THE CATERPILLAR AND THE BUTTERFLY

"What the caterpillar calls the end of the world,

the Master calls a butterfly"

-          Richard Bach in ‘Illusions’

On  October 7, when I posted my last Blog– ‘My Spirit is in a Hurry’, I did not have an inkling about the ‘speed-breaker’ I would encounter right around the corner… “There is a cancerous tumor on your right kidney” all test reports concluded, “That kidney has to be removed.”

“What? It can’t be true!” my family and I reacted.

But, it was true! “You are lucky, that it was detected, accidentally, at an early stage,” every expert reminded, “Go for surgery with no further delay.”

We simply surrendered…

During those twenty-five days in the hospital, I was brought on my knees to learn a few valuable life-lessons, which, but for this experience, I would never have learnt… The value of a simple breath and a single step… The value of simple souls, who I may not get to see again, anytime in future – the ward boys, oddly called ‘Mamas’ in Mumbai hospitals… the ever-helpful young nurses, who we call ‘Sisters’ and their male counterparts, who we call ‘Brothers’… and, never to forget the Surgeons and doctors… All of them were strangers, who appeared on the scene to save my life… and, who, except in my thoughts and prayers, I may not meet, unless Destiny desires…

The urge to tell my story, I think, is not a good urge. Self-pity, sympathy and that self-importance – call it Ego – they can spoil the story… rather they can corrupt it. Imagine this: an experience like the one I went through, generally, strips us of all the self-importance and arrogance… That’s the space of humility and gratitude… where, prayer doesn’t need words and God doesn’t need a home outside my soul…

“There is no answer to the question, ‘Why it has to happen to me?’, my Oncologist, a gentle soul with vast experience, calmed me down, “Why should it happen to little babies, then?”

So, no more questions… and, no more bravado in survival. Grace has no crest… The tumor which sat on my right kidney shall be a constant reminder for me!

One evening, in the hospital, while I was sharing my thoughts with a dear friend, a college professor, he spoke about the book, ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’, written by Mitch Albom. “It’s an amazing book, very, very empowering and inspiring,” my friend told me. But, I wasn’t in a position to read books or watch videos at that time. In a few days, I watched some videos on my mobile. I was particularly impressed when I heard Mitch Albom’s talks…

What has no pretense, inspires!

A few days ago, on my way back from the Urologist, I picked a copy of ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’… It’s truly amazing!

“How are you feeling now?” this has been the FAQ…

“I am recovering very well,” I respond, “Feel a lot weak though.”

Two surgeries, back-to-back… the body will obviously take some time to regain its strength… I get consoled by my well-wishers…

What about the boredom at home?

“Let’s go to watch a nice movie… a heart-warming one,” I said to my wife the evening before last. Thus, we decided to watch the Marathi movie, ‘Naal’ (One more masterpiece from Nagraj Manjule after ‘Fandry’ and ‘Sairat’).

Frankly, I couldn’t have asked for a better heart-warming story. Nagraj and his team know how to tell simple heart-warming stories on celluloid and transport us to another world… There is soul in their stories… They bring villages to life… They make superstars out of simple village kids… Their songs are soulful… and their music is world-class…

If you haven’t watched ‘Naal’ yet, please do now…

So, Life is there ahead… and I am ready to embrace it. There is nothing called a ‘bad experience’… And, certainly, no experience is a ‘waste’ in life. Yes, Richard Bach’s famous lines in his cult-classic, ‘Illusions’, perfectly fit here:

"What the caterpillar calls the end of the world,

the Master calls a butterfly."

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: inspiredboy.com

Videos: YouTube