Crossword Puzzle

 

My wife loves to solve crossword. So does my father. It rubbed on me. The three of us sit together and solve it. In solving it, we find limitless joy. There’s a lot of similarity between ‘life’ and ‘crossword’. Crossword is a puzzle. So is life. Both offer clues. Some are simple. Some are cryptic. All that we need to do is to observe them closely, understand and analyse, dissect and decipher to find the solution. In trying to find solution to the crossword, let’s not ‘cross sword’ at one another.

For a meaningful life, we need to sit ‘across’ and not be at ‘cross’ with one another. Neither should we look ‘down’ upon another in life. While the lexicon is full of words, the life is full of challenges. Lexicon makes us ‘word-wise’, while life makes us ‘world-wise’. Let’s avoid an attitude of confrontation which only creates a void. Instead, it makes sense to create a consultative atmosphere that encourages healthy exchange of ideas.

Fiscal deficit is a central problem, while trust deficit is centre to our problem. Both need to be tackled. The transparency of clues apparently emphasizes the necessity of embracing the same in our life too. It makes eminent sense to remind ourselves of the power of ‘forgive and forget’ principle. Let’s ‘give’ into forgiveness and forget to ‘forge’ ahead in life.

While solving the puzzle, we followed an unwritten rule of not playing one-upmanship. If one of us knew the answer, it wasn’t immediately announced thereby letting the others also have sufficient time to come up with the solution. This ensured that all of us enjoyed solving the puzzle reflecting the ‘inclusive’ culture. Also, it indicates the importance of ‘equal opportunity’ to all so that none felt ‘left behind’.

In life, we come ‘across’ several crossroads, not knowing which way to go. Such occasions ostensibly offer us an opportunity to pause, to reflect on the past to get a sense of the history which is full of life lessons. In order to create history, we have to remember our history. And not re-write it. Life is a jigsaw puzzle where we need to gather the scattered pieces together to solve. In our attempt to piece them together, let us not go to pieces. A word that appears right ‘across’ a set of squares may not go ‘down’ well with the rest. Let’s focus on all pieces – and not on one piece – to attain ‘peace’ and solve a crossword of life.