Does Life care about us?

We hang onto her robe, yet she moves on. We hold her sleeves so tightly that we think we have got our grip on her. Yet she moves on, dragging us behind. This is life; she does not care about us and, often times, does not even look at us.

She carries on according to the strict laws of nature. She never looks back or waits for anybody. Her balance has never been affected by anyone or towards any side.

She has her own systems and rules that control her. She moves according to these rules, unlike humans — the only creatures who have the freedom of choice.

We are mistaken if we believe that she cares about us a lot!

We might get this illusion so as to feel we are important and build our happiness on it. It is nice to imagine that someone cares for us. We need to feel important and valued. This feeling goes away sometimes and we forget, amidst the hurdles of life, to take care of ourselves. And when we forget ourselves, joy forgets us and happiness deserts us.

In order to pass safely in her pathways and alleys, we have to really care about her. Our long journey forces us to heed and pay attention. In his novel Mohal (Impossible), Yousuf Zidane says: “Perhaps life doesn’t care about us in the first place. We go after her using all kinds of tricks until we are fully inclined towards wishes and tumble into anticipation and hope, lest we forget over the years that at the end of the pursuit, we are inevitably plundered.”

In some of its aspects, our relationship with life resembles relations among people; we come together in a place ruled by time. In our scattered stops, we recognise them, we approach them with caution and put barriers between us that we think protect us and they think they protect them.

This safe distance in relationships may be similar to our relationship with life. It may be necessary to move forward. Sometimes, it is like a lifebuoy. This distance is a space to move and think away from any pressures.

Understanding others well sometimes requires a lot of patience. Relationships are different. Each has its own privacy. The spaces of freedom are safe distances for us — and for them.

Sometimes you have to learn to deal with water even before you start swimming. Getting wet first encourages you to swim and that is better than jumping straight into the water. To keep up with the fast and orderly pace of life, you have to take time out for your ‘self’, a calm vacation with ‘her’, where you talk to each other, arrange your scattered thoughts and prepare for the next round. Time around you does not wait.

Shore of our dreams

The ‘safe distance’ is the art of dealing with life, which requires a deeper understanding of its meanings and significance.

Your existence is the truth. The freedom to choose is what characterises us as humans. God has distinguished you with a brain so that you can decide on your next step and think carefully before you take it.

How we wish life pays attention to us! If only she looks at us once! Or even notices our existence! Then, we will destroy all safe distances between us and her. She knows well that we adore her. This obsession and continuous obsession with her has many explanations. Why do we run after someone who has never waited for us or paid any attention to us?

Our thoughtfulness about her is a fact. The second fact is that she never cares about us. Everyone cares about what is important for him or her. But we care for her. I asked many of my friends this question: “Does life care about us?” Their points of view varied. Some agreed with me. Others thought life takes care of us and that the closer we get to her, the more she notices us. One of them said that life celebrates with us every day, helps us achieve and pats our backs whenever we fail. Life is the gate we go through every day to reach the shore of our dreams. That is why we celebrate her and she celebrates us.

There is always more than one opinion. Understanding life is deceptively simple! Between agreement and disagreement, there is a fine line that each party walks to keep the balance.

But the question still exists: Does life care about us?

Jamal Al Shehhi is an Emirati writer. You can follow him at www.twitter.com/jamalalshehhi