Precious As Diamonds

Dear diary,

"My daughter is a teenager and has a heart of gold", Shakti said with her mind far away from the consulting room we were seated in. She continued, " You know, she cooks so well. She makes absolutely round chapatis, she makes pasta and also bakes cakes and cookies. She has recently made a chocolate cake which is still in my fridge. She is a mini counselor. Her calls start from the time she is back home from school. Her friends look up to her to calm their nerves. Yesterday, one of her friends cried on the phone about her boyfriend not giving her much attention. I was so impressed with the way she made her friend feel good about herself. They spoke for nearly 2 hours but by the end of the call, she made sure her friend was happy. Isn't my daughter amazing?"

As a counselor, I understand that anyone can come in to be counseled, but as a person, I was wondering why Mrs. Bansal had forced her to see me today. She seemed fine. Shakti continued, "I wish she had listened to me. But you know, she is such a sweet girl. She has never disobeyed me. She always goes out of her way to make me happy. Yesterday, she made these yummy cookies just for me. I should have brought some for you, maybe next time. I think I will have to leave now as she may be waiting for me. It was really nice meeting you."

I saw her off to the taxi. She gave me a big smile and said it was nice to get out of the house after a long time and that she enjoyed talking to me. She promised to visit me again and left.

Mrs. Bansal called me that evening and asked me what I thought of Mrs. Shakti. I told her that she was a very loving mother who had nothing else to speak about other than her daughter. "I am shocked! Mrs. Shakti has not spoken a word to anyone from the time her daughter passed away about a year ago. While I am happy she spoke with you I am worried about her mental health. Her daughter died in an accident and Mrs. Shakti is unable to accept it till today. Is there any way to help her out?" she asked with concern in her voice.

The entire time I was with Mrs. Shakti I noticed that her dressing was shabby, she had longing eyes and that she was lost in her own thoughts, I could not recognize the misery she was carrying though. I felt sad for her. I promised Mrs. Bansal that I will do my best to support Mrs. Shakti to come to terms with her loss.

Life is so fragile and we need to learn to appreciate all our blessings! Something for all of us to ponder about...

I am grateful for all the beautiful people in my life, I love and appreciate them.