“Whatever Happens – Happens for Good”

This is a very common idiom but essentially relevant in our lives. Life can be much simpler if we trust this saying to the core. Everyone of us has come across situations in life where this proverb was proven to be true. Its just that in the grip of a tough situation, we tend to forget its significance.

There are trillions of instances which support this fact. Consider this – a high school kid, who’s an exceptional athlete, is working very hard for more than 3-4 years & is quite determined to make a mark in this field. Then all of a sudden comes the blow, he has a uneven growth in his hind joint & is advised rest (i.e, no form of exercise) for more than 3 months. He has an important meet coming up & that is completely blown off because the doctor’s visit was scheduled just the previous day. And after learning the facts, participating in the meet was just not in the cards!! Shaken but not completely broken, the kid not only recovers but also starts regaining almost the same momentum. But destiny had other plans for him, few months down the line he starts feeling this weird pain in his ankle. He doesn’t utter a word of it to anybody fearing being dragged to a doctor who would then push him to another period of rest & boredom. But it only gets worse & he is advised a year’s rest this time!! Now the kid has to choose between sports & academics. Though he is very passionate about athletics, being an athlete seemed to be a far-fetched dream & he had to settle for academics. He graduated with a professional degree with fair results which fetched him a descent job. However after finishing his graduation, he had acute spine problem which landed him into bed rest. It was during this phase of his life, medical facts were dug & explained and after thorough diagnosis, it was stated that his body couldn’t retain calcium & his bones tend to be fragile. All through his formative years the various episodes were subtle hints, but only after the person passes teenage the problem comes afloat. Now can you imagine had things moved smoothly, no doubt he would have been a top-notch athlete but for how long – maybe a year or two & then a lifetime of pessimism. He would have left academics & would have been far behind his peers. He would hardly have any options for an alternate career & would have been leading a mediocre life which he is not attuned to. Leaving sports was a difficult decision for him, but given the present scenario, he has no regrets. Don’t you think whatever happened was for good?

There’s another instance which many have faced. Unfortunately I have personally seen some of my very close people experience it. Two matured people meet, fall in love & decide to spend their life together after considerable thought. They are responsible people who have known each other for years, but sometimes parents fail to realize the fact that their kids have grown up. Many a times, this might surprise you; the only objective of the parent is to object although there is nothing wrong with the alliance. Had he been asked to choose, he would have made a similar choice but it hurts him that his son has taken the decision for him. What he eventually forgets is that the son has taken a decision for himself, its afterall his life & he should be proud that his son has made such a wise decision. In arranged marriages, we leave the selection process in our parents’ hands but the final decision is still ours. We decide which alliance to proceed with from the selected grooms/ brides. In case of love marriage, if the couple is able to convince the parents then one couldn’t ask for more. However, if that doesn’t happen, don’t worry, the world isn’t going to end!! Just think about it, if your spouse’s parents are so vocal about their objection before marriage, would they turn into a new leaf after marriage. You have already lost respect in their eyes probably you might have lost respect for them too, do you think this is the right way to start a new relationship, which mind you is a relationship for life. The only support is your spouse, what if he/she changes? Though you know each other for a long time but still you don’t know a person until you live with him. And in the process of the headstrong confrontation that you had resorted to with your respective parents, you have hurt each others’ feelings immensely. But since they are parents, your own flesh & blood, they might forgive you or vice-versa whatever be the case. But what about the verbal or non-verbal exchanges between the concerned parents? That’s something which won’t be forgotten for a long time to come. Can you accept such a relation (read no-relation) between your parents & in-laws? Don’t attempt to ruin your whole life just to save a few years relationship. So, even if a long term relation ends because of family pressures or because of your after-thought, don’t worry, better things are in store for you. There’s a loving, caring & understanding spouse whom you are yet to meet, in-laws who would treat you as their own child. A family you always dreamt of; which is just like the family you have been born & brought up in. You deserve it and you are destined to have it & that’s the reason this relation failed but remember you didn’t. You might find it hard to believe now but at a later stage in life you will be happy for what happened & will have no regrets whatsoever.

Afterall every cloud has a silver lining. And the cloud happens to be there for a reason, that’s to warn you of the upcoming storm. The cloud may linger for a longer time than you want, so you have to endure pain or inconvenience but once you successfully avoid the storm you will appreciate the significance of the silver lining & cherish it forever. Whatever happens to us might not be rosy or right at the moment, but time will prove it to be the best that could have happened to us. Be optimistic - life can't resist optimistic people!!