When it is time…

Early in the last decade, and times moves, I received some tragic news. We had lost some senior member of our society. Let me clarify that the seniority of this woman is relative given the fact she she wasn’t a national political figure nor a renowned businesswoman. She was senior and renowned in her own way.

When my mum broke the news to me, I wondered how she had died. I wouldn’t ask this question then because the wound was still fresh even in the disguise of ‘it’s okay son’ composure from mum. I knew it was hard on everyone around and so I kept quite and promised to revisit this thought in future.

After about two months, I was at home with my family for the ‘festivities.’ I gathered the courage and asked a kind of stupefying question about her now; How did she die? I added meaning to the question. Yes, she had been sick, I know she died slightly past midnight and she also died naturally but how? Had they seen it coming?

Luckily enough, those who had majorly taken care of her were present this day. Although it seemed I was being coy with my questions, one person got what I wanted to know knowingly or unknowingly and put forth their own version of answer.

“I thought she knew her time had come,” She answered. I quickly quipped in and said, perfect. I then investigated further, how did you tell? She described how she noted that her time had come, details which I will narrate another day. But at least she knew her time had come. I was given another account last year of a young man I had seen grow and whom I had seen the morning of the day he died.

To this young man, he asked to be left alone in the room. He requested all people to go and when they delayed, he looked at the wall and covered himself completely and rested. The mum said that when her son made that request, her blood froze and she knew something was up and not right.

Such are sad yet critical stories about life which depict the end of it. Let us shift now and look at the beginning of life for at least we can have a boost of our spirits for those of us who never want to hear anything about death yet it is a path we are most likely to undergo.

A woman gets pregnant. She becomes elated at the thought of playing a big part in bringing a new life to this world. With every growth of inch, her belly as well as time close in on the nine-month period. She has to be more aware of her situation as days draw close.

And then comes the question, how do they know that the time for the delivery is near? In fact, some even sense that the time is past and as part of the precaution, they voluntarily go to the hospital for shift action. We then ask, is it the time period that leads them to conclude that it is time or the labor pains?

A number of us will conclude that it is one of the two. And others will still say that it is a cumulative function of the two. And all of them could be right. But because I have never been at it, I will give a philosophical answer that will be driven by the conclusion of the story I will now narrate.

A couple of years back, I watched an interesting action movie titled, The Presidents man. The film that stars Chuck Norris, is a tale of a savior man who the president secretly keeps to be sent to the most secret missions where America as a country wouldn’t want to be openly seen as taking part in.

This well-trained man is never supposed to be in contact with white house. In other words, he is on his own completely. Not even the major security personnel as supposed to be aware of such a person lest it breed strive and animosity.

Simply said, this is an everyday person, but in the wake of a crisis and the country needs to act incognito, he becomes the man of the hour. In the movie, John (Chuck Norris) goes for a series of missions from rescuing abducted American victims to destroying drug cartels.

It comes to a time when he feels like it is time he retired. Before he can recruit another president’s man, he goes to his own immediate recruiter and trainer and asks him how and when he knew it was time to call it quits and pursue other personal interests.

The senior man tells him, “You feel it, John.” Simply said, you will always know when it is time to retire. You will always know when it is time to let go. You will always know when it is time to move on. You will always know when it is time to pursue other interests.

And the knowledge comes as a result of feeling it. For example, suppose you are in a camp where you are appreciated, respected and taken seriously. Then one day you wake up and you are taken as though you no longer matter. What do you do? You shift allegiance.

What brings the realization that things have changed? You observe it but most importantly you feel it. No wonder people will use the words, I feel like I am not appreciated here or don’t belong here. And the worst thing to do is to stick right in there.

Once you feel it, then you know it is time you did something. So, how does a pregnant woman know when it is time to give birth? The simplest and most logical answer is that they will always know. They feel the toddler growing and moving in the uterus all along, they keep track of the time and they feel the labor pains. In other words they are full aware of everything and that is why most of them will take themselves to the hospital and simply wait for the precise moment.

When time to make changes comes: time to transition, time to take a step back and revisit, time to reconsider, time to get out there and risk, time to make that leap of faith, time to sit back and reflect, time to fight one more time, time to surrender… We always know it; we always know when it is time.

And that could be as a multi -function of many closely linked factors. Bottom line though, is that we always know when it is time.

End