Its my firm belief that God throws obstacles and problems in our path to make us stronger. My own life has been fraught with difficulties that had at times seemed insurmountable. But I have not let any of them break my spirit. Today, I am sharing my life story with you all in hope that this will encourage some of you to not give up just because life has turned chancy on you.
I was just another girl till the age of thirteen, when a paralysis attack, which lasted for mere five minutes, completely altered the course of my life. even before I could realize, I had lost complete complete mobility of all my four limbs. And today, 24 years down, my medical recovery extends only to slight mobility of my right hand. But over these years, one thing that I have adapted myself to is zest to fight against the odds, which now carves the path of my life.
I have no words to describe those initial days. But let it suffice, when I say they were by no means easy. Brought up with all comforts and luxuries, ignorant of the evil facets of life, I was completely clueless of what the word "tetraplegic" meant and its irreversible state, until two years had already passed by. When the reality started sinking in, a twin feeling if fear and courage swamped me.
Facing the world sitting on a wheelchair was a daunting task. Everyplace I went, I would become a spectacle for people to stare at. The transformation from a hyperactive kid, who played games, participated in dance and drama, to being a wheelchair bound person was so frustrating that at times it went beyond my endurance.
But with time, I started feeling that languishing in such a state of bitterness was leading me nowhere. Finally, after much soul searching, my desire to lead as much a normal life as possible won over all my fears. Resuming my studies seemed the most logical thing to do. But it was a huge task because I could only manage to sit on a wheelchair 2-3 hours at a stretch. So the idea of attending regular school was not feasible anymore. I somehow managed to start studying from home. The biggest hurdle was that I still could not write. I had to learn to communicate my thoughts to a second person who could write for me. Gradually I worked on all my problems and gave my 10th Standard Board Exams. The result vindicated my efforts. I secured 67% with distinction in two subjects. This boosted my morale and motivated me to continue further.
With this objective in mind, I gradually started writing. Initially, my efforts only resulted in illegible scribbling. Every written word was like a test for me. I not only had to learn how to hold a pen but also string along alphabets to make complete words. The biggest impediment here was speed as I could manage only a handful of words at a time. however, with persistence I managed to overcome all my shortcomings and gave my 12th Standard Board Exams within the three hour time frame. I secured 1st position in my school with 92% marks. I was so ecstatic. It was a big morale booster for me to continue further. Till now, I had my doubts whether I should even continue studies or not, but now finally my mind was made up.
I wanted to go to college. However, I had a rude jolt coming my way. My marks were enough to get admission in the best colleges of Delhi but in all those elite colleges, I got a uniform response: "It is not their problem that I could not climb stairs; if I wished to attend regular college, I would have to manage myself". This attitude was a complete dichotomy to the attitude of my school principal who had shifted my entire class to the ground floor, so that I could attend regular classes. Nevertheless, with cooperation of a very considerate principal I got admission in a good college of Delhi University. For many, these seemed trivial issues but for me these trivial issues were a daily reminder of what I lacked.
As they say; "when you badly want something, the whole universe conspires in helping you to achieve it". I completed my graduation, securing the first rank in college. This was my next win and I decided to pursue Chartered Accountancy. Obviously me decision was met with skepticism. But then for past all the years, these people had said the same thing to me, so I cared less.
I qualified as a Chartered Accountant securing 10th Rank all over India. I could not believe it, but I had done it. It was tough, but then what is life if not for these challenges gracing it. It was like a culmination of all those years of toil, tears, triumph and disasters. It was my biggest milestone. My happiness was not just because of the merit badges, but because I managed to make my parents proud.
Having completed my education with such meritorious colors was just one milestone (a big one) met in the journey. After this, next phase started towards making a good career out of my qualifications. I will discuss about that in my future posts.
Concluding this, I would say: very few of us get all that we had desired for in the first place. But that does not mean that we waste our time cribbing about what we don't have instead of celebrating what we actually have. Lets learn to accept difficulties with a smile and make the best of our circumstances because as they say - the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.