Fountain of Youth ?

The fragility of life?

About 30 years ago, my brother Suresh and I used to find it a little amusing that my Dad, now 87, started his day by reading theStar's obituary column first. I was then a young 26 year old professional thinking that I was somewhat invincible. I must admit, religion was a low priority then.

As many years passed by, only then did I really understand why Dad did what he did. It was because his friends and family were slowly exiting life. Each time someone he knew died, a piece of his history died with them.

Today, there is hardly a month that passes by when I don't read of the passing away of a friend/ family or simply, an acquaintance. In the past 30 days, 6 of my friends, all but one under 60, have said their final words. The youngest was just 48 and the oldest 67. I would say, for all, just too soon to say goodbye to life. Whatever happened to the dictum that 60 was "young" ?

Man may conquer space and earth's core today but as of now, eternal (or even a 150 yr life span) life is just a dream. Maybe one day in the future, we can, thru the use of cryogenics or a future science, preserve our brains to be reborn into a new body. It would be a real treat to be "alive" in 2121 and see how the world has progressed...if we haven't killed it by then. But then again, Man would have colonized Mars and more. But does the fountain of youth really exist? Fable (or his-story) tells us of great sages living till 200 years.

When we are at our deathbed, does it really matter if you graduated at 17, or won several gold medals in the Olympics, or if you were the best golfer in the country. My grandpa, Arumugam, just before he passed away in 1981, told me, he only remembered the women he loved and his children who hugged and kissed him goodnight daily. Everything else was immaterial when it was time to go.

I can echo his sentiments when I was in prison in late 2019. I didnt think about the many "great" accounts/mergers/public companies etc that I worked on but my children and family, were at the top of my mind. It really brings perspective to life.

Whenever a friend/family member passes away young (as one did today), I question the fragility.....or maybe, the ephemerality of life. Ok, as a Hindu, God allows me to relive life about 900+ times so there's some consolation:). But not everybody is a Hindu.

Someone once said, when it's your time to go, make sure it's really the last thing you have to do. Wise words indeed. I intend to live by it.

Do you?