Gerald D'Cunha

  “Happiness, not in another place, but this place… not for another hour, but this hour.” Walt Whitman   A dear friend’s elderly father is presently in one of Mumbai’s reputed hospitals. My wife and I were quite concerned about the situation our friend had to go through. This friend of ours lived abroad and back home, here, the elderly father has been facing many health-related challenges. Our friend, who has been making frequent trips to India, is gracefully accepting her challenges. The family abroad and family here – she is torn between these two responsibilities of hers… Last noon, my wife and I had visited the hospital. Our friend, despite the two back-to-back surgeries performed on her 83-year-old father, seemed composed… “Anything we can do, please let’s know.” We say this to our near and dear ones in their testing times. But, how much can we really do to lighten their burdens? As I write this piece, my thoughts go to at least a dozen people who are close...

Pic.: Mehul Bhuva W hen I was in high school, I, always, worried about my tenth-standard Board-exam… It went on peacefully! When I was in college, I worried about my final-year Degree-exam… It, also, went on peacefully! When I was out of my college, I was worried about getting a job… I got one! When my classmates went ahead of me, I was worried again – “Will I ever catch-up with them?” I didn’t have a house of my own… my worry shifted. House came up… I worried about a car! For a very, very long time, I started worrying about my marriage – “It may fail… I may not be good at sex… My spouse may mock at me, my deficiency…” This, also, went on peacefully! Then, the child was born… a boy, and, then, a girl. I started worrying again – about their future! They grew up… got educated and married. I started worrying about my grand-...