In one of my earlier posts, I had remarked that old persons do not have a future. This remark came under severe criticism by some of my very near and dear ones, as they thought that the remark smacked of pessimism, frustration and negative attitude. Now I want to clarify that having no future is to be interpreted as 'freedom from future.' Who does not want freedom? Who would like to remain a slave?

Right from the childhood we have remained slaves of future. Planning for our exams, planning for a career, planning for marriage, children's education, their marriage, etc. etc. Now we are senior ctizens - retired from job and free from domestic obligations. Our main responsibility now is to look after ourselves and help others if such a help is sought. The past is dead, the future cannot be predicted. The present is the only reality. Let us live in the eternal NOW, which is the only reality. I appeal to all the senior citizens not to brood over the past and not to worry about future. We have lived the past, we are not aware of future. We have achieved freedom. Let us live every moment of the present and be happy.

My Current Interests.

These days I am always thinking of diseases, death and divinity. I am neither depressed nor negative. It is just that these topics fascinate me a lot.

Nuclear Families, The Children & The Aged Persons

Social, Economic and Political changes have been far-reaching and fast in our country during these last six decades. The middle class has more amenities now. Life has become more comfortable. Due to economic factors and also due to enhanced professional mobility Joint family has become extinct, at least in the urban middle class. Society has embraced enthusiastically the concept of privacy, personal freedom and non-interference. These are really very good social ideals and personally I believe that they are good for us. The young as well as the elderly are wary of guarding their personal freedom. The above mentioned factors leave no scope for joint family to survive.

The death of the joint family has two major fall outs - the neglect of the infants and of the elderly or old persons. Creches or day nurseries are rendering very useful services where both the parents are professionally engaged. These creches are doing good business and earning quite well.

What about the oldies? Old age homes are mostly run by NGOs on charity. It is mostly the poor persons who live in these homes and are dependent on the charity of individuals and institutions. I have a suggestion to make. Will some enterprising persons run old age homes as a source of earning? There is, I think, lot of money in the business of running old age homes. In the cities there are a good number of elders who are capable of paying for the services rendered to them, though they are physically unable to live by themselves. The population of the elders has considerably increased in our country, thanks to the advanced medical care now available and also a sort of revolution in our society for awareness about health and fitness.

My suggestion is that more and better creches as well as old homes run on commercial lines is the need of the hour.

God's Gift.

It is quite common to blame one's 'fate' for one's miseries. 'Fate has been unkind to me' or 'God hasn't been very generous to me' - these are the complaints of the unhappy or unlucky persons. I feel that these complaints against fate, God or Nature are not justified. God gives in abundance. His treasury is overflowing with gifts to each and everyone. He does not discriminate. We get what we are capable of getting. One is more lucky than the other because he has greater capacity to be happy. One has more resources than the other because he is more industrious. It all depends on us; the more we are capable to hold , the more we possess. God is ever ready to give whatever we want; we have only to receive and retain that which is readily available to all of us. "Bahut diya dene wale ne tujhko, aanchal hi na samaye to kya keeje."

On Being Old and on your own.

I am 73 and my wife is 66. My sons and daughters are living at different locations, quite away from me. I and my wife live in our house at Indore. Some people, including my children, think that it is not wise to live by ourselves because we are old and may need help (medical, etc.) any time. Still we do not want to lose our freedom and our independence by becoming dependent on others. We continue to live on our own. Am I right? Please advise.

Great Relief.

There is a little oedema at my husband's feet. He searched in net reasons of it. He finds that its main cause may be kidney failure. Then he was quite sure that this problem is connected with kidney. Like a wise man he decided to get him checked by his diebetalogist-Dr. Sandeep Julka. But before going to him he started strict precautions in his meals. His efforts brought positive results and his blood sugar soon came down to normal limlts. But I was deeply worried about his kidney and remained under great tension during the period. All the time I pray my Sai Mother to spare my Navin from this deadly disease. But Navin was quite sure that his kidneys are not working properly.
Ultimately he went to his doctor on Wednesday. He took him seriously and asked to get all possible blood & urine tests, related his diebeties. Reports, received yesterday, i.e. on Thursday, are very normal. There is no trace of sick kidney & liver. We felt so much relieved. Tears come uot as soon as tension relieves. Immediately I offered Daxina Rs. 10.00 on His feet. Oh! Sai, how mercyful you are on your devotees. Your shower of grace are limitless. Only percentage of three months' blood sugar is 9.00, while it must be under 7.00, as doctor says. Oedema is because of slight reaction of one B.P. tablet. Thus doctor changed that medicine. In this way Lord Saimaa favours His Bhaktas so subtly, that it looks very normal, but these are miracles for a true lover of Baba. Please Sai ! keep on caring for me, otherwise I will become totally orphan.
Shailbala Misra.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

I am going to celebrate my 73rd birthday on 22nd of this month. My musings on the occassion :

I have had a very happy and comfortable life so far. The pains, the anguish, the heartaches have been there, but only few. Besides God has given a very good trait to my personality - I easily and quickly leave behind and forget my unhappy experiences. I give the impression of a self-centered and quarrelsome person, but the truth is that I am a very simple and innocent person. Now I am 73 and I still retain my innocence. I know what cunningness is but I reject it as it does not pay in life. I am affectionate and harmless. I blush as I give these compliments to myself.

Behind my self-approval and satisfaction is a woman. Her name is Shailbala. She came to me as my wife in 1962 when I was 26 and she was just 19. She was so innocent and unaware of the ways of the world that one could have called her utterly ignorant. I too was her match as far as purity and innocence is concerned, but I was not ignorant. During these past 47 years, Shailbala has very subtly brought about a revolutionary change in me. I have become a better person as a result of her benign influence. A large part of what is good in me is due to my dear wife.

The proof of these 'good' qualities in me is the fact that God has granted me a very smooth and easy life. I believe that a crooked and cunning person is never given a life free of major troubles and tensions. I believe that inner peace and calm is the divine gift bestowed on guileless people. If in moments of anger and disgust, I wish ill of someone, I am full of fear the next moment, as I firmly believe that by doing so I will invite upon me the Divine wrath.

I have praised myself to my heart's content. Hoewer, let me admit that I am no saint and that I am quite ego-centric, quick-tempered and that I am quite prone to misunderstand others. I pray to SAI to rid me of these evil traits. Oh! Sainath grant me the boon of a peaceful and painless existence for the remaining days of my life. The following lines of a 'Bhajan' express my feelings as I turn 73 :

Bahut diyaa denewale ne tujh ko aanchal hi na samaaye to kya keeje, Beet gaye jaise ye din raina aage bhi kat jaaye dua keeje.