Soap Bubble

Looked around, it is still dark outside the window, the dawn is a few minutes away. Should I sleep a few minutes more till the alarm rings or should I leave the bed now? The day starts with options. My wife is sleeping on the other side of the bed, may be not really sleeping, but making the same choice in her head. The kids are in their rooms, soon the morning drill, to wake them up and convince them to be ready for school on time, will start.
There were some unanswered work emails from last night which will need immediate attention once the kid’s situation is settled. The client meeting and the internal meeting to address the issues that happened yesterday are scheduled back-to-back with no time to prepare in between. Did I schedule the power bill and HOA payments as today is the last day of both, the mind chatter starts. And Before I take a step out of the quilt, the stress of daily routine has started building.

Another day! The mind says, as I sigh and labor to step out of the bed. Not fully ready for many of the battles that are waiting for me in the day.

I step out, pick my phone, and get to the morning news. 7.8 magnitude earthquake has hit Turkey and Syria is the headline. Thousands dead and tens of thousands missing, under the rubble. Many lost their lives, and many lost their loved ones, their homes, their assets, their life even though they are still alive.

Numbed, I look back at my wife who is going to kid's room to wake them up. I felt so small at feeling the misery about my day just a few minutes ago. Thanked God for yet another day. Yet another chance to talk and play with my kids. Yet another chance to love and argue with my wife. Yet another chance to talk to my parents and my brother. Yet another chance to build something at work. Yet another chance to be worried about things that now feel so insignificant after reading the news.

My heart cries for those who will not get that chance anymore. I offer my apology and gratitude to God for myself. And a prayer for the souls of those who didn’t get that chance that I and millions other have. Those who lost life or lost their reasons to live in the earthquake.

Such is life, don’t take it for granted. Make the most of it, while you have it. Be kind to others and to yourself. I tell myself. I know soon I will become so busy with routine that this advice will faint again.

I will continue to pray for those who perished in the earthquake and those who survived and are left with an unexplainable and unfillable in their heart. May they all be healed. Amen!!!!

 Over 22,000 dead from quake in Turkey and Syria https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/turkey-syria-earthquake-updates-2-10-23-intl/index.

Note: Wrote this a few days back but didn't have courage to post. Finally sharing today knowing that one's existence can cease in the moment when Almighty decides, such is life, just as fragile as a soap bubble. And one can still rise up like bubbles do while they are intact. That is Almighty's grace as well making the bubble float in air and rise without having wings. One should stay grateful till one exists. 

The pictures of rubble left after earthquake are from internet