quickly take it away. Wouldn't sit right with anyone. You want to keep it at a distance, laying in the far corner noncha...
Read more