The Seven Pounds

'Seven Pounds' - one of the best movies I ever watched, to date. A beautifully crafted story with a soul, it takes you on an emotional ride. "God created the world in seven days, and I crashed mine in seven seconds", is an opening narrative. What follows is the story of a man who was the cause of a fatal crash - an accident that took seven lives, one of them was his fiancee. This tragic incident weighing heavily on him, he embarks on a journey of redemption - to better the lives of seven good people - by giving away his material possessions and donating his organs, including his heart (read 'life'). 

Like many others, I too pondered quiet a bit about the meaning behind the title. I had my own explanations, but looked up a bit to see what others thought too. Some equated it to be the weight of all his donated organs - a lung, part of his liver, a kidney, bone marrow, corneas and his heart; but, I don't think they weigh to 'seven pounds'. What I found more aligned was - attributing each life lost on that fateful day to a 'pound of flesh'. "Pound of flesh" - as coined in  Shakespeare's 'Merchant of Venice', referring to a debt to be paid at any cost -  in this case, one's own life. There may be several other interpretations, but I presume the essence remains same - Seven Lives, Seven Pounds.

Now, that was just a reel-story. Let alone donating organs, in our so-called busy lifes - how many of us atleast think of being one/ or a registered organ donor? On the flip-side, there are several stories of those who donated a part of them, just so someone else can live on or live better. "Some of us may know or have heard of a few; a luckier some lived alongside a such soul or two". I say so owing to an article published in 

'The Hindu' (a leading daily in India). Dated 19th September 2010 - the story of a teenager, Samagna - a second year student of medicine. Report says - she complained of a severe headache on the 14th; a battery of consultations & medications yielded no results; and, Samagna was pronounced 'brain dead' on 17th of September 2010. Her grief-struck family said - Samagna, their loving daughter/sister aspired to be a doctor - she wanted to save lives; she pledged organ donation and asked all her family members to do so too - that was just a few days before the fateful day. Remembering their beloved daughter/sister was a huge proponent of organ donation - they fulfilled her pledge, considering it her last wish. Her dreams and life were abruptly & unjustly taken away by the supreme power, but her last breath gave a new lease of life to seven - epitomizing her pledge, what she truly believed in and her ideals  - saving lives. Blessed is she for such noble thoughts, and fortunate are those who knew her. May her soul rest in peace.

That, is a real-story. But, let this not be just an another story, another report in a newspaper - let's all remember, this was "a life" - a life lost so young. There may be several parallel stories - lives of those who donated their blood and/or organs, so someone else can live on. Some come to light, while many just stay in anonymity. Let all these known and unknown life-stories give each and everyone of us an ounce of inspiration to do a little or all that we can do, to be that change in someone's life - if not now, atleast after we move on. Donating blood and/or just being a registered organ/bone marrow donor may be a difference between life and death, for someone somewhere. 

Most of us - lost in our own buzzy lifes, don't even stop to smell the roses on the way; we strive for a life, but forget to live. Take a few minutes -  pledge to be an organ donor - donate blood when you can and please be a registered bone marrow and organ donor. We only live once, let there be a meaningful ending too. Be that soul, be that change!! 

In the words of a great author,

"I shall pass through this world but once. 
Any good, therefore, that I can do,

Or any kindness I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. 

Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."

~*~

Samagna's photo : The Hindu - September 19, 2010