Dear friend
Well, well, well. What a news, small but by
no means small.
How did one stumble who walks, and has always
walked, on firm paths? A great question to ponder, not only for
the walker but also for those who looked on.
If one gets the right answer, then one might
be the wise old man in place of the silly old man that he thinks
he was all along. Yes, as the old age arrives, it turns all mortals
into silly old men, for they start nourishing the idea that it
is some one else who is going to die. This is the saga of all
of us and any pretension to create an exception for myself would
be a folly of greater magnitude.
I hope you are getting my point. The mild stroke
and small operation might be another blessing from the Merciful
Soul. For this might be necessary for the long life you deserve
to live, and the Soul has Her own ways to tell, (though deciphering
the code is what matters).
In other words, you have always been looking
for positive side of things. And I might have suggested a vantage
point to do so, for that is what friends are, after all. Always
seeking the innovative aspect of life signifies youngness of mind,
and that is what counts at the end. An old, conventional mind
in a young body is a travesty so commonplace these days one almost
feels like going away from this world.
The very way you broke the news manifests the
youth that graces your mind, so there is indeed nothing to worry
about, a few ups and downs notwithstanding. For that is the spice
of life. Isn't it?
And I am sure you will take care of yourself,
but once you are back home after the brief ordeal, would exert
not more than what is necessary.
With affection and regards
Shuja
(Dr Shuja AlHaq, Head of Phylosophy Deptt. Government CollegeLlahore,
Pakistan)
PS: A beautiful saying from a wise old man of ancient Greece
might be fitting to the moment:
We are disturbed not by events but by the views which we take
of them. Epictetus
