This too shall pass.

“This too shall pass.” Is a Hebrew saying and is my favourite quote. They say that legends say things and its fools who repeat them but then who said I am not foolish. Let me first get to the origin of this saying. Though there are many sources to its origin, the one that I like to believe (because it has that grip to it) is as follows:


One day Solomon decided to humble Benaiah Ben Yehoyada, his most trusted minister. He said to him, "Benaiah, there is a certain ring that I want you to bring to me. I wish to wear it for Sukkot which gives you six months to find it." "If it exists anywhere on earth, your majesty," replied Benaiah, "I will find it and bring it to you, but what makes the ring so special?" "It has magic powers," answered the king. "If a happy man looks at it, he becomes sad, and if a sad man looks at it, he becomes happy." Solomon knew that no such ring existed in the world, but he wished to give his minister a little taste of humility. Spring passed and then summer, and still Benaiah had no idea where he could find the ring. On the night before Sukkot, he decided to take a walk in one of the poorest quarters of Jerusalem. He passed by a merchant who had begun to set out the day's wares on a shabby carpet. "Have you by any chance heard of a magic ring that makes the happy wearer forget his joy and the broken-hearted wearer forget his sorrows?" asked Benaiah. He watched the grandfather take a plain gold ring from his carpet and engrave something on it. When Benaiah read the words on the ring, his face broke out in a wide smile. That night the entire city welcomed in the holiday of Sukkot with great festivity. "Well, my friend," said Solomon, "have you found what I sent you after?" All the ministers laughed and Solomon himself smiled. To everyone's surprise, Benaiah held up a small gold ring and declared, "Here it is, your majesty!" As soon as Solomon read the inscription, the smile vanished from his face. The jeweler had written three Hebrew letters on the gold band: _gimel, zayin, yud_, which began the words "_Gam zeh ya'avor_" -- "This too shall pass." At that moment Solomon realized that all his wisdom and fabulous wealth and tremendous power were but fleeting things, for one day he would be nothing but dust.


Just like Solomon, I have also come to the sad realization that all good things come to an end. No this is not a random thought, it’s a sad realization that struck me when I saw the orkut album of one of my seniors at IIT. It was then I remembered that it is my last year at IIT and its gonna end soon. This is the bad things ending and good things beginning side of the story. But when I look around, I see friends, I see people having a laugh about almost anything and just enjoying the life. No I don’t want to leave all this. I don’t want to leave the comfort of the nest that each one of us has slowly built. Why this has to “pass”?

For what its worth, I would like to thank all my friends, batchmates, hostelmates and all the people who have made my life at IITG colorful and enjoyable. Without you I would have never been able to survive 4 years at this place. And now I wish I could stay with you guys forever. But then this too shall pass.