Growing Older, Growing Wiser... or Just Giving Up?

In the past, every year around Diwali, I would write posts about the dangers of fireworks. About the damage they cause to the environment, the pollution they add to the air we breathe, and the very real danger they pose to human life.

I would worry about the children who would suffer asthma attacks and bronchial congestion in the aftermath of the festivities. I would worry about the animals who are terrified by the noise, the strays who have nowhere to hide, and the birds who are startled out of their homes.

But I guess, as I've grown older, I've also grown a little wiser. Or perhaps I've just grown tired.

I don't bother any more. I don't worry about the children who might have respiratory problems. I don't fret about the pollution. I try not to worry too much about the animals either. For them, I say a small prayer and ask the God who created them to take care of them.

I have finally realised that a great deal of this is beyond my control.

Once upon a time, I would panic at the very thought of children getting burnt by firecrackers. Today, I find myself shrugging the thought away. Keeping their children safe, both from physical injury and from the harmful effects of pollution, is the responsibility of their parents. If they don't care enough to protect them, who am I to lose sleep over it?

These days, I simply lock myself inside my house and shut every single window. That way, I don't have to listen to the noise (unless, of course, it's one of those really BIG bombs!), and I don't have to breathe in any more of the polluted air than absolutely necessary.

I bless the home delivery apps for making this annual retreat possible!

Perhaps this is what growing older is about. Realising that we cannot fight every battle, change every mind or save every creature. Learning to distinguish between what we can influence and what we must learn to let go of.

It doesn't necessarily mean that we care any less. Perhaps we have just learnt that caring doesn't always have to come with anxiety, sleepless nights and the need to constantly raise our voices.

So this Diwali, while the world celebrates with its lights, sounds and explosions, I'll be tucked away in my little cocoon, windows firmly shut, offering up a prayer for those who cannot escape the noise.

And ordering dinner online. 😊