The Gifts of Death

“I am not ready to die,” Body speaks to mind.

“Neither am I my friend,” Mind responds.

One is never ready for Death. Till the last breath, Body, Mind and Heart wish for an alternate ending to life.

“I am weak,” says Body. 

“Body, I know you are weak. I am looking for the medicine to what ails you. I know there’s a cure for your pain.”

Mind’s attempt of reassurance is met with silence.

“You cannot give up, Body. Today, like many other times in the past, I will protect you.”

Body feels cold.

“Why am I sad?” Body muses.

“Stop the sadness. Drive it away,” Mind says. “Sadness makes us weaker. I can give you happy thoughts.”

“Think of the time we jumped off the cliff. Remembering that always gives us joy.”

Body recalls the moments when they fell into the water, the warm waters felt like a warm embrace back then, but this time there is no warmth. He continues to be cold. And the coldness reaches his feet.

“No!!!!” Mind is frantic.

“No!!!” He cries and his tears blind him.  He loses sight of Body. “Body, where are you my friend? Please don’t leave. Please don’t leave me alone.”

“My love, Please hold my hand. You are not alone. I am here.”  It is Heart who speaks. He has been watching Mind and Body all along.

Heart feels Mind’s suffering. Heart feels Body’s pain.

It is clear that the end is near but only Heart accepts it.

“Mind, please hold my hand. We are together till the end.”

“It’s unfair.” Mind is sobbing, “We should live forever.”

Heart cannot muster a response; he just squeezes Mind’s hand.

Mind calms down, then Heart speaks. “She is here my friend. Are you ready?”

“Sh-she is? I am not ready Heart. Can’t we ask her for more time? Can’t we offer her anything.”

“She does not need anything from us Mind. She comes when it’s time. And it is.”

Body is motionless.

The cold continues to spread.

The toes, then the feet, then the legs. Freezing.

The fingers, then the arms, the head, then the eyes. Freezing.

Lastly, the chest. The cold reaches the chest.

Heart is the only one who can speak and he says.

 “Death our friend, please be kind”

Death, as always, is kind. She embraces the three friends and kisses them one by one and speaks of her gift to each one.

She kisses Body and says, “Rest.”

She kisses Mind and offers, “The truth that you seek.”

She kisses Heart and gives, “Courage and love.”

Heart falls silent. There no longer is the familiar beat.

For a moment that is eternity, there is only peace.

In the end; Body, Mind, Heart, Death, Life and all there is, is One.

Trial of the Century

Manila, PH - Today, we heard the sentencing of Lord Fernandez who was convicted for the crime of corruption of his true self and purpose. The trial was initiated when Fernandez published a blog post entitled “Confession”.
 

The prosecutor’s case was primarily built upon Fernandez’s confession. Here, we quote Fernandez.

“I confess to the crime of corrupting my own self. I woke up today not recognizing the man in the mirror. I look tired from carrying the burden of all the material possessions that I have acquired through the years.” 

During the trial, the prosecutor paraded Fernandez’s possessions:  multiple mobile phones, tablets, laptops, suit cases, phone cases, cameras, etc. All those possessions would have filled up Alibaba’s cave of treasures.

When Fernandez took the stand, he was asked by the prosecutor how he ended up amassing this much junk.

“When I was young, I did not have money for toys. Because of this, I could not join the boys in our neighborhood when they played with their toys. When I earned enough money to buy the big boys’ toys, I bought them. Every gadget I bought was my way of buying my place in the cool boys' clique.

“You committed bribery for acceptance.” The prosecutor proclaimed.

The public opinion on Fernandez was split. Some of them think he’s a monster while others think of him as a victim. When the guilty verdict came, even those who were sympathetic were not surprised.

Everyone expected the judge to throw Fernandez in jail but that sentence did not materialize.

The judge’s ruling today read:

“Lord Fernandez. It is odd that we even had to go through a trial when you practically plead guilty to the crime.  I am glad we did have a trial because it was enlightening and helped in determining your sentence for this so called crime.”

“In front of me is a broken man. You clearly have done a number on yourself.”

“What is the appropriate punishment for someone who is already suffering?”

“As judge, my ultimate job is to uphold justice. You admitted your crime. You have corrupted yourself and your confession is a cry for help.”

“As such, this is your sentence. Every day, look at yourself in the mirror. Tell that man, you are enough. The clothes on your back, the hair on your head, your voice and every cell in your body, your mind, and your heart make you whole. Every time you find the itch to acquire another gadget, or car, or house to buy yourself into someone’s acceptance, repeat unto yourself these words, ‘I am whole. I am enough’.”

The judge then stood up from his podium and approached Fernandez. The judge laid his hand on Fernandez’s shoulder and asked him to stand up.  The judge hugged him tight. When the judge let go of Fernandez, he said these last words, “Today, you have been judged with kindness. Remember that the next time you judge yourself harshly.”