My wife and I just had our 22nd anniversary. Twenty two years!! That's a long time. So why doesn't it seem that long to me? I still remember, very vividly, the day my wife accepted my proposal and agreed to marry me. I was in a daze for a few days after that, finding it hard to believe that she said "yes". My friends in Med school kept reassuring me, that although they were as confused as me as to why she said "yes", the response indeed had been positive. After a couple of days, just to make sure, I asked her again. And she said "yes" again! For a moment, a teeny-tiny doubt crept up in me. Maybe she was not as smart as I thought her to be, because she said "yes" to me... not once, but twice... in about as many days! But that was the first and last time I doubted her.
Well, then we got married. After that, it hasn't been easy to elicit a "yes" from her for anything. But it has been a wonderful journey. And the best, I believe, is yet to come. My heart still does a somersault every time I see her, and for a good reason-- she gets prettier & more elegant every day! Now enough sucking up, as my dear friends would say!
I've learnt a lot from her over the years. Patience, tolerance, exuberance, selflessness, straight talk..... and also, colors. Colors? You all know how men are with colors. Before I met her, I always thought Turquoise was a certain species in the Tortoise family, and Lavender was something edible like Coriander! And the concept of time in a woman's mind is amazing. When I'm waiting for her to get ready if we are going out somewhere, her answer-- "I've been telling you for the last half-an-hour that I'll be ready in 5 minutes" makes complete sense to me now. Time stands still for ladies when they are in front of the mirror, before heading out for the evening.
Over this expanse of time, life has treated us well for the most part. We've been scared on occasion, hurt on others, seen some tough times..... From her, I've learnt that no matter what the circumstances, with each other & 2 wonderful children, a caring family and some true friends, we are and always will be, wealthy beyond imagination.
I play lotto sometimes, but never with hope of winning the jackpot. Because you can win the jackpot only once in a lifetime, and I won mine 22 years ago.
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Sunday, February 8, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Rediscovering our Core Values....
We all read about and saw the amazing feat of a pilot landing a huge plane on the Hudson, ensuring safety of all the passengers and crew. The pilot of the plane was Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, now popularly known as the "Humble Hero of Hudson." Humble, because that's the way he has been so far. At a recent felicitation in his honor, he spoke for all of 26 seconds and his concluding line was that he "and the crew were just doing the job that they were trained to do."
US airways covered all medical expenses, sent a letter of apology to all passengers and a check for $5000.00 per passenger. A recent news item bothered me and resulted in this post. Some passengers wanted more money, or they would file a lawsuit against the airlines and the pilot!! I couldn't believe it at first, but it is true.
The accident was not due to negligence and was in no way foreseeable. It was just an accident, pure and simple. So why are some people trying to make a payday out of it, rather than just thanking God and the crew for being alive today? That's where our core values come in. Decency, honesty, sincerity, faith, courtesy, trust, standing up for what's right- no matter the circumstances.........
I think just the refund of the ticket would have been enough, but $5000.00 per passenger was a good gesture by the airlines. Asking for more money is being very........ I really can't think of the right printable word, maybe you all can fill in the blank for me! Those who are asking for more money are focusing on a petty gain and in doing so, are missing out on the bigger picture-- that they are alive! I hope better sense prevails eventually.
A lot of times we get embroiled in little controversies that consume us and suppress our core values. These little bumps on this journey of life seem like mountains. All we need to do is look around them, at the road ahead, which is full of promise and potential. Life has so much to offer and the possibilities are endless.
Each of us has our own set of personal values; these are the things which we believe are important, which motivate us and to which we give priority. Our friends might have similar values, but generally are never exactly the same. Everybody has a right to have their own set of priorities. But don't you think it would be great if we all moved away from the culture of "1-800-sue-everybody?"
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US airways covered all medical expenses, sent a letter of apology to all passengers and a check for $5000.00 per passenger. A recent news item bothered me and resulted in this post. Some passengers wanted more money, or they would file a lawsuit against the airlines and the pilot!! I couldn't believe it at first, but it is true.
The accident was not due to negligence and was in no way foreseeable. It was just an accident, pure and simple. So why are some people trying to make a payday out of it, rather than just thanking God and the crew for being alive today? That's where our core values come in. Decency, honesty, sincerity, faith, courtesy, trust, standing up for what's right- no matter the circumstances.........
I think just the refund of the ticket would have been enough, but $5000.00 per passenger was a good gesture by the airlines. Asking for more money is being very........ I really can't think of the right printable word, maybe you all can fill in the blank for me! Those who are asking for more money are focusing on a petty gain and in doing so, are missing out on the bigger picture-- that they are alive! I hope better sense prevails eventually.
A lot of times we get embroiled in little controversies that consume us and suppress our core values. These little bumps on this journey of life seem like mountains. All we need to do is look around them, at the road ahead, which is full of promise and potential. Life has so much to offer and the possibilities are endless.
Each of us has our own set of personal values; these are the things which we believe are important, which motivate us and to which we give priority. Our friends might have similar values, but generally are never exactly the same. Everybody has a right to have their own set of priorities. But don't you think it would be great if we all moved away from the culture of "1-800-sue-everybody?"
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