To Someone, With Love.

By Inderpreet Kaur

Living in the now, savoring it, and changing with each laugh or regret is what life is all about. There are stages in life that come one after another, starting with learning to share a meal in kindergarten, ending with making friends in school, learning to enjoy solitude in college, and ending with the flurry of a busy working life surrounded by coworkers. Several pivotal occasions occur during our lives. We develop and get better at being ourselves. One of those many moments is when we decide who we want to travel the rest of the way with. All those strangely happy times fill our life with joy like a cool breeze. There are times of uncertainty and disarray that we valiantly tackle as a team. Then comes certain moments of disagreement at each other's views, but we discuss it healthily. Later in life, after all, that we achieved and continue to do so; a special moment takes place when a tiny bundle of joy brings the happiness of parenthood and responsibilities. The little one becomes the cynosure of the family, and your world revolves around them. There are a plethora of engagements, from socializing to making time for all the loved ones. While remembering to care for each other through those little gestures of love and segregation of everything with thought and diligence, from a list of people to making time for hobbies. Life keeps evolving and growing, and the bond gets stronger. The little ones are going to college and making their way to a brand new world for themselves. And age-like, a number grows along in the walk bringing repercussions. When bones are weak, aches hurt a little more, and old injuries agonize with ever-changing weather.

One dark day you become acquainted with the news that one of you is on the verge of your last days. It is fading- every memory. The fresh flowers smell stale; all my favorite songs echo in my head, and those twenty-five years falling apart in the blink of an eye. The secret remorse of not being able complete twenty-five in ten days. Time stops, and feelings become numb, making life feel overrated. Every word, every giggle, all the ways of rendering affection, every expression, all those lame jokes, even the arguments, and making ways to proffer each other echoing like a buzzing sound feeling a dream within a dream; nothing felt true, life became another lame joke; a hundred voices, weeping through it, and all of them melting into ashes. All the perfection of the partnership is gone in vain-life stops loving. Twelve years of a lonely life while you have attained so much through your resilience and courage. The little ones are doing very well, have grown to take responsibility, and have married. In every moment of celebration, a bizarre moment of scarce to share. Thinking about scenarios, 'if we were together?' or 'how it could have been if you were around?' and a secret tear sinking the heart like a titanic ship. Then you buckle up for the world and smile, proudly walking through the beating drums. Every moment you have entangled yourself with work and all the hurly-burly of life, but on the day when you have tied a knot for partnership, you go through the wraps and wefts of those memories, and you lose control over yourself. The ship is sinking again, breaking your hurt and tearing it apart, and at this moment, you do not want to stop. Your children care for you. They understand what you have been through, but all they can do is mend ways to make you smile and keep you healthy. They still make you cut a cake, bring gifts, and embrace you with love and affection, but they can never fill the gap knowing how hard they try. Life keeps on dancing in the red shoes while changing the weather from spring to summer and moments of winter that freeze your heart for memories you made. The years will keep moving from twelve to thirty, but those twenty-five minus ten days will be the best forever!

By Inderpreet Kaur