I grew up in a typical Bengali middle class family.
With wants and needs being finely balanced by the monthly salary .
Though my parents were both working ,it was my mom who managed all household expenses.
My father’s salary mysteriously always found other uses.It was never spent on the household needs or our requirement for school stuff.
It wasn’t that he was a bad father .It was just that he didn’t care enough.
He suffered from occasional bouts of depression and swinging manic phases.
I didn’t know what I hated most !
When he wouldn’t get out of bed or when he would come home at midnight.
Either way my mom had it tough.
Bringing up two daughters single handedly.
Luckily we had plenty of guardian angels looking over us .
That’s why we survived.
We survived our home almost being auctioned by the credit card company.
We survived social humiliation.
We survived heartbreaks.
I always believed in God .
I always believed I would one day help people .How I was helped,I remembered .
I remembered all the time.Forgetting it, would make me weak.
That’s why I knew, I wanted to be a doctor.
Do you call that Serendipity?
Being a doctor, life is different.
You see the pain ,the suffering ,the helplessness and hopelessness of so many people.
Doctors have to maintain a clinical distance and still have empathy .That’s a tough balance.
By embracing the pain and helplessness of my childhood as blessings I have carved out my life.It’s no use protecting children from sadness,conflict, rejection and dejection.It’s no use altering reality .It’s definitely no use lying to them.
Because ultimately we are the sum total of our experiencs .Good ,bad,ugly and the truly horrible!
I think it was destiny and serendipity that I have the emotional strength to practice being a doctor.
Because if life was easy ,I don’t think I could have made it this far.
I am thankful for being a doctor .I am thankful for this opportunity to make a difference.
Because I believe
The blessed are helped
The truly blessed can help.
Do you believe in destiny ?
Comment below to let me know .
Writing this for the Blogchatter prompt Serendipity .
UBC day 29