Living life completely

Living life completely

February 2014

By Jamuna Rangachari

Let us never give up on life but face all the challenges we may have to face and add some prayer to invoke grace and move towards acceptance, says Jamuna Rangachari

Life

…

Break in me whatever needs to be broken.

Fix my hope of ever being fixed.

Use me. Draw every ounce of creativity out of me. Help me live a radically unique life, forever forging a never-before-trodden path in the forest.

Show me how to love more deeply than I ever thought possible.

Whatever I am still turning away from, keep shoving in my face.

Whatever I am still at war with, help me soften towards, relax into, fully embrace.

Where my heart is still closed, show me a way to open it without violence.

Where I am still holding on, help me let go.

Give me challenges and struggles and seemingly insurmountable obstacles, if that will bring an even deeper humility and trust in the intelligence of life.

Help me laugh at my own seriousness.

Allow me to find the humour in the dark places.

Show me a profound sense of rest in the midst of the storm.

Don’t spare me from the truth. Ever.

Let gratitude be my guide.

Let forgiveness be my mantra.

Let this moment be a constant companion.

Let me see your face in every face.

Let me feel your warm presence in my own presence.

Hold me when I stumble.

Breathe me when I cannot breathe.

Let me die living, not live dying.

Amen.

This poem conveyed just the kind of prayer I and in fact, all of us need. The last line, Let me die living, not live dying. especially is extremely relevant and necessary for all of us.

When I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), I did despair for a while.

Those of us with MS or any-so called incurable ailment feel that the challenge we face is  the most insurmountable, most difficult. This is really not true. There are several people combating various challenges. Some are  more difficult, in fact much more challenging that what has landed in our lap.

We cannot sing a song of self pity as that would indeed get us nowhere.

 The fact is that each challenge, when addressed can only make us stronger and more powerful. The only other option one has is only to despair.

As a person who has been there, done that. I can only request that all of us

Let us all live life to the hilt and NOT live dying.