Staying healthy and strong until 'mudik' calls<\/p>\n
Wayan Sadia, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
What could be more gratifying for Muslims than being united
\nwith relatives -- grandparents, parents, siblings, in-laws -- and
\nmeeting friends during Idul Fitri or Lebaran, as it is popularly
\ncalled here, after fasting throughout Ramadhan.<\/p>\n
Certainly, refraining from food and drink from dawn to dusk is
\nnot easy. Thus, Muslims who observe the fasting month deserve the
\njoyous get-together at the end of the month.<\/p>\n
On Sunday evening, several days after Idul Fitri, I was taking
\nmy evening coffee as usual, when suddenly, I started thinking
\nabout mudik (loosely meaning homeward travel to be united with
\nrelatives). Muslims who care about their families and can afford
\nthe age-long tradition travel back to their hometowns to
\ncelebrate the biggest Islamic festival. They would spend a couple
\nof days with their relatives there, forgetting temporarily all
\nthe burdens of their daily lives.<\/p>\n
However, the joy of Idul Fitri does not last long, as
\neverybody has to return to wherever they came from to resume
\ntheir normal activities, be they corporate employees, civil
\nservants, teachers, traders, or whatever their profession may be<\/p>\n
Then I started to wonder: What do I, being a non-Muslim, have
\nto do with this mudik business, anyway? I am now in my early
\nseventies, a grandpa of five grandchildren. I will conduct mudik
\nwhenever destiny decides to close my history in this mortal
\nworld. Of course, I am talking about a completely different
\nmudik. My future mudik will be a one-time event rather than an
\nevent that can repeat. So, it is unique in nature. And please
\nnote, the younger people whom I will leave behind will certainly
\nfollow suit, sooner or later.<\/p>\n
According to my Hindu religion, should you return to this
\nmundane world after death, you will assume another kind of life,
\nwhich could be better or worse than the current one depending
\nupon the past karma (deposit of actions). Every Hindu wishes to
\nbecome a human being for the second time. We consider it a
\nheavenly bonus.<\/p>\n
No one knows when his or her life will be over. A doctor can
\ntell you with almost 100 percent accuracy when a conceived baby
\nwill be born in terms of days or perhaps hours, thanks to the
\nmodern science and technology. But there can be no guesswork as
\nfar as death is concerned.<\/p>\n
However, the least that I could do in anticipation of that
\nparticular mudik is to be "ready".<\/p>\n
Another thing is, according to my religion, I have to "refrain
\nfrom any new borrowing". And if you have old debts, pay them up,
\nuntil you are free of outstanding financial debts. Only then your
\njourney to heaven would be smooth, unhindered.<\/p>\n
Still, my main concern is health. By nature, the older you
\nare, the weaker you are physically. Thus, I want to be fit all
\nthe time. For that purpose, I avoid radical changes in my daily
\nroutine, among other things.<\/p>\n
I mentioned earlier that I have grandchildren. Honestly
\nspeaking, grandchildren may boost your will to live longer. It is
\nblissful to watch grandchildren develop both physically and
\nemotionally with their pluses and minuses. But I don't want to be
\ntrapped in the illusion that grandchildren could heal your
\nsorrow.<\/p>\n
There is no such thing as eternal bliss or eternal sorrow in
\nthis world. Grandchild are, by nature, selfish, and there are
\nmoments when they don't behave themselves, which can be quite a
\nnuisance.<\/p>\n
Recognizing that I am part and parcel of the community, even
\nat 72, I would not forget my social obligations as well as legal
\nduties like attending all sorts of celebrations such as
\nbirthdays, weddings and circumcisions. Neither would I neglect to
\npay household bills, etc. Not to mention showing sympathy to the
\nunfortunate and sorrowful fellow citizens in my neighborhood and
\nbeyond.<\/p>\n
I hope all this will keep me healthy and strong until the call
\nfor mudik comes.<\/p>",
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