“I don’t understand what is the point of solving these polynomial problems, where am I going to use them?” I grumpily mumbled out loud on a Sunday afternoon, sitting at our dining table finishing my homework when I heard her say from the other room, “This is just the start, if the process doesn’t humble you with time, you did it wrong.”
I remember being confused after hearing this, I couldn’t figure out whether it was a response to my previous question or she just mumbled something in the air like I did.

By this time Dadi had had 2 mild strokes and would say things that sometimes had no sense or context to them; so I did not bother following up on what she said because math seemed like a more severe problem at the moment.
Cut to last week, while I was home alone, sitting on the same dining table feeling close to normal after 3 weeks of feeling sick and derailed, I was reminded of what she had said and suddenly it made sense this time, turns out it was a response to my grumpiness.

The process started with finding a math problem as the most difficult thing on planet earth; today it has reached to figuring out how to manage stress as a 22-year-old because some parameters on my medical report are of a 42-year-old and all the medical experts say stress has induced this.
While she was right about the starting point, the curious kid in me was verifying if it’s humbling and the good news is that yes, it is.

Life update at 22 is that I no longer feel as invincible as I did at 18 or 20, I value a good meal more now, I value that 2 extra minutes with a loved one more, and I value rest and having time at hand.
I value when life slows down because honestly otherwise the pace and intensity it is moving at is blinding on most days.
It humbles me when I seek support on my bad days knowing that I can’t do all of it alone, the sense of entitlement fades in an instant.
I value one good day after a miserable week and am shamelessly over the “every day is a good day” phase.
I value the warmth and love that comes my way because I realize it’s not easy for the other person either.

So in conclusion, it is humbling and yes, she was right.
Here’s to hoping it gets more and more humbling since the goal is to truly enjoy all the simple pleasures of existence that are there; helping me validate the wisdom of “you are doing it right” that was passed on, on a Sunday noon 8 years ago.

I honestly think Dadi likes taking credit for my random epiphanies in life and I like giving to them. See you at life update 32 maybe, for the next validation.