The view from the bedroom window is stunning; without any effort, he can enjoy the day slowly waking up. With delight he admires the sun gently painting the ocean, the mountains and the sky. The silence and loneliness of his bedroom will soon be broken by the noises of his family waking up; shortly his wife will be calling everybody for breakfast. On their way down they’ll all greet him with enthusiasm: “Good morning daddy! Did you sleep well? We’ll talk later!” Then the silence again until the nurse comes.
Pedro used to be a very wealthy, powerful man. He was never home, always missing family events and had no time to enjoy all he possessed. He was convinced that the company couldn’t manage without him and that he’s sacrifice was worthy. He used to believe he was indispensable. How stupid he was to believe that! Soon he learnt the truth when the unplanned happened. All it took a cold dismissal letter with the words he’ll never forget: “your services are not longer required” and blast! His kingdom, his life was over! He wasn’t indispensable after all. Without his job he felt he was nothing, the stress and the depression was too much to handle, he had a stroke that left him paralyzed. He cried and wallowed for one long year over the injustice of it all, until the day he got tired of feeling sorry for himself. If God decided to keep him alive he must have had a very good reason for that, therefore he, Pedro, will not waste this precious time crying over what was done. Life has given him a second chance, although not exactly the sort of chance somebody would wish for.
He thought that without him his job and family could not survive. What a joke! Not only did they survive, but they actually moved on! He can’t move, but he can feel, listen, talk, observe, and smell; he has the time to appreciate the small and the big things. Now he can fully enjoy life! He sees life through his wife, children and other people’s faces and the things they share with him. They all come to tell him their deepest secrets, dreams, failures and achievements. He is a friend who really listens with an open mind and with all the time.
Pedro used to be a very wealthy, powerful man. He was never home, always missing family events and had no time to enjoy all he possessed. He was convinced that the company couldn’t manage without him and that he’s sacrifice was worthy. He used to believe he was indispensable. How stupid he was to believe that! Soon he learnt the truth when the unplanned happened. All it took a cold dismissal letter with the words he’ll never forget: “your services are not longer required” and blast! His kingdom, his life was over! He wasn’t indispensable after all. Without his job he felt he was nothing, the stress and the depression was too much to handle, he had a stroke that left him paralyzed. He cried and wallowed for one long year over the injustice of it all, until the day he got tired of feeling sorry for himself. If God decided to keep him alive he must have had a very good reason for that, therefore he, Pedro, will not waste this precious time crying over what was done. Life has given him a second chance, although not exactly the sort of chance somebody would wish for.
He thought that without him his job and family could not survive. What a joke! Not only did they survive, but they actually moved on! He can’t move, but he can feel, listen, talk, observe, and smell; he has the time to appreciate the small and the big things. Now he can fully enjoy life! He sees life through his wife, children and other people’s faces and the things they share with him. They all come to tell him their deepest secrets, dreams, failures and achievements. He is a friend who really listens with an open mind and with all the time.
Welcome to share with friends, email this post and leave a comment.
7 comments:
This is so moving. And an eye opener too. Now i can look at life in a different dimension. One's job, money etc should not matter most(as much as we need the same). The Family and the people around us can/should be a source of pleasure, satisfaction and comfort. Many are the day we forsake all these in the name of "my job" so when the axe comes some day........
This is very inspiring and interesting
This is a very inspiring story, every man goes through life thinking and focusing on providing for his family but neglecting giving them his presence which is far more precious. Only when faced with this reality can one appreciate the value of our loved ones above the pursuit of what the world terms as fulfillment
Hi Gaby,
I love your stories! I wonder how Pedro will go on, how he will shift, or will he?
Sherry
very sad and optimistic at the same time...
Gaby, this is so touching, inspiry and digging deep into the human nature!
p.s. congrats on the new look of the blog!
Thank u all for your comments. The current economic hardship inspired me to write this story. There are so many Pedros around us, going through life instead of living it.
@Hicham, I'm glad u like the new look :) Thanks
Gabi
Post a Comment