The rain and a story about aging

The day that was : 8th March 2012.
It’s a quarter past three in the afternoon as I type. And outside it’s raining.

I take a peek from the glass window at my work place and watch the rain pouring down, like a deluge. And the sound of droplets raining onto the ground can be intimidating, it’s as if to sound off warning of impending gloom, like a flash flood, which is a frequent occurrence here at my place.

But casting aside this thought and simply allowing myself to indulge in the sight and sound of water cascading down to the ground is such pure bliss, I feel as if I am immediately brought to a safe corner of my own, away from judgement and criticism and self deprecating thoughts, where now only a sense of calm and tranquillity permeate my being.

Today in the midst of completing tasks at work I surfed the internet aimlessly, just to draw some inspirational words in a bid to dispel these feelings of pessimism and morbidity which, without me noticing, has managed to sinisterly creep in while my focus veered out of its course in those few unguarded moments of carelessness and stupidity.

I came across a piece of writing about a 40 years old photographer who took photographs of aging animals. Its a noble attempt on her part to confront her own fear of aging , having had to care for her mother who is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease besides the pain of dealing with her increasing state of decline and vulnerability . It was such a beautiful and touching story. And reading her moving account of how animals, just like us humans are able to experience pain and fear as well as pleasure and contentment, and how they have to ultimately deal with the inevitable – death.

I am truly inspired by this story, I do believe death in itself, and the fact that we are mere mortals do not perpetuate this sense of morbidity in us, but how we adopt our own attitudes towards dealing with the inevitable are essentially the key to ensure that, in time to come, we are able to equip ourselves with the right mentality to embrace aging and mortality with a sense of grace and dignity.

That evening, the woman’s story tucked at my heart strings, and it became a rope to reel me in...