Together they make a classic couple for sure, they look great together, they bicker, they make up, they compliment each other. My mother with her unique half chinky looks and my father with his tall royal Bengali features are close to the ideal couple in my mind.
Throughout my life, as I grew up, from a small girl into a pre-teen and further into a complete teen and eventually a grown up, I remember my parents working. Not just working, but working hard.
Well, who could blame them, they had us kids to raise.
But today when I think about, their undying efforts, their committed spirit and constant will to get up each morning and just "go for it" was admirable.
How often in my life today do I lay back and dream about lazying the whole day. I dream about waking up post noon and then napping some more.
Why?
Because, in a meagre 7 years of working in a professional environment, I burned out. I'm not even 30. But I'm tired, all the time. Up till about 6 months ago I used to spend 3 hours a day, going to work and getting back home, using 6 rickshaws on each day to make the journey. This meant using 3 rickshaws one way to travel the daily 50 km stretch. In a city like Pune - that is tough. Well...with all the traffic, the pollution, the over crowded roads...what would you expect?
I blame my physical unease on 7 years of super hard work. Getting to work was work in itself. So you can imagine what the actual day job took from me. Everything.
My parents have been working, not the same way, but still working endlessly, untiringly, continuously for so many many years. They started since before I was born and still continue to do so.
It amazes me. Although I remember seeing my father's tired face every Saturday night while growing up, I still expected him to take me out every following Sunday.
And he did. Most Sundays. My mother, she cared for her kids, made sure there was always a hot, nutritious meal for all of us in spite of the several other commitments she had. Everyday. And counting.
Although I have taken a little break from the usual life I lead, although I professionally work from home as a writer, I can't help wondering how much we do in exchange for so little.
And sometimes, the people we do it for are what's important.
Sometimes, we struggle untiringly not just to make ends meet or to live the so called "good" life. We do it because we are expected to.
In exchange for our health.
What good is what we do, if we can't really enjoy it?
I keep hearing the words "I have no time" or 'I just don't know how the day ends" all around me. When I'm 60, what will I have to show if I can't sit back and breathe for a minute.
In today's world we let our health die years before we actually do. Our constant fatigue, our endless need for undisturbed sleep remain incomplete.
Health isn't just wealth. It is a lot more than that. Without it, we wouldn't have anything.
As I think about my parents, as I sometimes crave going back to my office routine - I pacify myself by telling myself - one day at a time. As long as I've had a healthy, hearty, delicious meal and as long as the ones closest to me are fine at the end of the day , every day - there is nothing to worry about.
Let tomorrow be.
Cause to me, without today there'd be no tomorrow anyway.
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