We have come a long way as humankind. We have evolved and become better, failing in a few attributes yet making it through time. I think, as a human species, we are losing out on quite a lot of values. The reach to travel across continents and see or talk to people at will has effectively brought all of us together and kept us at a distance. The invention and innovation through technology has not necessarily brought us closer as one. As a matter of fact, I see a lot of digital invitations and digital hellos separating us from the human touch. While we, as a human race, are behind measuring how big the universe is and life on other planets, we have shrunk our own universe and our people connect. Socializing is the new now, with people of least significance but high importance, with little to add. What we have lost is our family… The Lost Family.

The day started with the normal drill and was moving towards the normal closure when the phone rang. The voice at the other end, in panic, called out for immediate presence at the hospital. Something had gone wrong; someone within a close friend’s family was to be admitted for some serious reasons. A little running, and eventually the hospital and their staff had taken control of the patient and the situation at hand. We stood at the sides as bystanders with little to do, other than wait. Time travels the slowest during these moments.

The next day, as a few of our known people gathered, I saw a family with almost a floor of people coming to visit. In comparison to our 2-3 paltry members, they were fifty strong and adding. A couple of days later, we grew our strength from 2-3 to 5—a significant 100% increment—while at their end, they were fifty-plus every day, rallying for their family member.

A sudden feeling that somewhere the roots had weakened over time grappled me as I looked at my friend and, in general, around. Hardly any families had people in excess of a single digit. I did not ask my friend, but it was either the family had moved in different directions for prosperity or had weakened its relations for some reasons within the walls. I tried to think how my family count would look any given day if required. I don’t think the answer would be in double digits.

Suddenly, my friend called; the doctor had mentioned the progress was good and things would get better. I felt better and decided to start back for home. As I stepped inside the tok-tok—the three-wheeler ace travel machine—I felt maybe it’s time to start all over again, to build what we have probably given away in belief of freedom and privacy. It’s not about good or bad times, or when you necessarily need them to help out or share things. It should no longer be a want; it should be just who we are, with everyone around.

Maybe we need to travel back to the roots and the tree… to connect again to The Lost Family.