mom i have cancer...

I have been thinking over this issue for quite a few days and wanted to write about it, but didnt know where to start. not that i am any clearer about the concept now, but i have to blog it if i want the world to think about it.. so here goes.

i guess i got the motivation from one of the spam mails forwarded by my college friend that showed disturbing images of a burnt baby, with an appeal to forward the mail so that the child would earn 10cents for every forward etc etc.  What made me think was not the graphic images but the power these images had, to touch peoples hearts, and contribute to the success of the spam mail. It must have touched my friends heart that he generously forwarded it to the whole of my saboocomps yahoo group, believing he had earned the child a few dollars..sigh!   

If you guys remember, it wasnt so long ago that make-a-wish foundation became popular for fulfilling the last wishes of children suffering from cancer and whose days were numbered.  I thought to myself, is this child luckier than me.  There goes one who gets to meet sharukh, and wow look aish is kissing another kid on his cheek. sweet! But the star meetings soon end and the child is back to reality, the harsh reality, and the impending call of death.  

If i were to revisit my childhood, i can remember several instances when i have cried bitterly for some silly toy, a video game or something that my mom didnt want to buy me.  Not that we were poor or anything, but it was considered to be a "wastage of money".  "we dont need it" came a prompt reply anytime i asked for stuff that i normally never asked for, but was just tempted into buying only because one of my duffer classmate had it.  It isnt a very uncommon scene in middle class families.  Many a times parents go to the extent of explaining to their kids that they have a limited budget and they cant afford to buy that toy or the new game this month with a false assurance that "we'll buy it some other time".   

Now consider this scenario where a child walks up to his parents and tells them, mom dad i have cancer and i dont have many days to live, can i have that new video game.  His parents would have tears in their eyes.  They would now go to any extent to get the kid the game that he so badly wants.  They'll beg, borrow, steal(my english prof used to tell us in school.. if u dont have a pen to write with go arnd and beg, borrow, steal one from ur friends.. i learnt this phrase then), take a loan, sell their jewellery and just about anything it takes to fulfil the childs dream. Why just the parents, think of your arch enemy.  What if he were to walk up to you and tell  you, dude i have been diagnosed with cancer, i prolly have another 6months.  would you forget our age old animosity and be friends with me?  trust me, you would hug him like you hugged your cousin when he stood 20th in the SSC merit list and cry if you happen to be that senti person.  

Why is it that we value people when we know they will no longer be around us for long, than when they are hale and hearty and can possibly live a long life, prolly longer than us.  Why does the call of death suddenly ring a bell somewhere in our brain, or mind, probably heart and makes us think.  Why do people gather around someones dead body and cry their hearts out when they couldnt even find time to call the deceased when he was alive, and lonely and really needed someone to talk to.  Why are people showered with praises and made to look like angels born on earth only after their death.   Why do we stand quietly in a corner and whisper to the person standing next to us and say "he was a nice man".  When will these words of praise come out of our mouths for deserving people while they are alive. 

I have probably discussed more than one issue in this blog but please do think over all the questions that i have raised.  

And as a closing note, i would like to mention, i have had differences with my mother over some issues that are too personal to be mentioned here, and no matter how much i tried to convince her she didnt budge... what makes me think is... instead of saying mom i want XYZ,  would she have agreed had i said, mom i have cancer and i dont have much time left can i have XYZ... 

you bet!