Synergy

She was young and pretty. He was young and adventurous. They were a great, lively couple. Lived life with zest. Both traveled all over and enjoyed good things that life offers to the young and beautiful. But one day they met with a serious accident. She lost her legs and he lost his eyes. I was distraught with sorrow. I had been a silent admirer of their lives. Had watched them from a distance since they stayed in my neighborhood. What surprised me most was the speed with which they recovered. After the hospitalization and recuperation they returned to normal life quite fast. She became his vision and he gave her mobility. He carried her from point A to B and she saw for him. Together they started exploring the world all over again. She drove the car. The car was modified for her. He traveled with her. They resumed their jobs albeit with some modifications to their routines. At night they returned to a happy well deserved sleep. He did not need her vision and she did not need his mobility. They slept peacefully in each other’s safety.

That triggered my thinking. Here is a couple which is complimenting each other by accepting their physical limitations. The acceptance and the willingness to share own strengths has brought them back to almost normal life. Then why do most of us physically fit couples fight and are unhappy? Most of have invisible flaws in our personalities. Since they are not visible we tend to ignore them. The flaws may not be visible but they are apparent through our behaviour. Why do we not help each other out with our strengths rather than find faults with each other? Will that not make life more productive and beautiful? It is left to each one of us to introspect and decide how we can help our spouse. There would many areas in which this is possible. The synergy would make life wonderful for all of us.

A WAITING GAME

“How did he land up here in the ICU?”
‘His brother shot him at point blank range’
“Sad, but why did he do that? Was there a dispute?”
‘ God knows human mind is so peculiar. We do not know how somebody would react under stress.’
“Yes, I know that. How long has he been here? And what is the prognosis?”
‘I heard the doctors say that it is a difficult case. They are waiting for things to settle down politically.’
“And then?”
‘And then what? They will declare him dead.’
“I feel so sorry for his family. Such sudden bereavement could break them.”
‘I agree, but what can one do? Life is always full of surprises. You plan, you dream, you work hard and suddenly one day the unexpected happens. We fail to remember that we are mortals.’
“Since when have you been so philosophical? I always thought you were a happy go lucky type.”
‘ I am. I have been an easy goer. I enjoyed my dreams, my job and my family.’
“Then when did you become so sad and depressed?”
‘Do you really want to know? It is a long story. Perhaps you may not be interested.’
“No, of course, I am interested. Now we have become good friends. I think we should know more about each other.”
‘ Ok then. I was a happy married guy till one day a rash taxi driver ran over me on the expressway. They could hardly identify the body, mutilated limbs and charred remains and me floating over the accident site. That event changed my outlook towards life. So I usually hang out around city ICU’s looking out for accident victims and wait patiently for their arrival into our world.
Now its your turn to tell me your story…’