A Testament To The Human Spirit

When I came across this quote, I was forcibly reminded of an incident that happened when my father-in-law left the mortal world.

It must have been few weeks after his death, and my son who was 7 at that time was going out to play with his friends one evening. He halted before leaving and asked me all of a sudden - 'Will I never see my Thatha again?' I could only nod, too overcome with emotions to speak anything. His eyes filled up and for a few seconds, he stood there. But then he wiped his eyes, said 'Okay' and left to play with his friends.

This amazed me. That he could realize the extent of the tragedy and still carry on. Kids are blessed that way. Time protects their innocent hearts and minds by giving them the ability to move on quickly.

But isn't this what everyone does? We wake up every morning knowing that we are one more day closer to our mortality. We know that a demanding day looms ahead - household chores for the homemakers, office work (not to mention petty office-politics) for the working, school and studies for the young ones, and yet we carry on. I sometimes see sales-persons enjoying a cup of tea beside a stall and sharing stories and I can't help admire their resilience. I feel one of the toughest jobs is to be a sales-person, what with the rejections, rebuke and disappointments. And yet they start anew every day, determined to succeed.

Human spirit is indeed one of the strongest entities in the Universe. What it doesn't go through!? Disease, separation, longing, pain, grief and ultimately death, and yet, we living beings, keep finding ways to get through life. That many of us live happy and satisfied lives inspite of everything that we go through, is a testament to the sheer power of the human will.

Broken-hearted people manage to love again. People with terminal diseases share their stories and inspire millions. Knowing that they will have to deal with disease and death on almost a daily basis, people opt to become doctors, nurses and life-savers. People choose to become soldiers to protect their country, giving no second thought to their own lives. There are people who clean garbage every day and travel for miles without giving any attention to the odor of the garbage. There are people who dive down man-holes and attempt to clear sewage. There are people who forgive the gravest of crimes committed against them. It is amazing what a human being can do!

The human spirit shines the brightest at the darkest of times and performs miraculous feats when least expected. Goodness and greatness are in our innate nature. All we need to do is to remind ourselves of what we are really capable of. Then we will rise above the petty squabbles that bring out a negative and weaker side of our personalities and make us react in contrast to everything we are. 

It is a privilege to be blessed with a human spirit that is capable of changing lives for the better. All we need is only a reminder to be the best version of ourselves. Every time we feel weak, or exhibit a side of us that contrasts everything the human spirit stands for, let us remember what we are capable of, and rise above every weakness that hides our true self which is magnificent and all-encompassing. We are humans, capable of making life beautiful for everyone around us. Let us never forget that!