2008: An Obituary

She went her unremembering way,

She went and left in me

The pang of all the partings gone,

And partings yet to be.~Francis Thompson

2008 started for me on a Bombay - Hybad Spicejet flight.

It was 1st of January and I was heading back to ISB. I remember looking out of the window on that flight wondering what was it that the year would have in store for me. For all the dramatic thoughts that passed my mind then. ranging from the devastating to the deliriously happy, I neednt have worried.

2008 was a year when I was just passing through.
Its not that the year did not have milestones.
Afterall - I graduated from an MBA program marking the culmination of years of buildup and sacrifices but I also struggled to find a job of choice in Bombay.
Afterall- I moved back to Bombay marking the end of a long journey and years of introspection and soul searching but I also struggled to settle down and call it home once again.

So above all - it was a year marked by much murkiness, balancing acts and hard decisions. But it was also a year in which laughter came easily, tears far too easily. Promises were made and broken and lots of growing up and facing the facts happened. But there were good times and good friends, travels and adventures in a life only as fortunate as mine.

But in the story of my life, 2008 was the year when I decided that I had to stand up for myself and my way of life ..and it was also the year that I realised that making the aforementioned decision also meant that I had to take a responsibility for what happened as well.

Unarguably, it was exhausting at times as it was enjoyable, but above all things ..2008 was a year of extraordinary friendships and self discovery.

So as the year draws to an end - Here is what I learnt the not so easy way in 2008.
I've learnt that ..
1. Its not possible to be friends with someone I cannot trust. It just doesnt work.
2. Weight training 5 days a week guarantees weight loss - it takes time but it works ..
3. Post -Banana Nut Crunch Cereal and cold milk is the best way to celebrate the end of a long difficult day
4. I've got to learn the take responsibility for 100% of my problems. 30 years of saying "it takes two to tango" and shared responsibility have not gotten me anywhere.
5. There are people who can me me cry sometimes..but I am the only person who can make myself laugh anytime. And there is great comfort in that...
6. Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better
7. I believe in tarot cards
8. Butterflies are a great source of comfort. They were once caterpillars who had to endure months of painful transition to earn the right to fly.
9. I dont take my personal security for granted anymore.
10. Its possible for someone to do something in an instant that can cause me heartache for life
11. I've learnt that "Love in the time of Cholera" has a quotable quote for every story in my life so far
12. I've learnt that asking people what kind of dog would they keep as a pet and why and what is their favorite book and why are killer questions to learn something relevant about them quickly
13. I have to invest in my health right now ..
14. I have to learn to trust my instincts about people
15. Keeping life simple - is a complicated process
16. Life gave me the biggest second chance ever this year and luckily I had the good sense to grab it
17. Watering plants is therapeutic
18. There is a blurry line that seperates being positive and being in denial ..and I have to try and not walk it so often
19. Friendship is a two way street that requires lots of hardwork and patience
20. Theres no point in saving the good candles - I've got to burn them because today is only as special as I deem it to be
21. Sometimes I have to wade through a lot of uncertainty to figure out the one or two things that infact I am certain about
22. It is hard to earn the trust of a child but when I do ..its the most rewarding feeling ever
So Thank You 2008 !
You marked each day in this vague year of my life with remarkable patience for my capacity to get myself into trouble .. You stood by and watched me question everything you sent my way and confuse myself silly .. You smiled at the few eureka moments I had in my cluttered world and you didnt give up on me even when I almost did....
But its time to say Goodbye.
You most certainly wont be forgotten.
Someone once remarked "Where is the good in Goodbye" ... This annual adios is the only farewell that makes sense to me ..to Ring out the old and Ring in the new..
So from my heart to yours .. Goodbye 2008 !