Acceptance.

“No intelligent idea can gain general acceptance unless some stupidity is mixed in with it.”
~ Fernando Pessoa

Let me share a story to illustrate that very apt quote.

Two days after my late father’s wife died, my sister Padmini vacationing in the neighbouring state called on him to see how he was shaping up. She found him a bit lost but coping and glad to see her. While he was busy with the rest of Padmini’s entourage, Padmini was taken aside by my father’s step daughter to request her to take away my father as the family felt that they could not take care of him without her mother.

Padmini knowing the situtation within our side of the family telephoned me to inform of that request. I suggested that we persuade him to move back to our village or to a home in the town itself but left a final decision to a later time. When I informed my then alive wife Urmeela about this development, she reminded me of my late mother’s desire that when the time came, as it most certainly will, I should take care of him and suggested that we invite him to come and stay with us. Since she was comfortable with the idea and was prepared to accept all the consequences, I called my father and invited him to come and stay with us.

I then called my two other siblings Arvind and Barath and informed them of what had transpired and both promptly said that I was being stupid and that I should leave him to his devices if I wanted to retain my sanity. I ignored their advise and got him over to come and stay with us.

It was the stupidest thing that I ever did but I accepted that having let emotions overrule logic, I went through with that decision and suffered the consequences for near four years.

The idea was an intelligent one, as most people outside the immediate family believed, but my siblings and I saw my stupidity play out till his end came.

So, be prepared to accept that intelligent/logical ideas will be accepted when there is some stupidity mixed in them.

“You have to know how to accept rejection and reject acceptance.”
~ Ray Bradbury

I hope you enjoyed reading this post on the weekly Friday Loose Bloggers Consortium where twelve of us write on the same topic. Today’s topic has been chosen by Shackman. The eleven other bloggers who write regularly are, in alphabetical order, Anu, Delirious, gaelikaa, Grannymar, Maxi, Maria SF, ocdwriter, Padmum, Paul, Shackman, The Old Fossil and Will. Do drop in on their blogs and see what their take is on this week’s topic. Since some of them may post late, do give some allowance for that too!