My Fish Gave Me Sanity

Each day for almost 5 years (discounting weekends), I woke up at 4 am to make breakfast and lunch boxes for my children. I would also make the necessary preparations for dinner before dashing upstairs to awaken the family. After sending my children to school, I drove another 20 Km to my office. On good days, this will take me 35 minutes but on bad days, when the traffic was horrendous, it will take me at least 1-1.5 hours. Often, I reached the office feeling drained and battered. But all this pain will go away the moment I gazed upon my beloved fighting fish, Wira.

2. Wira was a beautiful work of art. A blazing orange colour with streaks of blue on its fins, it was a sight to behold. It had an amazing ability to calm me down and to restore my soul. No matter how bad was the day, rain or shine, it was faithfully there. Swimming up and down, it seemed to be saying, “ it’s ok..we’ll get through this”.

3. The fact of the matter is, Wira was a great distraction. It distracted me from feeling sorry for myself. It was a great comfort because it was my confidant and listener. Its’ never-ending vitality gave me sanity and strength to carry on. If something in a bottle can continue to thrive, so can I. Moreover, I was free. Of course, Wira did not last for 5 years. It died after 2 years and was replaced by Emerald.

4. My reason for sharing this experience is to remind everyone that we need relief from daily pains and boredom. It is important to find something that can “unfrustrate” you in moments of despair. While some choose to pour their hearts out to others, I had chosen a fish because it is faithful (not by its choice), non-argumentative and unable to tell on me. It is part of my survival skills to stay sane in a highly competitive environment.

5. We must recognise that everyone expects us to be in the best form almost all the time, be it at work or at home. So why be the embattled person. We can only be good for others if we are good for ourselves. Recharge and rejuvenate your mind whenever and wherever possible. You are the best person to identify what can de-stress you best. Just a few minutes a day can make the difference and you will be a better person.