Spice of Life: Making up for lost pieces in many a puzzle of life

As people evolve, they learn to fill up empty glasses, lives, homes and hearts, just with their own treasure of contribution. One comes across so many people, who can fill up for the absence of many with their sole presence.

Many years ago as I was trying to complete a picture puzzle, I had to dismantle it a lot of times. It just would not form a complete picture. The child in me was unable to comprehend the problem. One piece was missing.

Making up for the lost pieces in many a puzzle. Other than awakening one’s creativity, this skill becomes the most handy philosophy of one’s survival technique. All of us go through life, burdened with a bag of expectations on one’s shoulders. Maturity teaches us how to lighten the burden and hasten the step. (HT File)

Exasperated, I huffed up to my mother with the incomplete puzzle, expecting her to wave a magic wand and set it right. She smiled away my childish frown. Procured a small piece of paper and glued it on the back of the gaping hole and the camouflage was done. “There you go. Get your crayons and paint it into a semblance,” she said. Once done, only a discerning eye could tell where the patchwork treatment was done. It was indeed a happy solution.

Later on, I began enjoying it. Making up for the lost pieces in many a puzzle. Other than awakening one’s creativity, this skill becomes the most handy philosophy of one’s survival technique. All of us go through life, burdened with a bag of expectations on one’s shoulders. Maturity teaches us how to lighten the burden and hasten the step.

We are all holding puzzles with one odd piece missing. Much needed for its completion, mind you. But then, Providence knows best. It only creates a vacuum for you to grow into. He leaves the canvas blank, when He trusts the artist in you. There can be no two ways about this. Too much of everything is not a boon. It can be likened to a curse. It is more of a rarity to see someone grow beyond his luxurious trappings. To lose appreciation for something, have it all around you in excess. Even technology endorses the law of limits. A washing machine can only function if it’s empty beyond its limit level.

In this journey, we traverse through many rough roads. Lose out on things, people we feel we won’t be able to survive without. Time heals. We move on. Rather than seek solace, we begin sharing our happiness with less privileged beings. The picture remains complete nevertheless. Sunshine filters through a different window but the home gets lighted up all the same. In the game of life, missing pieces should not have the power to take away from the pieces that are holding up the picture with their committed presence.

The writer is a Chandigarh-based freelance contributor and can be reached at bubbutir@yahoo.com