We get what we deserve even if it does not seem so?

 Life is full of vicissitudes which seem to take one down the road of despair. But life is full of unexpected joys in simple occurrences. Hard as it is to face the knocks of life it is infinitely harder to remain balanced when one gets more than one deserves. At such times I am reminded of a story of the King of Persia who asked his wise courtiers to find him an object that will ensure that he could maintain a happy feeling when something sad happened in his life and ensure that he remained balanced when something good happened in his life. The story goes that they really could not find something appropriate till a minister gave him a ring with the inscription "Even this shall Pass Away". So the king had it in his hand all his life. He would see it in good and bad times and manage to remain the same. I have had many such moments in my long life and even while some may have at the time of their happening seemed the end of the world, they passed by. The joyous moments too gave me unbounded happiness and continue to do so, but these too have faded. One thing is certain that I am grateful for all I have and I have far more than I deserve. 

I am producing verbatim the poem by Theodore Tilton. Even as it seems a difficult read it relates to my life and am sure the lives of many of us. 

Even This Shall Pass Away by Theodore Tilton

Once in Persia reigned a king,
Who upon his signet ring
Graved a maxim true and wise,
Which, if held before his eyes,
Gave him counsel at a glance
Fit for every change and chance.
Solemn words, and these are they;
“Even this shall pass away.”

Trains of camels through the sand
Brought him gems from Samarcand;
Fleets of galleys through the seas
Brought him pearls to match with these;
But he counted not his gain
Treasures of the mine or main;
“What is wealth?” the king would say;
“Even this shall pass away.”

‘Mid the revels of his court,
At the zenith of his sport,
When the palms of all his guests
Burned with clapping at his jests,
He, amid his figs and wine,
Cried, “O loving friends of mine;
Pleasures come, but do not stay;
‘Even this shall pass away.’”

Lady, fairest ever seen,
Was the bride he crowned the queen.
Pillowed on his marriage bed,
Softly to his soul he said:
“Though no bridegroom ever pressed
Fairer bossom to his breast,
Mortal flesh must come to clay –
Even this shall pass away.”

Fighting on a furious field,
Once a javelin pierced his shield;
Soldiers, with a loud lament,
Bore him bleeding to his tent.
Groaning from his tortured side,
“Pain is hard to bear,” he cried;
“But with patience, day by day,
Even this shall pass away.”

Towering in the public square,
Twenty cubits in the air,
Rose his statue, carved in stone.
Then the king, disguised, unknown,
Stood before his sculptured name,
Musing meekly: “What is fame?
Fame is but a slow decay;
Even this shall pass away.”

Struck with palsy, sore and old,
Waiting at the Gates of Gold,
Said he with his dying breath,
“Life is done, but what is Death?”
Then, in answer to the king,
Fell a sunbeam on his ring,
Showing by a heavenly ray,
“Even this shall pass away.”

–Theodore Tilton

This poem teaches us many things but just tells us to go on. The only contention is how long. The answer is in the Gandhian maxim Live life as though you were to die tomorrow and Learn in life as though you are to live forever.  

Vispi Jokhi