Tame the Storm

Sept 2017 was a difficult month for our family. First, we heard news that my then 43-year-old sister was pregnant for second time. Normally, that is a happy news. However, my sister, just like I am, is a victim of polio virus. She has great difficulty in walking. I was worried that pregnancy at such a late age will damage her spine because of the way she hobbles around. Within a week, our worries multiplied. She was detected with malignant breast cancer. Effective cancer treatment during pregnancy is very difficult ordeal. And she wanted to have the baby. That meant accepting a chance that cancer can spread, as aggressive treatments cannot be given during pregnancy. 

The below is the poem that I wrote for my sister on the day we heard the dreadful news and her stoic resolve to continue with the pregnancy.

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Here is English translation of the meaning of the poem

I tame the typhoons and storms 

I devour the burning flames of sun

I tame the typhoons and storms 

I surf the velvety moon rays

I tame the typhoons and storms 

I crush Mt Everest with one step

I tame the typhoons and storms 

I enjoy the sweet song of life

Next two years were emotional ordeal for us. However, my sister is now cancer free and her second daughter, that she bravely carried in her womb in the face of cancer, is now a naughty little girl of three years.

Now, India is going through storm of second surge. We face difficult choice of keeping the economy running and the risk of spread; just like my sister faced a choice of securing her life or bring a baby into this world. Both are possible, if we stoically tame the storm.

Now, the last part of this story. From Oct 2017 till June 2019, I made nearly 10 trips to Canada from Mumbai to visit my sister and to be on her side during difficult period. On the side, I tried visiting potential clients for my business Decimal Point Analytics (DPA). The objective of those trips was not business, but it was just a sideshow to keep myself busy. However, maybe potential clients in Canada saw in my eyes some new resolve to live my life fully. Now, Canada is DPA’s second largest export market for 2020, from exactly zero Canadian clients in 2017. There is always a silver lining to the dark clouds. And darker the cloud, brighter the silver lining. So do not despair. Keep spirits high, and we will win this battle. We will tame this storm.