An uncle who left behind lessons for life
It wasn’t easy bidding adieu to Lakha Uncle, my father’s close friend, from our native village, Khasa, near Amritsar. After all, he held a special place in every heart he came across. Anyone who met him once, remembered him forever. Ties with acquaintances bloomed into friendships for a lifetime.
It was not that his loved ones and he weren’t prepared for the end, but he refused to give in and would spiritedly joke, “I don’t fear death. It’s part of life.” He was battling liver cancer since late 2013.
Considering the grave stage, doctors had told his family that he may survive barely a year. However, his enthusiasm about life and the attitude of never giving up made him survive much longer. “Cancer can do nothing to me. I don’t even think I have a disease,” he would say, keeping up the usual cheer in spite of being bedridden for three years.
It was because of this spirited attitude that that he became the topic of discussion among everyone in the village, and still is. “Attitude makes all the difference,” villagers agree.
But there’s more to learn from him. Lakha Uncle reminded me of my Punjabi teacher at school who would ask anyone looking sad, “Where’s your smile?” People, young and old, would visit uncle with their concerns and he would listen intently before coming up with a solution. Suddenly, everything looked sorted and all the stress and anxiety was over. Maybe the secret was in the way he put across his views, packed with solutions, or just in his simple principles about life that continue to offer hope to many souls.
People still remember his smiling face, calm temperament and helpful nature. Everyone loved his company and he was the first choice whenever anyone needed a companion for long trips.
I remember once he came along with my father to pick my brother and me from our boarding school at Nabha as the summer holidays began. We excitedly showed him around and took him to the notice board where my name was freshly put up for standing first in a public speaking contest. The way he appreciated my achievement sits deep in the heart and it boosted me to go on participating in such events.
The journey back home with him remained so memorable for we didn’t stop laughing. We wished he would join us on the way back to the hostel too for only he could so effortlessly handle the butterflies in the stomach.
Years later, when he was bedridden, his advice to all was to stay united and make each day count for “life is like an icecream, enjoy it before it melts”. Everyone agreed.
Though he is no more, he has left behind beautiful memories from which we all draw inspiration on living to the fullest.
HE REMINDED ME OF MY PUNJABI TEACHER AT SCHOOL WHO WOULD ASK ANYONE LOOKING SAD, “WHERE’S
YOUR SMILE?”