Deaths and Life

Life and death are illusions. We are in a constant state of transformation.     

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Mexican Film Director, 1963- )

Life and Death

Life and death come in a never-ending cycle. After my mother passed away in September last year, I have had some time to think about mortality. I have a notion that the Supreme Being does not want me to witness the death of my loved ones. When my dad passed away in October 2012, I was in Saudi Arabia. I was to appear for the first of the three exams that would lead to my British qualification of MRCPCH. This exam was at Jeddah on the 8th of October. My dad passed away on the 6th. It was ultimate sadness for me to stay back for the exam and THEN travel to India to meet my family and console them/be consoled by them. 

When my mom (Shirin S Savliwala) passed away, I was in the U.K. Her death probably took away the torture she was undergoing for the past month and a half as she had a severe deterioration in August. Fortunately, it may be supposed, I was able to go to meet her for a few days that time; however, when her end came, I could not be there in time for her last rites. 

When I did visit India in mid-September, she had been buried for over 10 days. Even so, I was able to visit her grave and pay my last respects to her. She has left behind over 45 years of memories for me. She married my father when my biological mom passed away in 1971 of breast cancer. She was the real mom to me, although she wasn't my birth mom, as she reared me right from my primary school years to where I am today. May her soul rest in peace.

When you talk of death, can birth or life be far behind? The miracle of life is all around us. I have a small succulent plant that I purchased from a local store a few months ago. It hardly needs watering. I noticed, around mid-October, that it had sprung a whole new stem from the top of it. Now, several new leaves have risen in a rosette around this new stem.

Babies are born at the hospital where I work with near-clockwork regularity. Thousands of babies are born everywhere in the world, with a near 350,000 born globally in a 24-hour interval. Add to this the number of other life forms and we are talking of millions of new organisms, plants and animals every single day of our life. And then, I think: Hmm. So, regardless of lives lost, the planet keeps forming new life at a pace faster than it extinguishes its previous citizens. 

That is the hope that keeps us going. 

What do you think about this issue? Do you think death is a limitation on our race or a kind of selection that makes the species stronger? Do reply in the comments section.

May I also ask you to visit the blog of one of my very good friends who stays at Houston, Texas. Please read her blog HERE. 

An update

It has been a long time since I entered a post here. Just to update everyone, here is a simple synopsis of things that have happened in my life:
1. I rushed home to make peace with my dying mother in the third week of August.
2. I completed my first month in the new home
3. I went back to Mumbai on my planned fortnight-long holiday from the 17th of September to the 20th. In between, my mum passed away to meet her Maker.
4. Upon returning, within a week, I took my study break to visit the United States of America on my first ever visit. The purpose was to participate in the World Congress of Gastroenterology - where I was to mount, display and answer questions on my scientific poster at the Orange County Convention Center, West Concourse, in Florida, USA. I stayed in a budget hotel for 5 nights and used some of the free days to roam around and visit some of the major city-wide attractions, including Universal Studios and Seaworld.
5. Life has gone back to a relaxation mode and I have resumed my work in the hospital.

And that's pretty much it, insofar as a synopsis goes.