Medical report card, the real test of life

My hands trembled as I held my medical test reports. They were no longer my school results, but the real life assessment of my bodily functions.

I realised I was “adorably sweet” as the sugar levels had crossed the reference line, the cardiogram flaunted a “very active” heart and the lipid profile pronounced me “generously curvy”.

For the first time, these adulations did not flatter me. How the connotations of these words had changed in my life was very disconcerting. My only consolation was the kidney beans, that we used to draw in our biology diagram, which were thankfully in a good shape.

The years of my life had flown by with me being the centre of all activity. School, college, marriage and children had always been my utmost priority and I took pride in handling every phase of my life so deftly. But today as I reach a riper milestone, I stand like a nervous student before the exam.

Peering through his thick glasses, my family doctor nodded with disdain at my health card. I always had a bone to pick with him because being so close to our family, he was constantly trying to brace us into a disciplinary regimen. But this time, I had no worthy excuse to avoid the doctor as my test results had belied my tall claims of a healthy lifestyle.

“You have been a good daughter, mother and wife Mrs Kashyap,” he said. Incredible praise coming from a person whom I had loathed all my life. Unmindful of my surprise, he continued in his inimitable style: “But how good have you been to yourself?”

The question stumped me. I had no clear answer. When I sat down to reflect upon my thoughts, words and actions, I realised that they were always devoted to making the things around me better.

My health had never bothered me. I was pretty good at ignoring any niggles like headache or knee pain and had continued with my work. In fact, even 103 degrees of fever had also not deterred me from my tasks. “There is no bravery in that. It is sheer disregard for all the signals that your body is giving you. Slow down Mrs Kashyap,” said the voice of prudence. True, had I spared a little thought to my own health in my earlier years, my test results would not have been so distraught.

I was not getting any younger. Till now, my youth and exuberance had taken care of me, but now it was for me to start caring for my body, mind and soul. I needed a little “me time” to connect with myself. It was time to ponder, time to reset my priorities, time to be a little selfish and think of myself for a change. To pamper myself once in a while to be rejuvenated. After all, it is “we” who have to live in our bodies. Others cannot live for us.

So while we are trying to be good in the eyes of others, it becomes pertinent to become good in our eyes first.

I NEEDED A LITTLE ‘ME TIME’ TO CONNECT WITH MYSELF. IT WAS TIME TO RESET MY PRIORITIES AND TIME TO BE LITTLE SELFISH