The two words that evoke in us unmitigated emotional turmoil in very different ways are ‘Lost’ and ‘Found’. On life’s canvas, an endless search continues as both play their part !
Early in school we start losing things as carefree souls – a handkerchief, tiffin box, pen, pencil, umbrella to books and notes. Then there are tirades from elders for our little blunders : ‘Have you lost your mind !’ to the peremptory : ‘Get lost !’ for a wrong-doing to tragic announcements like ‘We lost our dear Principal today !’ In our time, our school would have a ‘lost and found’ box for sundry items we left behind. Now we are ‘On-line’ savvy, debit/credit cards yet get lost but some often get recovered from a Mall’s desk.
To get anywhere in life, doing well in tests and competitions is essential which means not losing any marks and getting high grades. For achievers, losing the first position in class or coming second in a race is a setback. For the sporty types it is about making up for ‘loss of quick wickets’ after batting first or not losing the clever ‘pass’ just near the goal. We come of age, helplessly ‘losing our heart to someone’ and ‘losing sleep over it’ and ‘being at a loss for words’ describing ‘love’. Yet, we have no ‘love-lost’ for some !
There’s something poignant about ‘loss’ expressed in various forms and this has spurred writers, poets to create classic pieces of literature. Let’s recall Shelley’s lines ‘It’s better to have loved & lost than to have never loved’ and Dicken’s Sydney Carton saying ‘It’s a far far better thing to do..’ before sacrificing his life for one who was the love of the one he loved ! James Hilton’s novel ‘Lost Horizon’ introduced the world to ‘Shangri La’, the utopian state of agelessness and John Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’ an epic poem that retells the biblical story of the Fall of Man. Then there was also from him ‘Paradise Regained’.
The flip side of ‘lost’ is ‘found’ which lifts our spirits. Imagine the thrill of discovering from the recesses of your old cupboard, what were given up as lost- a priceless 18th Birthday letter from Dad, finding an old classic book, a song recording or a funny shirt gifted years back by the spouse, faded pictures with siblings, old neighbors, school-friends & our children as ‘little kids’. We have excitedly reconnected with those we had lost contact with and revisited places that hold memories of yester years. In forgotten places or even in new locations, we’ve lost bearings but found our way back. This makes us hopeful – for some of what’s lost might come back but in different ways and times.
Sometimes you can feel that you’ve lost something but then at the same time you can discover you’ve actually found or gained something. Life’s untold adventures never cease, those within and without. Only when lost, do we begin to understand ourselves !
Working on Living 