PIERCING QUILLS

It was Ice Age and animals were freezing to death.A group of 10 porcupines saw some bears cuddling each other for warmth and thought to mimic them. So they tried but had to struggle a lot because of their painful quills. Finally, they succeeded to get some warmth in their togetherness that helped them survive.

But their piercing quills hurt a lot, and so one of them decided to separate from the huddle. Immediately,he started to feel the chill again and was bound to freeze to death. So, he had to make a choice, either stay alone, unhurt, inviting a freezing death. Or else cuddle up for warmth, survive the cold but experience pain from the thorny quills.

It chose to cuddle up.The quills hurt.But the porcupine survived.This Paulo Coelho story made me realise that we all are a lot like porcupines. No one is perfect, we all have quills, we hurt each other one way or the other, whether we realise it or not.

We have to learn to find a way through our shortcomings to make our loved ones feel comfortable and hurt them as little as possible.So,first of all,we must be careful of our quills. If we take care not to hurt others, the world will be a better place.

But most of us don’t know how to be careful with ‘our quills’.That’s why all relationships hurt a bit.We have to identify the relationships that give us immense warmth,while they hurt a little.Some relationships only hurt and give no warmth.It’s better to let go of such relationships. But life will also bless you with relationships that give you so much warmth that it makes up for all the hurt in the world.

You may find such relationships in the family, in teams at work, in friendships or with a ‘soul connect’ you encounter unexpectedly in life. Embrace these relationships, even if it hurts. Just learn to manoeuvre the quills!

■ www.speakingtree.in/blog/ porcupines-maulik-unadkat