Bloom !

Life is never a smooth, easy road. For anyone.

The challenges a stroke warrior faces are, of course, more difficult than many others. At the same time, life itself presents us with so many examples of warriors who have conquered the challenges in an amazing manner and have come out as better, more compassionate humans who serve as inspirations to all around.

Hence it is worthwhile to remember that each challenge is also an opportunity to come out better and stronger. Keep the faith, and bloom !

In this context, I find particularly appropriate a parable you may have also seen before. Here it is ….

The Parable
In a mother’s womb were two babies. The first baby asked the other: “Do you believe in life after delivery?”
The second baby replied, “Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later.”
“Nonsense,” said the first. “There is no life after delivery. What would that life be?”
“I don’t know, but there will be more light than here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths.”
The doubting baby laughed. “This is absurd! Walking is impossible. And eat with our mouths? Ridiculous. The umbilical cord supplies nutrition. Life after delivery is to be excluded. The umbilical cord is too short.”
The second baby held his ground. “I think there is something and maybe it’s different than it is here.”
The first baby replied, “No one has ever come back from there. Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery it is nothing but darkness and anxiety and it takes us nowhere.”
“Well, I don’t know,” said the twin, “but certainly we will see mother and she will take care of us.”
“Mother?” The first baby guffawed. “You believe in mother? Where is she now?”
The second baby calmly and patiently tried to explain. “She is all around us. It is in her that we live. Without her there would not be this world.”
“Ha. I don’t see her, so it’s only logical that she doesn’t exist.”
To which the other replied, “Sometimes when you’re in silence you can hear her, you can perceive her. I believe there is a reality after delivery and we are here to prepare ourselves for that reality when it comes….”

As you can imagine, the two babies will have entirely different experiences in the womb. One will be terrified of when the ‘end’ comes, while the other will be happy, hopeful and excited as it draws near. To me, certainly the latter option is better. So, better to always have hope and persevere accordingly.

As to the author of this beautiful story, there is no clarity. A close version seems to be by a Hungarian writer Útmutató a Léleknek. Translated, it means ” “A Guide to the Spirit”. This version can be found here .
However, another author Pablo Molinero claims this is derived from his much larger story that you can see here .
To me, the two stories are rather different. In intent, outcomes and approaches. Draw your own conclusions !