Pearls of wisdom from Chachi

RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE

My septuagenarian aunt is a Big C survivor. She has been a victim of oral cancer for over six years now, despite having no habit of chewing tobacco, confirming the fact that oral cancer can occur even if you are not a tobacco chewer. So, one needs to be prepared for the Big C which can attack anytime, any part of the body.
She is not highly educated but her vast experience in life, living initially in a joint family and later in a nuclear family, has taught her some simple rules. She desires to share her acquired wisdom with others in a hope that it might help them have a good, lovely life.
Her first suggestion is, “never make fun of others mannerisms”; because as per the law of Karma, you never know how it can impact your own life one fine day. This is a concept that is nicely expressed by Rani Mukherjee in the recent movie Hichki to her class students.
Despite her condition, which has brought her down to about 40 kg, she manages with her liquid diet. She has always maintained a healthy diet, eating a proper, full meal three times a day, never over-eating, nor fasting ever. So her advice is, “Eat only as much you can. Know the difference between eating and overeating.”
She also says: “Be positive, everything will be positive.”
She has gone through ups and downs, but she says she could manage it all with one strong point — compatibility. She says, “the essence of life is compatibility with one another, be it family relationships or friends; so be compatible and life will be easy.”
She says: “If there is compatibility between you and me, we won’t feel hurt when we say something to each other. You won’t hold me by neck or I won’t hold you either, when there is acceptance between you and me.”
Her another major belief is: “Forgive and forget, to move on in life. No point in carrying grouse with one another”. You never know how and when life can change for you or for others. At that time, there is no point in regretting over the past.”
On her current ailment, she says: “When things were good for me, I never asked God — why me, so today also I should not complain — why me. It’s God’s will, I accept it.”
Her final pearl of wisdom that touched my heart the most is: “As long as we are alive, we are in a relationship. Post-death, it is only a figment of memories.” So, live life fully and cherish every moment with love for one another.
So profound, indeed.