Nurture the Bonds

With the hectic start of the week especially over the past two days, a walk was in the horizon. There is something about a walk which brings peace and calm to the mind and soul. It is in the silent escapade with nature that writers revel, poets and philosophers think and artists find their muse. Autumn brings forth the palette of colours which calms turbulent thoughts, answers problems and stores away beautiful memories for the eyes. Above all, autumn highlights the fleeing nature of time. With summer gone, autumn calls forth the harvesting of berries, football in the courts, smell of rain and fresh earth with flashes of thunder and lightning highlighting the skies. That’s when I realized the passage of time. Along my walk today, I was reminded of the lines from Robert Frost’s words.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

Although these words were part of the poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” which describes hauntingly a scene of the barren woods on a snowy evening, the theme expresses that one must concentrate on fulfilling his promises and accomplishing his duties without being distracted by the pleasures of life.

Yet what ran through my mind as these lines echoed was the fickle nature of time and the promises we have yet to fulfill. In our course of time, we have promised a lot of things to many people even to ourselves. One of the most frequent words that I used to make especially to old high school friends, college and university friends when we met at reunions or accidental meets was to “promise to keep in touch“. Even more glaring was a unanswered call or messages especially from our parents, siblings, relatives and close friends. Is it that we really don’t have the time ? How many times have we broken the promise to call back ? When was the last time we had simply called to enquire about their lives ?

Come to think of it, I answer my work calls and family calls with urgency with feelings of dread or urgency. Yet we never seem to find the time to keep the promise to just call to talk, to really listen and above all, to understand the conversation.

The hard truth is that in maintaining relationships, it’s not really distance which makes people grow apart. It’s the fact that taking people for granted, makes the relationship drift apart. True at times, amidst the hectic schedule of our lives it’s very difficult to find time for casual talk with near and dear ones. Yet the beauty of the true bonds is that they won’t mind us being busy. However, that doesn’t give us leeway to make empty promises or take these ties for granted. For time is more of a tyrant than friend, it can’t be predicted nor does it stick around. Time tends to run with the tide, waxing and waning but never still .

So one thing I determined on my walk, before the year ends and autumn fades away, it’s time to pick up the ties and strengthen the bonds. We will be always able to make time for others if we really want to. After all, there is nothing better to watch the mosaic of colours this fall with wine, reconnect with conversation to relax and break the stress.