nlightened.me

“Your presence is the most precious gift you can give to another human being”

– Marshall B. Rosenberg

The expansive office was equipped with purpose. A large mahogany desk sat at one end with two folders neatly arranged. There was a book rack behind the desk adorned with numerous bound volumes. The floor was carpeted as I gingerly made my way towards the other end of the room. There was an open window overlooking the beautiful city of Zurich. Bright light and a comforting breeze streamed in. Two meters from the window was a round table with two chairs laid out facing each other. I sat on one of the chairs while expectantly gazing at the other chair. I could hear the footsteps of my host enter the room, traversing the same route from where I had just made my own journey.

The bright room lit up the moment he came into full view. There was a smile on his kind face. A face that has weathered at least fifty more winters than I had then. His smooth strides were anachronistic to his supposed physicality; he was at the last stretch of his ninth decade. As he made his way towards me, his frame got larger and his smile warmer. He extended his arm and welcomed me like a long lost friend. For a moment I wondered if he had me misplaced with someone else. But this doubt was dispelled a split second later.

“Thank you for coming to Zurich to see me. Does it match Singapore?” I love Singapore but there is something magically calming about Zurich. Or it was then. Was it this office? Was it about this meeting? His presence? Perhaps a combination of it all. His blue  were arresting in a gentle way, like the sea view that one doesn’t want to abandon. So much so that I didn’t realise when two petite coffee cups made their way on the table. As the first hints of caffeine infused my body, we launched into a deep conversation. We started by discussing the reasons that made Singapore such a successful nation and similarities with Switzerland. We soon moved to sports and then my passions including writing and photography. At this moment, he asked me about my family. I started talking about my wife and son, and the more I described our relationship the brighter the twinkle in his eyes got. I was excited by the excitement in his being on hearing my story. Something seemed unreal here.

He suddenly asked me gently “Could I please see a picture of your family?” I fumbled for my phone, no device or technology had seemed necessary for a conversation so far. I managed to find a recent picture from a family holiday where we all had acceptable expressions. He gazed at it for more than two minutes. If two minutes sounds short, try a plank and you will experience the true length of two minutes. 

We talked, laughed and shared a lot that day. He offered his wisdom on myriad aspects but it was his curiosity that provided the fuel for our conversation. A conversation that lasted for more than an hour but seemed it had started only minutes ago and could have lasted for much longer. In a manner, I learnt what Einstein meant by relativity and time dilation. The power of presence has a gravity that can change the velocity of time.

It was one of the most fascinating experiences of my adult life. The human who shared that gift with me four years ago recently passed away, but the experience of witnessing the power of presence remains for a lifetime.