Pause for a thought

In this short journey called life, many travel alongside us.  

Not all fellow travelers are chosen by us.  

We select only a few.  

The rest are joined to us by the force of time.  

Among them, some do us good, while some may cause us harm.  

Life is a continuous lesson.  

Every meeting, every experience shapes us.  

The people we encounter, their actions, become opportunities to reveal the hidden strengths within us.  

Yet, when others do harm, we must forgive them—though we should not forget the lesson that comes from it.  

Forgiveness is not a sign of weakness.  

It is the pinnacle of strength.  

When we forgive, we release the burden of the past and move toward the light of the future.  

At the same time, we must preserve the good deeds of those who help us, keeping them forever in our hearts.  

Remembering goodness enriches our minds.  

It teaches us to live with gratitude.  

A grateful heart always brings peace and joy.  

I will share a short story I once read:  

Two friends living by the seashore went on a journey to a nearby town.  

While resting by the beach, a disagreement arose between them, and one friend slapped the other on the cheek.  

The friend who was slapped wrote in the sand: “My friend slapped me on the cheek.”  

Later, as they continued their journey, they grew tired and sat again by the shore.  

The friend who had been slapped went into the sea to bathe.  

Suddenly, a huge wave swept him away. His friend, the one who had slapped him earlier, jumped into the water and saved his life.  

Once safe on the shore, the rescued friend found a sharp stone and carved into a rock: “My friend saved my life.”  

Surprised, the other asked: “When I slapped you, you wrote it in the sand. Why now do you carve this into stone?”  

The friend replied: “The wrong you did, I wrote in the sand so that the winds of forgiveness would erase it. But the good you did—saving my life—I carved into stone so that it will remain forever.”  

This story teaches us a profound truth:  

Forgetting wrongs cleanses our hearts.  

Preserving goodness makes our lives meaningful.  

This is the beauty of human relationships, and the true wealth of life.  

My dear growing generation,  

This is a very simple story.  

But the meaning hidden within it is deep. I trust you will understand.  

You can.  

With love,  

Sakthi Sakthithasan