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| I Am The Rising Phoenix |
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| Survivor |
Nature calms my agitated mind, plants give me company in my solitude. When I try to compare humans to plants around me I am intrigued by what I see.
There are some striking similarities despite of glaring dissimilarities. Specially the similarity between resilience of trees/plants and human is astounding. Yes ofcourse both survive and thrive if they are fittest.
Difference? Apart from resilience human require to be fittest not only physically but also strong mentally with great willpower.
Butea Monosperma also known as Palash or Tesu (At least I know it's two names only) is my tree of inspiration and so is this bubbly, smiling young lady whom I compare with my Palash tree. Hope the reader finds comparison justified.
It was bright afternoon. Pleasant weather, and clear sky was the prediction. No warning or sign of oncoming storm.
Well that day I realised that when storm comes unannounced it either destroys us or gets destroyed by our resilience.
There were two of these trees standing majestically near our govt bungalow in DIAT. Their dark green foliage and bright red /orange flowers used to cheer up every passer by. They were thriving, growing high as if sky was the limit. Flowering copiously every season.
We all were cheerful and enjoying with our guests. Suddenly loud rumbling sound, frightening all of us, came from outside.
There at my doorstep was this unpredictable storm with dark clouds and lightening.
Lightening stuck my Palash tree. Cleaving it to half from middle, right from top to bottom. One half was, standing stout, other half lying prone on the ground, it's branches pointing to the standing half as if saying "pick me up". Both bleeding from fresh wound.
We thought this is the end of our bright flowering tree.
Months passed, the standing part kept growing, it's wound healing slowly, but the fallen half?
No it did not perish only it's the branches withered. It had strong willpower to survive.
To our delight we noticed it growing little green offshoots and before we realised these offshoots had already become branches ready to flower. The Phoenix was rising from ashes.
Now why almost after ten years of leaving govt bungalow I suddenly remembered that beautiful Palash tree?
Well to be truthful I did not remember, but was reminded of it by an old picture of a beautiful, cheerful, girl with odd hair cut . She and my Palash tree have so much in common.
Yes you guessed it right. She is a fighter, gritty survivor telling the world like my Palash tree that "if one is determined nothing and nobody can defeat you".
She was a bubbly young girl when lightning struck her out of blue. Yes I say out of blue because there were no signs, no indication that she is suffering form of blood cancer. Like my Palash tree she was emotionally wounded.
I was pained to see my Palash tree stuck by lightening, her parents and sibling were hurt and scared beyond imagination.
Defeat was not in the lexicon of that young girl, her parents and not to mention her dotting brother. Determination to win against all odds and resilience made huge difference.
It left her physically emotionally and medically drained. But she like my Palash tree said "Defeat? What is that?. I have not read that word in lexicon of my life".
She braved all storms of harsh medical treatments, but came at the top in her class and life. ALWAYS.
She always espoused positivity in thought and action. Else getting out of chemotherapy and going straight to exam is not easy.
There was no place and time for negativity in her life.
Her parents and sibling were her support, but she became their pillar of strength.
Do you think my Palash tree braved all adversities to spring into life after fall? Well think of her. She must have braved so many internal and external storms. She must have encountered endless demons (fear, anxiety, helplessness,..) but did not let them defeat her.
Today after almost 15 yrs of defeating cancer that bubbly girl has become a beautiful young lady who is a dance exponent, superb baker, successful software engineer, but best a great wife and doting mother to equally talented boy.
In nature it is not only my Palash tree which survives. Have you seen grass. Every form of life walks over it yet its instinct of survival, it's resilience makes it rise from ashes again and again.
When a donkey asked grass "you are trampled the whole day by all forms of life yet why you look so happy every morning?"
The grass replied " because I know I am being useful to others. I give comfort to the foot which fall on me,
I fill the stomach of hungry animals.
Despite of hard ground and all the trampling I grow and look happy because I know how to fight odds with positivity.
My dear young lady did you take inspiration from nature? Or nature took inspiration from you?
Debatable isn't it?
Surely now not only my Palash tree, but you and him both are my inspiration. All those who read this I hope understand that there is much more to life than self pity and negativity.
It is difficult, very difficult but not impossible to remain positive and say "I can do it, I (my spirit) is undefeatable".
I have not expressed my feeling when my Palash tree fell, and not written much about parents and sibling of the young lady.
May be in future their struggle and rock solid support will be inked.
Till then
Be positive
Take stock of your life and fight all odds and say " I can do it".
*The article is based on true incidents both of Palash tree and the Young lady. Identity of the young lady is not revealed for privacy reason.
