Couple of days back, I was traveling back from our factory which is about 25 miles away. It was raining excessively and zero visibility. Our car swerved twice to avoid other vehicles on the road. I was worried that we might end up in an accident. In those weaker moments, all kinds of negative thoughts crop up. I was thinking about my family; trying to recollect what we said to each other that morning. To my surprise and dismay, I could recollect rushing out of the house with my bag, papers and hollering at my kid to rush into the elevator. I recall dropping him at the school gate. Beyond that everything seemed blurry. I don't remember speaking to my husband or exchanging any pleasantries. The usual check of phone, keys or wallet before leaving home seemed immaterial at that point in time. All I wanted was to reach home safe.
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Try and recall a latest instance when you left from home for work, meeting, business trip, party, vacation, or simply to buy some provisions from the store. Can you recollect the scene in your mind? What did you do while leaving? Think of when you dropped your child outside her school or day - care? What did your spouse or partner say before you started your shift today? What do you normally do just before you leave your house? Do you recall your daughter's outfit or your son's antics? What were your mom's words, did you two look at each other or just slammed the door and rushed off with the half -- eaten apple in your hand?
We routinely read about freak accidents in the media. T-Bone accidents are rampant due to reckless drivers. The utterly unfortunate instances of gunmen at schools and commercial places are also on the rise. (We will not go into socio- psychological issues or gun control here.)
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There are the sudden natural calamities which go out of hand throwing lives into disarray. Hurricane Katrina is quite fresh in our mind so is the Tsunami that hit Japan in 2011 causing mass destruction. And then there are the other man made ones. The sarin gas attack in the Tokyo subway also took the world by surprise. Boston marathon attack was a cowardly act which led to loss of innocent lives. 9/ 11 will remain as a painful memory forever. People face numerous health scare out of the blue. Life is full of uncertainty. We seldom know how things might pan out in life. It is emotionally distressing in particular for the bereaved.
Every living moment should be cherished and enjoyed. We must work towards building happy memories with people around us. Since we cannot turn back the clock so might as well do something memorable while we are on the clock because last memories are extremely important. They are fresh for the survivors. We tend to go back to them time and again. How do we ascertain that the memories remain affectionate and warm?
It is known that we are often besieged with dearth of time. And while leaving the house we are more prone to haste trying to grab the keys. Wake up a few minutes early to avoid the last minute rush. Let us practice to step back, take a breath and try to leave with a calm mind. Look around you; take in the surroundings and the people before leaving.
Sometimes we say words that are harsh, hateful even cruel which we truly do not mean. It is more of a spur of the moment thing. Avoid using them especially while leaving. Few kind words can be magical for people. It is not vital that the words be deep and inspiring. A simple "take care" or "have a nice day" is way better than a casual disinterested shrug while parting. My mother says that instead of shouting "Mom, I am leaving!" you can try saying "See you later. I will be back soon."
We can always set out with a smile, maybe a hug and promise to catch up soon.
Say a little prayer of gratitude and faith. If you are an atheist or agnostic, you might just want to concentrate on whatever positive force that you believe in life.
My intention of sharing this view is not to cast a pall of gloom or cause despair among readers. I do not wish to rake up emotionally distressing memories or incidents. However, let us face it. Tragedies, mishaps and catastrophes are part of our lives which can strike. We cannot insulate ourselves. But we can surely try to practice some positive acts consciously while parting.