Life Inspires

I had planned a nice surprize for my sister and brother-in-law for their anniversary that is on the 23rd of November. It was a big mistake using Shopper's Stop for it though. I had placed an order for Shopper's Stop gift vouchers to be couriered to them and because Shopper's Stop's stupid website does not allow me to specify a date when the gift should be delivered, I left a standing instruction for them to ship it a couple of days before the 23rd. They responded graciously that they would do the needful. However, they went ahead and did excatly the opposite. They shipped the order right away and, as a result, my sister and jeeju have received the vouchers full 10 days before their anniversary with a personalized message from me that sounds pretty foolish because of the fact that it was delivered earlier than it was supposed to be delivered. I have just sent a scathing email to Shopper's Stop and have vowed never to use their service ever again. Spoil Sports!!

We always assume that we are going to be around for years. And as every step takes us closer to our own respective deaths, we philosophically ponder about what awaits us after death. In the process, we often forget about the present. Jenny Downham’s first novel, Before I Die, successfully shocks us out of this pointless reflection and brings the focus back to life before death rather than after it. Though the book is targeted at young adults, it lingers on in the readers’ thoughts once they have read it, irrespective of their age. The book does not advocate stoicism, it does not set rules, instead through the eyes of terminally-ill, 16-year old Tessa Scott, it sets out to reflect on Tessa’s and her family’s constant struggle to hold on to the time that is slipping away. Tessa Scott, the novel’s central character is perceptive and analytical, wise beyond her years. This is most evident when she reflects upon her father’s unique position and surmises that “his shambling protecti...