Of fact, fiction, and friendships
IN the past few months, I feel like I’ve attended so many more wakes and funerals than I have in the past couple of years. The last time I felt this way was about a decade ago when my grandparents passed away, one after the other. And while it is always the saddest of occasions to bid a loved one goodbye, or even just to see someone special hurting and grieving for his/her loss, one can choose to look at it on the converse – it oftentimes becomes a celebration of a life well-lived. If there’s one thought that has been recurring to me in the past weeks, it is that life is indeed fleeting. Every wake I have attended has reminded me to make the most out of my everyday, and to make sure that life is lived in a most meaningful manner and productive way. In a way that makes you happiest and that you know best.
The past few weekends have also given me the leisure of going back to doing something I love to do – reading books. It is a luxury these days, and I oftentimes find myself staying up later than I should on week nights to catch up on a few pages. While we do read on a more regular basis than we tend to think (yes, Instagram captions and tweets count), I find nothing more fulfilling than physically turning a page of a book and losing myself in an imaginary universe painted through pictures evoked so clearly by carefully chosen words. And while my choice of reading materials ranges from shallow to intense, my most favorite part has always been examining the spaces between the words, and immersing myself in the different styles of writing out there. It is something I consider an art; something that always excites me.
If there is one book that has always struck a chord in my heart no matter how many times I’ve read it, it is most definitely the famous allegory of Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince. Although short, it is packed with substance and meaning. To me, it is one of the most beautiful pieces of art that exist in this world, that I have a collection of the book in many different languages. At times when I need a reminder of the importance of insight and seeking meaning in my everyday life, I re-read the book, or even parts of it. For it never fails to remind me that in a world that is so enveloped in, and pre-occupied by judgments and preconceived notions, the cure always starts with and stems from within. Because really, sometimes all that is needed is to take a step back from the “real world” and breathe. To bask in our very own yesteryears when life was just as fulfilling, but much less complicated. As the book constantly reminds us, “All grown-ups where once children…but only a few remember it.” In other words, one should never lose that childlike wonder in them – to see past the turmoil and to discern with only the heart. There is something so genuine in the way children see this world, and it is an innocence incomparable that one can only dream to never outgrow. That true timeless beauty is defined by what is within, and should remain unaffected through and despite the perception of others.
Ultimately a story of friendship, responsibility, and altruism, The Little Prince is a tale as timeless as its themes. It shows us the various phases of life, the various obstacles we encounter as human beings and essentially our role in overcoming these challenges and making sure our life is well-lived, all in the most unconventional but powerfully symbolic way. Beyond its pages, The Little Prince is also a reminder to us all that sometimes we need not look too far to find our purpose. That all we need to do is to be more sensitive, receptive, and willing to see things from different points of view.