With Christmas less than a week away, it is the perfect time to pause for a moment, and appreciate life. Perhaps, taking the time to focus on both the success and failures could take us to higher accomplishments. Through the lens of a college student, we are reminded that life truly is just too short not to appreciate. The Tetso College family sincerely wishes all a meaningful and a very Merry Christmas!
Let’s Appreciate Life!
There comes a phase in everyone’s life, especially during our childhood when we can’t wait to grow older and step into the real world. But, when we finally reach that stage and start taking the responsibilities and burdens in life we wish to go back to our childhood days when we were young and free with no worries for our future. When I was in high school I couldn’t wait for the day when I leave school and go to college. But when the day finally arrived, the feeling of leaving school became so hard. The love, affection and care towards each other and the times spent together with friends, those joys and laughter became a part of our memory; which we forgot to appreciate during that time and realised only after it was gone.
Life is very short to have regrets. We may have many plans and dreams to achieve but it is uncertain because everything is in God’s hand. We never know what is in store for us in our lives. We cannot change our fate and God’s plan, but what we can do is change the way we live and through our ways we can bring a positive impact in the life of our family and others as well. When we have the time we must learn to appreciate our life, and for the things that we have, before we lose it.
It is unfortunate that people forget to appreciate the things they have. And the sad part is we tend to appreciate things only when we lose it. As humans, we are never satisfied with what we have, we want more and more, and forget to appreciate what we have. For instance, if we have a cycle, we wish for a bike. If we have a bike, we wish for a car and it goes on. A man without legs should be happy that he is alive. For the man who has legs should be glad that he is able to walk freely and can go wherever he wants to. For the man who owns the car should be happy that he can sit under the luxury of his car and travel wherever he wants to. But as humans, we don’t look and appreciate it that way because our wants are unlimited.
In today’s world, people are always greedy for more. If we have this, we want that, if we have that we want this. That’s how life goes around. We never stop wanting for more and say that I am satisfied with everything I have. We have a life, which we cannot appreciate after death, so appreciate it when we can.
Personally, I regret all the things that I have done wrong for I could have done better. I regret losing the good things in life because I could have made it stay with me if only I had valued it when I had the chance. When I was younger, I wished that I was born in a richer family, with all the luxuries in life, but as I am maturing in age, I have come to realize that what I was wishing for is wrong because I have a loving family, a place I can go to which I call home. That is luxury to me because I know there are many people out there who don’t have a shelter or a family to go to.
Few months ago, my brother had to undergo an operation. Being the youngest and the only brother he means a lot to us. But I did not realize that until he was in pain. I realized his worth only when his life was in danger. It was during those times that I began to question whether I will be able to show the love I have for my brother, and whether I will be able to make him realize his worth in my life and in our family’s life. I regretted all the things I had told him all our lives. I felt sorry for the fights we got into. That event in our family made me understand and appreciate all things in life; good or bad, big or small everything has its value in life.
Of course, it is important to have the desire to want more and be ambitious in order to go further in life. But we should know the balance of it. We want to achieve success in life; we want to make more and more money. And the reason behind running towards success and money is to become someone in life. Someone who can provide for himself and for the family as well, but it is ironic that while we are chasing for the success and the money we forget to give time to our family. Money comes and goes but our life, it comes only once. Once our life is over or wasted, we cannot buy it or restart it. Once it’s gone, it will never come back. Once you are dead no matter how rich you are, you won’t be able to wake up and re-live your life or see your family again. You will never get a chance to make your family and friends realize how much they really mean to you. So, it is my sincere request that when you are still living, appreciate the things in your life. Love, live and let others live and make memories to be cherished forever.
Degree of Thought is a weekly community column initiated by Tetso College in partnership with The Morung Express. Degree of Thought will delve into the social, cultural, political and educational issues around us. The views expressed here do not reflect the opinion of the institution. Tetso College is a NAAC Accredited UGC recognised Commerce and Arts College. The editors are Dr Hewasa Lorin, Tatongkala Pongen, Aniruddha, Meren and Kvulo Lorin.
For feedback or comments please email: dot@tetsocollege.org.