#492 The best gift that I've received

 The best gift that I’ve received

Image Source : Google Images

Life has been great for me, so far, that’s what I can write when I try to reflect on my life through this article. Of course, like everyone’s life, my life has never been devoid of failures, setbacks, disappointments, dissatisfaction, or heartbreaks on professional grounds. Things could’ve been done differently or looked at from a noble perspective (that’s easier said than done), when I am trying to analyze my past, at this point. That’s when I have more dots, from the past, to connect with, in the present time, doesn’t it become a little easier to evaluate my actions?

Life has been kind enough to bestow a lot of gifts on me but let me not forget that each gift came with a certain price of either my own or my family. The best gift that I’ve received is my precious childhood. My father made a crucial decision at the crossroads of his life to move to a faraway place from the comfort of his hometown. I remember that day very clearly, when he got an offer to move to Kanpur, leaving behind his beloved demised maternal grandmother. When the entire family was soaked in the grief of this irreparable loss, he made a huge sacrifice for us, to move to a faraway place, all alone. In earlier years of his office, he battled with dirty office politics of every day, and health issues arising because of that and supported us selflessly. He took us to Kanpur a year after his move, where we started our primary education.

There are several advantages of being able to be brought up in a campus environment of an educational institution and I am lucky to have felt the benefits of that. First, safety is the primary reason. The campus environment was safe for us to explore or cycle. I completed my education till 12^th grade inside the campus and didn’t have to face any issues of safety. Second, the campus was the home to people from diverse cultures. Being an institution at the all-India level, it attracted people from different states, backgrounds, or cultures. My friends, in school, were from different states and it created an awareness and interest to know their culture. Knowledge/Awareness always drives away biases, I feel. In the later years of my life, I was able to befriend people from different states without any judgment or preconceived notions. Third, I got immense motivation from this place and its people who were highly qualified yet humble about their achievements. This pushed me to perform well in academics and I derived immense pleasure in spending time exploring reading and writing. I was always inspired by my peer groups at school who provided an environment for healthy competition. There is no growth without competition. Fourth, I started dreaming of being a part of it and put all my efforts into action. Dreams are important parts of life that drive one towards excellence. In the process of pursuing those dreams, I became sincere and disciplined. Fifth, access to technology. I am talking about the time from 2005-2011, we had access to a landline connection for the internet at home and a desktop computer. I started taking help for academics from various online forums like yahooanswers, goiit, 9math and received useful information. I also spent time playing and exploring different gaming websites like miniclip.

My schools on campus provided enough opportunities to explore other co-curricular activities along with academics like singing, painting, writing, sports, elocution, etc. I was good at academics and developed a keen interest in painting, singing, and writing. It wouldn’t have been possible without the support of my parents. My father always encouraged me to participate in various competitions and Olympiads and got study material for preparation while my mother took all care not to distract us from academics. She would prepare meals for us, provide extra care during exams, and celebrate each win. I have had wonderful discussions with my father ranging from history to science technologies, career choices, etc.

I believe in destiny now which I didn’t, as a child because I always got favorable results whenever I put sincere efforts until my college days or life after that. It’s when life taught me that it’s not linear, it’s not a bed of roses, not every effort of mine will yield results and I should have the courage to accept whatever it brings on my plate. Life taught me that it will throw curveballs toward me to test my patience and I must face these curveballs boldly for my betterment. I have failed many times in the past but at this point in my life, when I look back, I don’t have any regrets for the chances I took because I tried and failed. I would have failed anyway, had I not taken any chances. I didn’t run away from the battlefield like a coward. I also learned that regret for not trying is heavier than failing. I don’t get demotivated by failures so easily and I make sure to try once more.

I will forever be grateful for these wonderful and glorious memories of my childhood and the people whom I met during this phase of my life as it has helped me to be the person that I am today. My parents not only nurtured my aspirations but ingrained a lot of values in me. They provided me with a thought process to widen my vision and dream. In my opinion, a well-lived life is a life when you can’t recall bad experiences even though there could be many. My heart brims with nothing but a sense of gratitude when I traverse the lanes of my bygone days. Even though half of my dreams remain unfulfilled today as destiny has different plans for me, I am very hopeful about the countless opportunities that life may offer in the future and I am assured of the fact that no effort ever goes in vain. It’s time to end my chains of thoughts here and keep some moments of my childhood to revisit later.

Image Source: Google Images

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Swati Sarangi

09.02.2024   

P.S: This post is a part of #WriteAPageADay2024 #WAPAD2024 written under the prompt “The best gift that you've received”.