THE GIFT OF LIFE

 




“Thanksgiving is an attitude, but must be rooted

in the ‘gift of life’, if we ever hope to be thankful

for the ‘gifts of life’.”

Graig D. Lounsbrough

 

“Life is a gift.” Like many others around me, I use this expression quite often. However, ‘using’ this expression and ‘feeling’ this expression are two different things. Like the quote above reminds me, that the ‘thanksgiving attitude’ must be rooted deep in the ‘gift of life’, if I ever hope to be thankful for the ‘gifts of life’… This means, the ‘gift of life’ precedes all other ‘gifts of life’.

For several years, I have been showing this touching ad-film (from Lifebuoy) during our Personality Development sessions. Little kids, young kids and adults, alike, get moved by its core message. Here is this film…




 

“What separates privilege from entitlement is the gratitude,” says Brene Brown. All privileges are Life’s blessings. But, we tend to take them for granted. Yes, often, we arrogantly assume, that we are ‘entitled’ for them…

You and I have been simply lucky to survive beyond the age of five. What is that makes us feel, that we are ‘entitled’ for this privilege?

That explains the difference between expressing ‘Life is a gift’ and ‘feeling’ it…

To feel this expression, we need to be in the situation of Gundappa or his son, Muthu, who has survived the age of five. Else, ‘Gift of life’ shall stay only a dry phrase… Hollow!

Last night, my wife and I watched the Malayalam film, ‘2018 – Everyone is a Hero’. Though most of us had read or watched the terrible news about the destructive floods in this beautiful 'God’s Own Land', it is only last week, the memories and the images flashed back after this film became India’s entry into the Oscars. The scene that stopped our heart was, the airlifting of heavily-pregnant woman, Sajjtha Jabil, from the rooftop of a mosque, where she and several others – regardless of caste, class and colour – had parked themselves to escape from the swiftly-rising deluge… It was a dramatic and difficult operation in which Commander Vijay Varma of the Indian Navy had rescued this woman, transported her to the Naval hospital in Kochin, where she had delivered, within hours, the baby boy – ‘Mohammed Subhaan’…







This is 2023. Subhaan is aged, five, too… As we were watching this film, my mind was relating it to the plight of Gundappa and his five-year-old son, Muthu…

I was, also, relating it to my own life… I have crossed 65, and my only Muthu/Subhaan (son) has crossed 31…

Are we lucky? Privileged? Or, entitled for it?


 

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic’s.: 1. it News 

Videos: 1. Lifebuoy Global 2. Manorama Online

 

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