Odysseys of George

Read Carefully!

Enjoy!

I found this so hilarious I had to copy it to my blog. I read over at Pagalavan’s Avatar. Enjoy.

“In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia an old priest lay dying in the hospital.

For years he had faithfully served the people of the nation’s capital.

He motioned for his nurse to come near.

“Yes, Father?” said the nurse.

“I would really like to see Najib and the Muyhiddin before I die”, whispered
the priest.

“I’ll see what I can do, Father”, replied the nurse.

The nurse sent the request to Putrajaya (Administration Capital of Malaysia)
and waited for a response.

Soon the word arrived; Prime Minister Najib and his Deputy PM Muhyiddin
would be delighted to visit the priest.

As they went to the hospital, Najib commented to Muyhiddin, “I don’t know
why the old priest wants to see us, but it will certainly help our images
and might even get me all the Christian votes.

After all, I’m ‘IN IT TO WIN IT”.

Muyhiddin agreed that it was a good thing.

When they arrived at the priest’s room, the priest took Najib’s hand in his
right hand and Muyhiddin’s hand in his left.

There was silence and a look of serenity on the old priest’s face.

Finally Najib spoke.. “Reverend, of all the people you could have chosen,
why did you choose us to be with you as you near the end?”

The old priest slowly replied, “I have always tried to pattern my life after
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

The old priest continued, “Jesus died between two lying thieves; I would
like to do the same.”

I was shocked to see there were two unread sms on my iPhone this morning. In the hurry of getting to work, I forgot to check these messages and only had a look at them at about 10am. Gosh! Was I shocked and saddened.

In my carrier, I have met many people. My patients are all dear to me, they have all thought me something either directly or indirectly and not just about medicine, but the art of medicine and also life, this especially so with my elderly patients. However, some patients become closer than just patients and over the course of time, they almost are like family or a very close friend. This post is about one of them, a lady whose strength, determination and perseverance and above all her ability to smile and laugh in times of pain and suffering thought me a lot about life and love.

It was about 5 years ago. She was in her 40s and already on a wheelchair. I was a new specialist just a few months after graduation. She was wheeled in to my clinic by her sister. She smiled – a smile that was welcoming and yet cynical. I welcomed her with the usual greeting and proceeded to ask her as to why she came. Before we knew it, we were talking and she was telling me a story that I felt sorry for. A year before our first meeting, she had an emergency procedure which ended up with her having to carry a stoma bag to pass motion and an amputated right leg. She was diabetic and also hypertensive. She came to see if she could get her stoma reversed.I could understand why the stoma was a burden as it was sited poorly and she had difficulty taking care of it herself thus requiring her sister to help. She did not like the feeling of dependency. After 3-6 months of assessing her heart, her fitness level, her independent ability and seeing her determination, I agreed to reverse the stoma. She understood the high risk involved and bravely she signed the consent form. The surgery went well and she recovered well. She was able to attend functions and managed to built her self confidence all over again. She dressed better and the smile was a story of content happiness. She never fails to come for her follow up and she always wishes me via sms or calls on my birthday and on Christmas day. She would also remind me of all the important Malayalee celebration days for which I blogged before. She always kept in touch even after I have left that hospital for over two years. Early this year, she started to have problems again but this time it was more related to her female reproductive organs. A few days ago, she had difficulty in breathing and was admitted to a hospital. Yesterday night at about 1130pm, she took her last breath……………………….

“Ms Kana has passed away” was the sms that was staring at my face!!!!!

My heart felt heavy, my eyes started to tear. I called her sister and spoke to her. I decided to see her for the last time. She has always come to see me, now it is my turn. I wished it was not for this. I wished I saw her prior. I will miss her, her laughs and her smile. I will miss her wishes and her reminder of festivities. I saw her lying there on a table, they were doing their religious rituals for the departed. The ladies then dressed her up in her favorite dress. She looked contented. I hope she was. She was then placed in the coffin and was brought to the crematorium. I left. I wished I knew she was unwell. She would normally call me when she was unwell — maybe she was too weak to do so, maybe she knew and did not want to let me know. We did speak about death before — that was 5 years ago before the surgery — she looked at me, then looked at her sister and then looked down at the floor before looking back at me and said, “I’m ready. If it is my time, at least I would be no more a burden for my sister and siblings.Let God decide.”

As you showed me strength, I learned to be strong,
As you showed me determination, I learned to be determined too,
As you showed me love, I began to understand love too,
And with your smile, it made me smile even more.

Thank you for being my patient and a friend.

I saw this in a good friend’s notes on facebook….. i thought of sharing as i believe in it…… Enjoy!

I live to die

I was overlooking a chat over the internet, and it went,

Man(M): i am missing you so much babe

Female(F): i miss u too…but what makes today different babe?

M: it just feels more intense, the emptiness is painful.

F: emptiness?..

M: the emptiness is always there – it is what you left me with – i can fill it up with other stuff but only you could make it full

F: i love u babe

M: whats the difference today babe?

F: hmm… today i love u a teeny weeny bit more than i did yesterday

M: but yesterday you said you love me less!

F: love grows baby! love shouldn’t be stagnant

I smiled and suddenly this emerged in my mind

so let love grow,
like the wilds of the forest,
but let it not cover your vision,
lest you forget the real me and live in your dreams.
but unlike the wilds of the forest,
let it be nurtured and tendered,
as it grows around filling us from within,
ageing like wine and violin.
.. GeorgeGC

Friendship

Kahlil Gibran

Your friend is your needs answered.
He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.
And he is your board and your fireside.
For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.

When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the “nay” in your own mind, nor do you withhold the “ay.”
And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;
For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.
When you part from your friend, you grieve not;
For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.
And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.
For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught.

And let your best be for your friend.
If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also.
For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill?
Seek him always with hours to live.
For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness.
And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.
For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.