Don’t delay your dreams

“Aarzoo: We will go Scuba Diving when you turn 12”,?

“We will do skydiving on my 40th birthday”,

these were the promises that I made to my daughter when she turned 10.?

Festive season was in the air. It was the time of Christmas and everyone around us and around the world, was gearing up for the celebration. Our eyes were happy to see joy and happiness in the eyes of people. Kids, teens, adults, and elders, all were looking forward to the big day of Christmas. People were shopping for their loved ones. Everyone was in a rush with lots of bags of joy and happiness in their hands. Everyone was so excited to either give gifts to loved ones or get gifts from their Santa.?

We too were so excited for Christmas and our long awaited holidays on a cruise around the pacific ocean. We all were waiting eagerly for this trip because it was the first trip after many years in the down under. Why do we leave alone??? We also did lots of shopping for our trip with lots of excitement in our eyes. Myself, wife, daughter and friends were looking forward to this and waiting to spend lots of good, quality and happy times together while leaving all the worries, stress, and tension behind us on the land.?

We can see joy in everyone’s eyes and everyone was apprehensive of making lifetime memories. Kids were not able to contain their excitement and did not sleep the whole night before the day of the cruise. We all were hopeful of great and relaxing times ahead on the deep blue ocean and were eagerly waiting to blend in the nature around us. It was Christmas and time spent very well with family and friends to finish with a wonderful dinner with loved ones.?

Tada….The journey started with a bang and the sound of the ‘Foghorns’ vibrated our eardrums. Even though it was loud, it felt soothing as it was the embarkation of the journey of beautifulness, picturesqueness, dreaminess and ultimate magic of seascape.

Under the open blue sky and above the deep blue ocean, we started our journey and our queen ‘blew the bugle’ and saluted the Sydney harbour bridge.?

With a smile on everyone’s face, we looked at the vast ocean and started to chit chat, crack PJs. It was a great feeling because we talked and talked and talked for many hours without any filters, without any boundaries, and without any hesitations. Amazing start of riding the majestic queen of the ocean. Materialistic items or money could bring happiness for sometimes but friends bring joy, happiness, and laughter? for lifetime. We are lucky to have friends who became family.?

Dancing on the floor, having all meals together, planning for next meal while having the meal ?? ?? ??, playing table tennis, walking on the edge of mothership, sliding down the slides, swimming in the pool while having sip of lychee mocktails, playing bingo, watching movies on a big screen and at midnight star gazing under the wonderful skyline became routine for next 3 days.?

We woke up early in the morning to hug the rising sun that slowly slowly saw us from the umbrella of clouds. We appreciated nature and God for giving us the health to feel the beauty around us. “Heaven was under our feet as well as over our heads.” I felt nature is the perfect way to find your inner-peace whether it is seeing the rising sun or falling stars in the night or hearing the murmuring voices of a sea.?

But nothing lasts for long and same was for our happiness, joy, and our laughter. Slowly slowly darkness was overshadowing the brightness and strange feelings were there in body and mind.?

“It's strange, Mentally I could demolish a tank but Physically I was drained”, but still there was a smile on my face. Something was there that was hurting me throughout the journey.?

As always, “In the end, you keep going back to the beginning”, we were back on land but some strange feelings were there. No idea what was there but something was there and it was bothering us. I have no idea whether it was for good or bad but nature was forcing us to take some steps.?

Suddenly my better half understood and forced me to visit the place which I always avoid (the hospital). She was nature and nature reacted with anger but that anger turned out as blessings. All of a sudden, from the fun filled surroundings to the silence.

I was asked by my GP to rush to emergency and doctors in emergency started to find out what’s going on. I was needled and in 30 mins I was in the operation theatre.?

Within a few minutes, I was in a different world. I could see the flashback of my whole life in front of me. It was quite amusing to see my life moments coming one by one in my mind and making me realise how precious they are.?

It was a tense time, everyone was praying for my good health, my better half was struggling to manage many things alone (can’t believe how she managed and from where she got the strength).?

My daughter was anxious and worried to know what had happened to me. Friends rushed to help us without any hesitation. That is unconditional love.??

It’s true that “Real friends treat you like a family”.?

Never underestimate the humanity around you. Over the period of 10 days, I saw selfless acts by friends, family members, doctors, nurses, hospital staff, chef, cleaners, transport team and many more holy souls. Amazingly many of them did not know me and I did not know them but still there was a trust, support, bonding, touch and feelings that got us all together.?

Life is never a smooth sailing boat. It has to fight the waves. This time my wife got COVID. We sailed through the whole pandemic without any problems and COVID came out of a blue sky at the same time while I was in hospital. Suddenly I was in isolation, my wife too was in isolation and my daughter with her friend in her house far away from us. All of a sudden, from enjoying time together, we all were separated.

“The good news: Nothing lasts forever."

I recovered and my lungs started breathing again normally. But

“The bad news: Nothing lasts forever.”

“Doctor: you can’t do scuba diving, sky diving in your life again. It could be life threatening for you if you do it again !!!!”

Do it now. Fulfil your dreams. Sometimes later becomes never.?

DO NOT DELAY YOUR DREAMS !!!!