Whatever Happens is for our own Good

Last week my car's gear box conked off and the repair work is taking more days since the parts have to be brought from Delhi. So, no choice other than using the public transport after a long long time. My daughter, who is used to go by Car to the college, for the first time has been forced to go by bus, which she was always resisting for months now. I who hated to travel by auto, has to wait and pick an auto to travel to my office and come back home.

Last one week's travel by auto and bus by both of us has made us realize some interesting things about life:

1. Once we get used to any pain or difficulty, it is no longer tough and we tend to accept such things and move ahead than keep worrying about it.
- In the beginning I was cribbing to myself about waiting to find an auto, the way he drives and the pain of sitting inside and the difficulty to take calls while travelling etc. But, after 4 to 5 days, it has become normal/routine and even this journey by auto is interesting and making me observe more the happenings around me than what I could do when I was traveling by car, driven by someone.
- Every pain or difficulty in life is tough only when we face it for the first time. Once we start accepting it, it becomes normal and a part of our life. Just check this with any one who lost his/her limbs or any one who lost anything in their life (it can be their loved ones or anything). They have all accepted it and moved on than keep crying about it. As they say, Life Moves On and the best way to face it is by being confident with the thought that "This Too Shall Pass". Mumbai moved on with 26/11/2008 experience and no longer worries about except the newspapers, who are giving such headlines.
2. Everything happens for our own Good. All these difficulties (small or big) also happen for our own good only.
- My daugher who never learnt how to travel by bus, now learnt the various bus routes/services and is able to go to her college and come back on her own, without any support from us. She will no longer require the car to drop her, which saves us from several planning hastles.
- I would no longer be dependent on my car for travel. I would be fine with both public transport or by my car and will enjoy both the rides.

This reminds of a beautiful story, I read few years back about "whatever happens is for our own good".

An old story is told of a king in Africa who had a close friend with whom he grew up. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) and remarking, “This is for our own good!”

One day the king and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the king. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off. Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, “This is for our own good!” To which the king replied, “No, this is not good and I shall show you how” and proceeded to send his friend to jail and commenting lightly about the loss to the King.

About a year later, the king was hunting in an area that he should have known to stay clear of. Cannibals captured him and took him to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to the stake.

As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone that was less than whole. So untying the king, they sent him way. As he returned home, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend. “You were right”, he said, “it was good that my thumb was blown off”. And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened. “And so I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this.”

No, his friend replied, “This is also for our own good!” What do you mean, “This is for our own good?”” How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?”

The friend said, “If I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you and would have become the perfect food for them.”

Remember, whatever happens, happens for our own good ...