Sometimes some people enter our lives like a light. Amidst the darkness, they illuminate the room and give us the warmth of life. When we have accepted darkness putting the mask of fate on it, their kindness, compassion, and empathy show us new ways to live. They often come into our lives unexpectedly, seeping through the ways that even we did not know existed within us. With their presence, we start to see life through different lenses and feel uplifted, motivated, and energetic. With their support, we find the strength to face our fears and overcome the obstacles of life.
As we grow up, life happens, problems and people come and go leaving scars on our soul and skin. We label the world a cruel place, a place where authentic love and kindness are not valued, a place where only the devious and sly survive. Being humans, we also get a hunger to survive; a hunger that allures us to darkness; A hunger that pushes us to become evil but the goodness in our blood does not allow it to. So, what do we do in this dilemma? Feed on the evil or starve on goodness. At such times we might want to give in but God sends some lights in human form to show us otherwise, they are sent to us to demonstrate compassion again and remind us that there still exists a world within which it is worth living. They give us hope to have hope again.
These lights can be in the form of friends, family, partners, or even a stranger. It can be your mother on whose lap you can cry, your father who shows subtle affection, friends who bring out the kid in us, or a 5-minute talk with a stranger and most importantly, us. We must know that no power in the world can help us unless we help ourselves. We don’t have to take charge of everything but take the initiative to start somewhere. These small initiatives can be in the form of indulging in our hobbies for a few minutes everyday, meditation, exercise, listening to a podcast, learning something new, socializing, going out for a walk, doing skincare, practicing gratitude, or setting small academic goals. Being your own anchor doesn’t mean that you continuously have to hustle and grind, it also means to cut yourself some slack and get rest when required.
We all must have experienced at least one such person in our lives. It is as if they were not met by coincidence but especially crafted for us by god. These lights might sometimes give us direct solutions and straight paths or sometimes teach us to get through forests of life while making friends with the leaves. When we get numb, they make us feel happiness again; when we run out of ideas they come as an inspiration; when we see no reason to carry on, they give us one; when we get tired of life and faint, they pick us up and get us back on our feet; they remind us of the good we are capable of. Remember often the world of goodness might appear to be small because many good souls were sucked by dementors, not because they were not strong enough but because they were not manipulative enough.
While these ‘lights’ do illuminate our lives, it is saddening to know that they are not constant. They also have their share of darkness and that is why we must do everything in our power to return something to them. Just like in a candle, the light slowly dims and fades away, it’s the law of nature that nothing lasts forever. These people do their part in our lives and slowly dissipate while leaving some part of their spirit in us and that is why it is important to appreciate them and be grateful while they are here. The Tedx talk “How to Love and Be Loved” provides a real-life story from the speaker’s life, how one of his students- Charlie, continues to be the light in his life even after dying.
Often, we fail to recognize these lights or are late to do so. So let us take a break from our busy day and give a thought to the people who helped us when no help seemed to be coming and thank them so that they also realize that the goodness in them is appreciated and continue to do so.