On World Health Day - A letter to my health

 My dear health

A lot of wishes to you on your day today, world
health day!

I have been hearing about you since childhood,
talking about you since I could take care of myself, and learning and teaching
about you for two decades now. Alas, I felt you close only in last one month as
I was infected with Novel Coronavirus and was down with Covid19.  It also brought the first hospitalization of
my 45 years of existence.  While the coronavirus
overpowered you, to begin with, the care and treatment thankfully helped me to
regain most of you, my dear health.  And
this whole experience made me feel your presence, valued ironically through
absence, more than ever.

I have been generally taking care of you, my
health, over many years. I did so more specifically over the last year as we
lived under the threat of Covid19.  This
care comprised of adequate and quality food, sleep, rest, recreation and leisure,
and productive dealing of thoughts and emotions regularly.  Over the last year, it also included the
various home remedies, alternative medicines, and the now-famous non-medical
inputs of S,M,S.  Besides, three things
remained very important in my ability to take care of you, dear. These are relationship,
income, and prayers. I have been blessed with a caring and loving family,
sensitive and creative friends, who remained strong pillars of support,
especially in the tough times that affected you.  I also have a steady job with reasonable
income and perks to manage planned and unplanned expenses leaving me free from
worries and anxieties. Lastly, I have a fulfilling experience of having faith
in the almighty through silent and personalized prayers. All these have helped
you, my health, keep in good spirit over years, and more so during last one.

The whole environment of last year around
pandemic, lockdown, unlock and taking precautions, which was meant to preserve
you, my health, paradoxically affected you a lot in many ways. I know you have
suffered through preventive measures as well. But, till last month, you
survived with little harm through all that. 
The Covid19 experiences of the last month made me value you a lot more.
However, while I valued you in your absence, I immensely valued my above-mentioned
support system, through which I could hold you back through Covid19 isolation,
hospitalization, and recovery.  This
experience taught me a few lessons about you and about us, which I elaborate on
below.

Body – along with mind and heart – needs to be
taken care of. These faculty
are not valued enough when they function optimally.  For example, I realized the importance of my
body when I felt generalized fatigue.  I
acknowledged its presence when my body indicated that it will not be able to
take care of me, owing to the illness.  I
understood well through this experience that you, my dear health, have taken
care of me relentlessly through these faculty all through these 45 years.  I am sure you must have given me signals of
wear and tear from time to time, and I must have ignored them too.  The covid19 illness made me realize that it
is time to reverse the roles. Life after 45 needs to be different from the life
I led before 45 years.  I now need to
proactively need to take a bit more care of my health through better nourishing
the faculties of body, mind, and heart.

Self-sufficiency is overrated and there is no
alternative to meaningful relationships.  I knew that one's health thrives
through interdependency and not in being independent. During the Covid19
episode, I further realized that acknowledging the need for help, seeking the
right kind of help at right time from the right kind of sources, and
accepting/taking help is important for you. Many a time, I was enjoying the
idea of doing it all by myself. I now realized that my feeling good about
trying to do it all by myself was affecting you, my dear health.  During the corona related sickness, I
realized that the parents, siblings, wife, daughter, in-laws, cousins, friends,
colleagues, neighbours, etc. are unique beads that keep the chain of life
connected.  I realized that the chain is
only as strong as its beads and connections thereof.  All these beads extended the help of
different kinds and I was taken care of. 
This help is priceless, and cannot be paid back.  I shall always remain grateful. And I know,
gratitude is very important an input for good health, isn't it?!!

Science and faith – Vigyan Aur Vishwas – are
two interconnected essential elements for good health.  The
scientific approach to preventive actions and then approaching healthcare
experts for treatment and care at the time of illness remain important to you,
I know.  Equally important is having
faith in the tests and treatments provided by the team of healthcare
professionals. At the time of corona illness, I relied completely on one expert
and did not doubt his wisdom and ability. 
Neither I checked the details of treatment and decisions thereof on the
internet, nor did I sought any second opinions from anyone. I had complete faith
– in science, in the scientists, and the in the almighty who may have created
them.

Financial protection in the form of health
insurance is essential for good health.  Relying on scientific inputs is
essential for good health; but, the presence of health insurance enables access
to a range of such inputs easier.  Having
faith in almighty for good health is essential; but, acknowledging the risk of
illness and preparing for catastrophic expenses through advanced purchasing of
adequate health insurance boost the confidence in a tough time. 

My dear health, I shall always remain indebted
to you for taking care of me through the thick and thin.  You have given me productive as well as
quality leisure time for more than four decades without too much hassle.   I promise that in the remaining life, I will
take care of you.  Keep reminding me of
your existence and importance through your presence. I would not like to value
you again at the time of your absence.

Lots of love and care.

Me