Count your blessings

I was the cool kid in an all-boys school. That isn’t saying much but it is what it is.

I had good grades, extra-curriculars, and a random captain’s badge which I thought was a pretty big deal back then. It would suffice to say, I felt pretty good about myself at that time and it didn’t take long for me to become an outright snob. I had a lot of friends naturally, across all rungs of the “popularity” ladder. Popularity works differently in an all-boys school. Nobody cared about your social media presence or your looks, all that mattered was how good you were in the unofficial school sport: football.

When I look back at school, I have many regrets. I should have scored better, played better, behaved better, done everything better. This perspective changed today, a decade and a half later, when I reminisced about an old classmate of mine.

Harry. Let’s say his name was Harry.

Harry and I had never been friends like that. Sure we occasionally talked and sometimes I picked him in my football team during the pivotal lunch break matches, but yeah, he was not my friend.

Harry was the most generous kid, always polite, and never got into any fights. He always helped others and worked hard in school. His grades weren't the best and he wasn't good at sport either. Naturally, he wasn't in the limelight as often, if ever. I didn’t care much for him at the time, after all, I was the kid in the spotlight, the one who was to top the school, the one to lead out the school march, why would I care?

I still remember that morning. It was the 6th grade, and the bell had just gone to signal the start of the first period. Everything was normal, Harry had been absent for the past couple of days, and I had barely noticed. A man walked in through the door of the classroom, had a quick chat with the teacher, and turned towards the class to make an announcement. I didn't recognize the man, but he was fighting back tears.

“Hi, I’m Harry’s father,…Harry will not be coming to school anymore….He is no more with us” he said

I remember being absolutely stunned. I’d seen the kid just the week before, speaking about something mundane. “Blood cancer” his father continued, sobbing uncontrollably, and then he swiftly departed. Maybe I was too young, and I didn't understand death, but at that time I couldn't process it completely. I carried on with my work, but the image of his father had imprinted on my mind and it still is.

Harry had been suffering from the condition for years. When the doctors found out, sadly, it was too late, the cancer had spread to its final stage. Imagine the courage needed for a child to know the inevitability of his disease, and still soldier on. He carried that knowledge with him, every lunch break, every class, every conversation he had, and yet he was a happy kid. Always smiling, always optimistic.

I will never forget Harry. He did not deserve that. I hope wherever he is, he is in peace.

We as humans regret our past, fret over our present, and are anxious about our future. Even now, as a global pandemic decimates my country, there are still people out there, thinking they deserve something more than life itself.

You don’t deserve anything. You get what you give, you fail where you’re meant to, and Succeed where you want to. Instead, count your blessings. Be grateful for waking up every morning, for seeing your loved ones, for being loved. Understand the worth of life because some people aren't so lucky.

When you feel like life has you cornered and there is nowhere to go, count your blessings and shout them aloud, one by one. You will be surprised by how much there is to be happy for and how much you still have left to give.