In a world fractured with endless trauma, seething resentment, despicable heartbreaks, humans have invented and coined their own ways of recuperating and finding meaning in the vast scheme of ‘nothingness’ . Deep down, we are tired and lonesome and crave for gentle caressing to soothe our souls, writhe in pain. The injuries, insults and defeats we withstand in the macrocosm of life, often go unnoticed and undetected. The fascinating thing about life, however, is the tenacity of the human condition and the power of human resilience to overcome them. But let’s not glorify the pain or the silence surrounding suffering but reflect on the multiple perspectives that help us not only accept our vulnerabilities but also think of ways in which we can heal as an individual and as a community.
The word ‘healing’ often ignites in our imagination of the possibility of a physical injury or wound that needs treatment and subsequently the transcendence into recovery. We cannot however, forget that much of what ‘healing’ actually should involve is the mental or psychological aspect that is often discreet or talked only in hushed tones. The narrative of healing, whether from a physiological or psychological aspect is crucial for any wholesome and therapeutic experience but the interesting thing is that there is no singular route to healing.
The lives of numerous artists testify to the varied paths they have often taken to heal themselves in times of distress. It was Robert Johnson, the father and pioneer of Blues music, who took the aid of strumming his guitar at the crossroads to compensate for all the personal agonies and losses. For Vincent Van Gogh, it was his paintbrushes on the canvas doing miracles, even though his mind was fraught with pain. Mary Oliver, one of the most celebrated poets took long solitary walks into the forest to rejuvenate and heal herself from the insipid mundane existence.
As the world entered an almost apocalyptic state with the Covid 19 pandemic in 2019, each one of us took recourse to different paths to heal ourselves from the personal losses. It wasn’t only the oxygen cylinders and antibiotics coming to rescue. For many it was the lockdown tales of penning a poem, cooking in their kitchen or adopting a furry baby that helped them heal in many ways.
As with any healing process, it takes time but time can often be cruel and provide no respite. The ones inflicted with a terminal illness and their families subjected to the herculean task of taking care of the ailing patient may require a forbearance that only few can even imagine. There’s no poetic licence granted and one just waits helplessly withering against the tide. In this seeming pessimistic world, we are lucky to stumble upon a ray of hope when someone extends their hand of help and assures us that ‘all is well.’
Even a few years back, the word ‘Cancer’ was received with dread and horror and a chance of recovery or complete healing seemed too far-fetched. To say that it is no longer lethal may be subjective to certain clauses or to sugar coat reality, but even then the world has witnessed nothing short of a miracle in recent years in the trajectory of cancer treatment. Dr. Vikash Kumar Agarwal and his wife, Dr. Vibha Agarwal, two staunch optimists and healers who have been personally involved with the project of curing cancer and trying to heal the world in their way through the eradication of fear and taboo surrounding cancer.