What is Family? A @vinyprop Original

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What is ***family***?

Why is that when it comes to family, we readily surpass our own physical and mental restraints?

Who can be called our family?

These were some of the question that, all of a sudden arose in my head, while I was taking a stroll in the children’s park this evening. Well truthfully speaking, it wasn't so sudden as well. Something happened before my eyes, in the garden, which triggered this thought in me.

I do not exactly remember the time, but by the looks of the orangish tint on the Sun, it must have been the time of twilight. Bound by my daily routine, I also arrived at the park after having my beloved evening tea. During the weekdays this park usually remains empty, but that was not the case today as there were lots of people all around, especially children. Kids being kids were doing what they do best, that is running, laughing, singing, fighting and playing. And on the contrary to that, there was a group of five elderly men, mostly retired I would imagine, silently sitting on the lush green portion of the park in a semicircle formation. I see these gentlemen here almost every single day but never bothered to have a conversation with them. They always seemed happy and cheerful amongst themselves but my writer instinct was hinting me that something was just not right with them today. They were awfully silent today with a sense of sorrow in their faces. And yes, there was one more unusual thing about this group today. I have always seen six of these gentlemen together but today one of them was missing.

And my writer head begun weaving a story solely based upon whatever fragmented dots of assumed information I had and with what my investigative observation was telling me at the moment. “Is the missing gentleman no more? Yes, this must be reason for their silence”. Even though I didn’t know this person, let alone knowing, I had never even spoken with him, but today his absence just perturbed me, so much so, that now it had become an obligation for me to learn about him.

I went to that corner where these gentlemen were sitting. Not knowing how to initiate a conversation with them, I played the “do I know you?” trick. The received response was nothing but obvious. They were not amused by my question as there was something else which was running on their minds. Sensing the situation and without further ado I directly came to the point and asked. “I am not seeing the other uncle who usually come with you guys. Where is he? I hope he is well and fine”.

One of them replied, “You know what, he is a retired army man and as a soldier had fought multiple wars for this nation. He always used to tell us that the army was his family, and if need be, he would have laid his life for it. And so he almost did while trying to save one of his fellow soldier. It was his sheer grit to survive and devotion for the country that kept him alive even after being shot thrice in the chest. Today also he is fighting a battle, but as a father. His son needed a kidney to stay alive but after seeking all possible ways to find a donor, he decided to give one of his kidney to his son. Technically he is not even his son. His son died at the age of ten. This person is his adopted son. Doctors did warn him that donating a kidney at this age is not advisable at all. But the love for his son didn't let him listen to anyone. We have just received the news that his son’s operation went well but his father did not come out alive from the operation theater.

This was the incident that made me think that its the family which supported him take such an extreme step of putting his own life at risk, for the survival of his loved one.
He very well knew the outcome of the step he was about to take, but his family's survival stood before his own.

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The End

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