Value what you have today

In February 2016 I was preparing for my board exams which were coming up in two weeks. It was a challenging time because my future was at stake — I had been preparing for engineering exams for two years. Little did I know of the storm that lay ahead of me that would change everything. On a cold foggy morning when I was in bed trying to avoid trigonometry before breakfast, my mother received a fateful call. My father who had been working in another city had met with an accident. No one told me how he was and we traveled five hours in silence, with me carrying as many books as I could. When I saw the crowd around his body, I retreated in shock. I was so scared that I could not even get myself to touch him.

A void in my memory followed. I have no recollection of anything I said or did but I remember that I did not sleep for days. My maths exam was on my father’s ‘terahi’. I did not attend the ceremony. I sat in the exam hall blankly and did not write anything in the paper.

I had to give a compartment exam later which I passed. My parents had always been encouraging of my creative side and had made me fill up the NIFT entrance test. I got in and this new phase in life made me overcome my grief and to grow intellectually and emotionally. I made friends who supported me and became my family away from home.

One thing I have made it a point to do since then is to cherish all the moments I spend with my family. I never miss an opportunity to visit them and give them all the love I can. Life is transient and rather than wasting it by grumbling and complaining, I like to remind myself that I should be grateful for what I have today. Enjoying the little moments, accepting challenges with grace, being strong and patient through difficult times is what I advocate to everyone.

(This blog was penned by Meenakshi Jain from our design team at ClearTax.)