WINNING OUR BATTLES NOT BY FIGHTING, BUT BY LAUGHING



Pic.: Manjeet Singh Kukreja






When I met Kannan in our Tai Chi class, today morning, I suddenly remembered that I had failed to inform him about the Post he had inspired me to write last Sunday. But, strangely, when I tried to recall the subject or the title, I couldn’t just do it. Kannan tried to recall, but even he couldn’t. Finally, we both laughed and I heard Kannan saying, “Forget it; it doesn’t matter.”

“What matters is this moment – let’s live it fully, spontaneously and laughingly,” Kannan had a new story to support his ‘Power-of-Now’ theory.

The story…

“Two days ago, I met this 89-year-old neighbor of mine outside our house. He began to complain about the poor health condition of his 91-year-old sister-in-law. ‘Things are very bad… She doesn’t eat… doesn’t listen… doesn’t take medicines… We are worried and stressed out,’ the elderly gentleman went on.

Once home, I told my wife that I would be paying a visit to the 91-year-old lady. ‘Even I want to come,’ my wife joined me.

The atmosphere in the residence of my neighbor was quite grim. I went on with my usual stories… hopping from one story to another… and, I was amazed to watch the old lady laughing… Her brother-in-law and the other members, too, were laughing… I was glad that I could make them forget their worries and live the present moment, laugh a little… feel light, free.

I had the typical option: to put on a long face, sound very concerned, bend down before the old lady and say, ‘Dadi maa, you should take medicines… You should eat… You should listen to doctor… You want to be alright no? So, eat well, take medicines in time, ok?’

But, I didn’t believe in such cosmetic talk. I tried to remind the old lady about her good-old-days… How marriages happened in those days… How honeymoon was celebrated (By a visit to a temple!)… How a dozen children were delivered and how they were raised…  I made her forget that she was sick and old and enjoy this moment for a while… Which she did.

I came home extremely happy”


So, here we were, this morning, in our Tai Chi class, both blissfully forgetful! “Forget it,” Kannan had said, “It doesn’t matter.”

Yes, we had already forgotten it!

As a parting shot, Kannan had a quote from the irrepressible strongman, Sir Winston Churchill:

“We won the war not by fighting, but by laughing!”

“We have made living a very grim battle,” Kannan concluded, “Hello, why at 91… What have you got to lose?”



GERALD D’CUNHA


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