"HE is never against you, HE is always with you..." - T T Rangarajan, ALMA MATER

My dear readers,

 I used to take my son for chess coaching. Coaches have their own ways. This coach would play a game with my son and defeat him. He would then put all the pieces back in their starting position. He would replay the game along with my son following the same sequence of moves, and in the process explain to him what were the mistakes and what were the good moves. One thing never changed. Every day he would play another game and defeat my son another time. And, then the whole process of replaying and coaching would be done. However, two things kept changing. One, my son was not
 repeating much of the earlier mistakes, though he kept displaying there is always scope for new mistakes. Two, the coach started asking my son, what were the coach's mistakes. Much more than the game, the way they analysed after the game was fabulous. I was beginning to understand the ways of this coach. Eventually, one day, my son defeated the coach. The happiness I saw in the coach on that day was infinitely greater than all the days when he had been defeating my son.

I understood on that day, as long as he was winning, he was winning as a chess player but losing as the chess coach. It was in his defeat, though he lost as a chess player, he triumphed as the chess coach.

I also realised that the coach, from the beginning, was never playing the game against my son. He was always playing the game with my son. Even when he was allowing my son to make mistakes, he was with my son. That was his way of giving my son the experiences to learn. Even when he was defeating my son, he was with my son. That was his way of showing my son where he was and where he could reach. Even when he was making the mistakes, he was with my son. That was his way of teaching my son to master the opponent. Even when he eventually lost to my son, he was with my son. That was his way of winning, by making his creation a winner.

That day, as I drove back home, I had tears in my eyes. My son enquired, “What happened pa?” I replied, “In observing your coach, I have understood my god. In observing the game your coach played with you, I have understood the game my god is playing with me. My son, through you I understood, even if I am not yet a winner, I know I am on my way to winning in life. I know He is working on me. Through your coach I have understood, the ways of my god is the ways of my god. His ways are His ways. HE is never against me, even when it appears so. HE is always with me. HE will win only when I win. These are transcendental tears my son.”

I know my son understood neither what I said nor my tears. But it took me so long to understand His ways. My son's time too will come…


Loving you,

T.T. Rangarajan
(Excited to be alive...)

: From VOICE OF LOVE column, FROZEN THOUGTHS February 2011 issue.

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