Everything happens for your good

I have always believed that, whatever happens in my life, happens for a reason and ultimately, for my good. Probably you can also call it the Karma or Destiny. This was the Philosophy which guided me (still does) and which I thought was the best way to encounter various hurdles big and small all through. Whenever something bad(which by my definition not the way I wanted to happen) occurred, I used to comfort myself in this thought. It used to give me the courage and confidence to carry on without being heart broken. I always considered myself mentally strong.

One day I had to face something which everyone in their life faces and that which tests one's mental and physical strengths to the fullest. Death. We see, read, hear about death everyday of our lives. But we can not understand the intensity of it till it happens to our closest. Death of someone, whom we love and are so close, that we would never want to face. My Dad died suddenly, after he was taken to the hospital( after complaining of chest pain), due to a massive heart attack. This was something I always dreaded would happen and did not want to face it. I was so attached to him and loved him. He would always treat me like a friend. After the initial shock I went back to the comfort of my philosophy, " Everything happens for your good". Then I thought how could this be good? You can not call the death of your near and dear as something good. How can this philosophy be right? I was questioning the basis and was trying to reason out. My Father was an outgoing, dynamic Personality, always active. He always used to tell me that he wanted his death to be quick and did not want to be bed ridden. He wished to die by having a heart attack. May be God or whoever this Supernatural Power beyond our realm, heard his wishes and granted his wish! He never believed in God, though. He did not want me do the rituals that are done to our deceased. In one of my conversations with a Doctor friend of my Father, I came to know that even if he had survived the massive heart attack, he would have been a living vegetable. Then it struck me! Yes, it was not for my good that my Dad died. It was in his interest that he was better off dead than living a life of hell. We all think about ourselves and our lives so much that we do not think about even our closest. It is our pain, our happiness, our health, and our life. At that moment I felt that death was as natural as life itself. We need to let them go. A time will come in the future when it is our turn to do so. This is what I believe in and have always believed. There are always times when my philosophy is put to test. I do not know whether I will continue to stick to my beliefs or whether I will be able to. At least I think this has helped me in my life to come out of difficult phases unscathed and with a sane head. I believe this will also help others.