Congenital Complacency

"... I am telling all this because, although in Ecclesiastes, it says there is a time to rend and a time to sew, sometimes the time to rend leaves deep scars. Being with someone else and making that person feel as if they were of no importance in our life is far worse than feeling alone and miserable in the streets of Geneva." (Taken from: The Zahir by Paulo Coelho)

In the book The Zahir, Paulo Coelho examines the nature of love in the capacity of a human being. In one particular chapter, he recalls the time he felt utterly alone while in the beautiful city of Geneva, and regrets not paying more attention to his wife, who has gone missing.


I am particularly struck by this passage.

Whilst most people would be moved by Coelho's subject matter of romantic love, the passage saliently depicts the brutal truth of my congenital complacency towards my family.

How often have I returned home to the familiar faces of family, utter feeble tired little hellos, mumble about my day and proceed to my room? How often have I tuned out when a family member tells me about their day, because I am tuning in to the latest episode of CSI...

I am often so tired after a long day of work and tuition that I simply just have enough energy to space out and vegetate in front of the TV before dozing off. I am so preoccupied with myself and plans of what I have to do the next day that I completely neglect the people around me who shower me with love... "tell me tomorrow" or "sorry, tell me in a while, let me watch this first okie" etc. I never thought my selfishness could be so cruel.

Note to self: I lurrve my mummy, my daddy and my brosey! Shall drown them with a deluge of my daily adventures and misadventures and hope they heap me with a huge dollop of theirs as well! :)