Linger
By Aparna Sen
@Dreamerby (7970)
Calcutta, India
April 8, 2025 11:02am CST
The ashen wood of the jambs shone in the sunlight filtered by the oak and deodar trees. I was looking through the window of the Pemanyangste monastery at the scenery beyond. A pale bald monk wearing saffron clothing with a walking stick edged towards me with surprisingly anchored steps. He bent down a little, reaching out his right arm to bless me. In a resolute but soft voice, he said "May God give you courage to weather all odds."
I was 9 years old. So it felt different than other blessings. Every elder around me blessed me with happiness, abundance, love... so suddenly courage felt like an odd one out.
Now, at the age of 21, his words reverberate in my mind, and I can truly understand how necessary courage is in life. Because you never know what life is going to throw at you. Courage is quintessential to face life's challenges head on.
So this is one incident lingers on even today.
14 people like this
12 responses
@Dreamerby (7970)
• Calcutta, India
9 Apr
Yes the blessing was unique and I will probably remember it for the rest of my life.
3 people like this
@innertalks (22672)
• Australia
18 Apr
Can God give us courage, or more inspire it to live in us?
Courage comes forth from a life powered from love, as without a love for life, and for living, you can never be courageous; you are either cowered by life itself, instead, or greed for life, and living, controls you instead.
It would certainly be nice to be courageous in every event of our life.
@aninditasen (17011)
• Raurkela, India
9 Apr
You have to be courageous to overcome the obstacles of life and have faith in God.
2 people like this
@Dreamerby (7970)
• Calcutta, India
10 Apr
Yes true. I can truly understand that now.
2 people like this
@aninditasen (17011)
• Raurkela, India
11 Apr
@Dreamerby Fear leads to depression and I have experienced that.
1 person likes this
@anya12adwi (10248)
• India
9 Apr
During the engagement ceremony in a temple, a pundit asked me to marry him after looking at my palm! I have a hard time saying no to anyone and do not know where I got the courage to say him NO outrightly! He then raised his voice that how can i say no to him! Thank Goodness, I had my mausi back up me! She said to him why would a child marry an old man!! 
2 people like this
@allknowing (144972)
• India
9 Apr
That is a nice memory you have even after so many years. Are you courageous now?
2 people like this
@RebeccasFarm (94514)
• Arvada, Colorado
10 Apr
You are blessed to have had such sage and love.
2 people like this
@Dreamerby (7970)
• Calcutta, India
10 Apr
Yeah it was a long time back but I still remembered it
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (27157)
• Singapore
9 Apr
One golden rule is change is the only constant and we have to adapt.
Change what we can for the better and accept those we can't.
We all face challenges but how we face them matters.
It depends on us whether we have a positive or negative take on what confronts us.
2 people like this
