Dreaming Is A Daring Deed

Dr. Priyambada (Mam) is a retired medical officer of a government women-hospital and now running eighty. Besides medical practice, she has been a devoted teacher. She lives all alone. Her single son and his family live in another apartment a few miles away from her. 

At hospital, she has been known as the synonym of self-less service, disciplined behavior and pure dedication. To honour her life-time service to the hospital, even today there has kept her APRON carefully in a special room by the hospital management where every newly joined doctor comes to touch it as a blessing. This gives really an inspiring feel for the whole life.

Though a doctor or a teacher never retires but Dr. Priyambada is a unique personality who is constantly proving through her life pattern that a human being is not brought into existence to get retired at any cost.

It is said that marriage is pre-destined. Her family arranged for her marriage and she also tied the wedlock. But unlike her, her husband was a self-centred person, possessive of her and always expected a lot from her. Her marriage was also a painful event in her life. But God believing Mam remained honest and loyal to her husband. Her spouse could never touch her heart-a heart full of love and dedication throughout their married life. Even while at his death bed, he took a promise from Mam to not to take the food which she liked. And she never broke this promise even after his passing away.

But Mam was and is progressive in thoughts. Her life circumstances never affected her will to grow and learn.

Shefali, her beloved pupil, is doing internship from the same hospital. She frequently visits her and talks on a range of subjects while feeling at ease during her stay with her Mam. Dr. Priyambada too likes her company and always wishes for her progress.

One day, on the eve of new year, Shefali went to her home to wish happy new year and offering a diary and pen. While talking with her, she asked ‘Mam! Why don't you pen down your vast and amazing experiences on paper.’ Mam blushed and hesitantly questioned, ‘Shefali, who will have time to read my stories, written by a non-professional writer’. ‘Come on Mam, you just start writing and see! How much rich and memorable your life would be one day’-Shefali just encouraged her. It took a few months for Dr. Prayambada to recall her stories and to put them in black and white at the age of eighty years. And Shefali managed to get her story-book published. When she held her first published book in her own hands she was the happiest person on the earth.

As a true Doctor-cum-teacher she proved that learning is a life long process and a she is an ever learner.  Dreaming is a daring deed. All can’t dream. And that also in such an advanced age, when people loss all faith and energy. The poor health, neglect from the family and self-created retired mental phase breaks the zeal. But Mam is an exception. She is a role model. Though living like a common, average old lady, she continuously lit fire of hope and aspiration for something better, something new, something more satisfying.

She fervently wishes that If she gets more time...(with health)

She wishes to get published the second volume of her stories, 

She wishes to treat more and more patients and alleviate their pain before she closes her eyes, 

She wishes to teach few more needy and uneducated children to remove the darkness of their life,

She wishes to pray from the bottom of her heart for uncountable depressed and heart-broken people,

She wishes to visit her country on her own feet, 

She wishes to see her little government hospital as growing and prosperous institution, 

She wishes…if she gets more time.

What a paradox! Nowadays our youngsters are committing suicides just because they could not get a job or could not get married to a girl whom they loved. They are killing their precious youth-time by themselves for low-vision and zero level tolerance. 

And the old ones never dream to expose their personality to new flavour. In general, old generations get themselves stuck up with hopelessness.

They expect too much from own family, make themselves ignored by being dependent, lose physical strength intentionally assuming their time is up.

Here Mam is really different. This medical woman is constantly self alert about her health care, updates herself by reading current news, her keypad cell-phone is more engaged than any smartphone and most importantly, her single son comes to her door at the very first date of every month to receive the cheque of her pension for his financial support.

Mam frequently quotes a beautiful line of the great Greece philosopher Socrates-“To a good man, whether alive or dead, no evil can happen.” 

A positive, passionate and pious woman who, no doubt, is a living legend to the contemporary old aged community. Although she cries too and gets down because of disrespectful and embarrassing behavior of her own family members. Then, from somewhere her beloved pupil Shefali pops up and exclaims, “Get ready soon! Your tickets are confirmed.”

Message: Age does not matter, what matters is how pure your heart is, how strong your thoughts are and, how deep are your feelings for others.