"Dear Future "......

It all once happened On a beautiful Friday evening, while I was just refreshing myself on a cup of coffee . 

My aunt visited with all her delight and joined me for coffee.

While we were enjoying ourselves with the strong relishing flavors of my mom's best filter coffee. My aunt stuck me with her vague questions.

Aunt: Hey Jeevitha , I see you have put on weight ,and by the way, how did your 25th birthday go? , I heard you all had a blast ? How many boys attended your party?

Me: hmm it was good all the boys who attended are my brothers … eeee

Oh well that's great, now that you are 25.. Don’t you think it’s time you settle down in life and get married? why aren’t you getting married?

Me:Aunty I am waiting for my prince charming .{weird look}

Aunty: If you keep pushing like this you get one old taklu{bald man} as your husband.. Moreover planning for babies will be a task!

These vague questions struck me with a great jolt.

These questions were intentional or not for the lady, they surely sparked a small flame in my heart.

I dono if the questions asked made of any importance to her or not, they surely were a like a worm put in my head.(lol)Everything i did from then i was only able to connect to those questions .

I look at my face book news feed and my school friend has posted that she just delivered a baby girl,

Another friend posted a photo that she was on her honeymoon in an exotic destination,

My friend who studied with me at christ college, is happily divorced with her first husband and now looking for her second.{laughs}

And here I was still trying to figure out what clothes to wear today and where to party the weekend.. 

And all of a sudden, a wave of questions swept in me , of Future, money, my age, my wrinkles, my Prince Charming and what if I had to face a disaster in the near future.

With the same worm tingling in my head, I greet my principal{currently i work for educational institution s} the next morning and asked her the same questions that had haunted me all the while.. 

->What are your plan for the future ma'am?

She told me how she saves her money in FDs / investments in GOLD AND SOME FOR her expenses.

Next up i happen to bump into my math professor and asked him if he had planned anything for his future? 

He answered sharply that he had invested in mutual funds (with his stiff upper lips) and a plot near kanakpura that he was intending to buy .

My last encounter was our social teacher who was just engaged; 

When asked the same questions on her future. she answered with a smile {blushing} that she sees her future in the eyes of Rahul her fiancé, haha

I then attacked all my students with the same old question like a tiger till I got enough of answers.One said he wanted to become an actor

And one a dancer, a musician , a chef, a teacher etc and the list went on....

And so my quest continued by asking everyone one about their future and then came the weekend. 

I had to attend the event of the NGO that I am a part of .

LML or { little more love}is an NGO where a group of youngsters raise funds for a cause and support the underprivileged in the society.That week the event happened to be at kidwai <cancer treatment hospital> here we had planned on to sing Christmas carols ,conduct some games and fun activities for the kids to enjoy. While we were all having a great time , A notorious kid names surya was dancing and fighting with everyone calling himself bahubali ....

It was a delight to see him jump around and enjoy his heart out. 

I noticed his mother next to me and jovially told her that her son is going to be a wrestler when he grows up.

On hearing my words, a moment of silence passed between us.

 The shaken mother answered me with pale eyes and heart filled with grief that  he was living the last few days of his life that the doctor has promised. A maximum of 15days would be his life from that very day.  

And the moment I heard that, I was flooded..

I was shattered, melted and numb. 

With cold hands and tears rolling in my eyes , I saw the 7year old unconscious of the death that wants to greet him in 15days rejoice his life last moments.

The little Surya came up to me with his baby foot taking small steps and asked me to join me for a dance as his favorite song was being played.

On seeing the agony in my face..he cheered me up with his humorous wit  ...

That day and that moment was one that can never be easier for my heart .

And I m sure that each one us worry about our future all the time? But I request you all to asks your self a question, "Is there a guarantee to our lives from this very moment of time ? "

Is there a guarantee that we will wake up tomorrow morning to hear a good morning from our beloved ones?

I'm sorry if my words seem a little heard for some of us to digest.

But I want all of us present here to change our thoughts of the past and the future that we worry of and start to think about the present.

This very moment that I am standing in front of all you loving audience and delivering this speech and this very moment that all of you'll are living ,is a blessing from above.

" This minute is the youngest and oldest I can ever be" .

As a wise man once said , forget about the future don't think about the past, live this very moment with blissfully and happiness, as the present is the best present you can ever get .

Make the present the best present you can gift yourself because future is just like a wrapped gift box which shall unwrap when its time … 

 Thank you, 

JEEVITHA. P . RAJU