LIFE BEYOND LIFE
"A friend in need is a friend indeed"; but, at times, friendship goes much beyond helping a friend in need. Three years back, my school-time buddy, one of my close friends, sounded low over the phone. When I insisted to know the reason, he said that his wife was suffering from some infection in the kidneys. During the following days, he went into an unnatural silence. As the days passed, I got almost sure of an unpleasant news on the other side. One day I called him up only to know that they were looking for a kidney donor, since his wife had gone on monthly dialysis; monthly turned to fortnightly, to weekly and then to, twice a week. He also told me how they were running from pillar to post in search of a donor. As a friend, I could be of no help then. And even though, he got a donor in the end and his wife's body received the guest organ healthily, that eagerness and anxiety stayed with me. I had to help, anyone anyhow, someone somehow. Many a times, I got a chance to show my philanthropist side, but the satisfaction was missing. Donating money, distributing blankets, discarding old clothes--- all seemed to help others, but not me. I did it happily but it didn't give me that ultimate happiness, that "helping others" should give.
The first chance that I got for going ahead with organ donation, I grabbed it. Luckily, it was close to my birthday, hence I decided to celebrate it differently this time. Instantly, 'a thought' became 'the decision'. I chose the day of coming into this world, to ensure that I don't leave this world even when I cease to live.
I had heard of people stepping back at the last minute, their hands shaking while signing the form. But nothing could stir me and I stood firm on my decision, signing it as if giving an autograph. I call it an autograph mainly because people, as and when they got to know of it, started treating me like a celebrity, making me feel then, that I have done something big and extraordinary. This made me realise that my task was not yet over. It was my duty now, to make this extraordinary act seem ordinary and 'do-able' by anyone and everyone. As for me, just the thought of helping a friend, made things easy.
I could not help my friend, but I can never thank him/her enough, who had actually helped him. I could, any day, be in the place of my friend--- that is a chance; today, I can be in the place of one who helped him--- that is a choice. Life is a game of chess; God's moves are called Chances, our moves are our Choices. Make a noble choice, donate your organs. Pledge to make at least eight people live because of you, thus not letting you die even when you do.
