When you see houses falling off into the gushing river, you can't do anything but stare at the videos in horror. The hills slid down, carrying with it the entire living world. I haven't lost anyone to the Uttarakhand floods, and yet the feeling of loss has me in a daze. The vulnerability of the people, who were there without food or water for many days is bound to shake even the toughest of souls. The thought that water, our lifeline, can kill people in one giant sweep has left the entire country in a new-found sense of disbelief -- The disbelief at the magnanimity of the disaster at a place considered sacred by the Hindus. People visited Kedarnath with a faith that God lived there himself and would protect them. The wrath of nature has left them spell bound, homeless and in pain. The loss is irrepairable.
Oh! that feeling of loss. Everyone has felt it and yet the thought of losing even a small little piece of memory can be so painful. The thought of losing your loved ones leaves one with a sense of despair and if its unexpected, the grief is even more. Being caught unawares creates an impact that is unimaginable by a mind that has been tuned to complacency and the thought that nothing bad can happen to us. I remember I lost my children's clothes. They were all old clothes and the kids had outgrown them. I, however hung on to the memories. The red dress was worn when the kid was one year old and the blue dress was worn by the younger one when the kid had taken its first step. The whole bundle of clothes had been set aside and had to be kept in another trunk, but it didn't happen. The clothes were left behind, as they looked old. I still feel the loss. I had lost the memories and I do not have those precious things I can pass on to my next generation. The material things don't really matter. It was the love and smiles that were wrapped in those old clothes that made them so priceless.
Anyone who reads this would think I have lost my mind. I thought so too for a very long time. Today when I see people who have lost everything, I console myself with the thought that the people who wore the clothes are fine. The family and loved ones are safe and sound and that's what really matters.
Oh! that feeling of loss. Everyone has felt it and yet the thought of losing even a small little piece of memory can be so painful. The thought of losing your loved ones leaves one with a sense of despair and if its unexpected, the grief is even more. Being caught unawares creates an impact that is unimaginable by a mind that has been tuned to complacency and the thought that nothing bad can happen to us. I remember I lost my children's clothes. They were all old clothes and the kids had outgrown them. I, however hung on to the memories. The red dress was worn when the kid was one year old and the blue dress was worn by the younger one when the kid had taken its first step. The whole bundle of clothes had been set aside and had to be kept in another trunk, but it didn't happen. The clothes were left behind, as they looked old. I still feel the loss. I had lost the memories and I do not have those precious things I can pass on to my next generation. The material things don't really matter. It was the love and smiles that were wrapped in those old clothes that made them so priceless.
Anyone who reads this would think I have lost my mind. I thought so too for a very long time. Today when I see people who have lost everything, I console myself with the thought that the people who wore the clothes are fine. The family and loved ones are safe and sound and that's what really matters.
