Empty Chairs, Incomplete Conversations, and Late Tears
How strange and naive we humans are. We often take life as a mere routine and treat our bonds as if they are lines carved in stone, never to fade. We consider the presence of our loved ones like the air that surrounds us at all times, so we forget to appreciate it. In their presence, we take their love for granted, treating it as a burden or a mere "obligation."
Silence in Life, Noise after Death
What a tragic irony it is that as long as a person is alive, we never seem to have the time to listen to them. The person who is part of every minor and major moment of our lives is reduced to a mere background element. When they call out to us, we offer a passing, casual reply. When they want to share their solitude, we bury ourselves in our work. When they wish to sit and spend time with us, we brush them off with a "later." They endure our petty bitterness, tolerate the harshness of our tones, and silently keep the lamp of their love burning.
Then, one day... the journey of life abruptly halts. The person who, until yesterday, occupied a corner of our home is suddenly reduced to nothing more than a memory. And that is when the agony begins—the remorse that tears the soul apart.
Memories Wrapped in a Shroud and the Mourning of Conscience
When that person falls silent, we finally feel the weight of their voice. When the room goes empty, the realization of their presence crashes down on our chests like a heavy burden. We sit by their grave, touch the mound of dirt, and shed tears whose value has now dropped to zero.
We kiss the objects they used. We read and reread the messages we never bothered to look at before. To show the world how grief-stricken we are, we post their pictures, update melancholic statuses, and console our egos with the thought, "Look how much we loved them." But in reality, at that moment, we are not weeping for them; we are weeping for our own "conscience." We are not crying because they left us, but because we failed to give them the respect, attention, and love they deserved while there was still time.
We weep because they are no longer before us so we can pull them into an embrace and say, "Please forgive me, I neglected you so much." Now they are too far away, where our cries, our remorse, and our tears can no longer reach them.
Express Love Through Time, Not Through Tears
Those who are with you today—whether they are your parents, your life partner, or the friends who share your sorrows and joys—remember that they are all temporary trusts. The fact that they turn around when you call their name, that they carve out time to talk to you, is such a profound privilege!
Placing roses on someone's grave after they are gone is far better replaced by scattering flowers along the pathways of their homes while they are still alive. Hanging garlands on their photographs after death is nothing compared to bringing a smile to their face today. Life is merciless; it waits for no one. Once time slips through your fingers, a human is left with nothing but regret.
Final Thought: Weeping profusely beside a dead body is the easiest thing in the world because it requires no effort. True bravery and true love mean cherishing those who are still breathing beside you, loving them so deeply that if they were to part ways with you tomorrow, no thorn of regret would prick your soul.
Take a few moments of leisure today, sit beside your loved ones, ask about their well-being, and let them know how much they matter in your life. Because no one knows whose life tomorrow's sun will fail to rise upon.
Humbly seeking your prayers, Sagar Pardesi.
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