Two Balconies of Life
She was slowly walking towards the balcony with heavy steps. Her entire life began to play before her eyes like a reel of film.
Memories from the past deepened her sorrow even more. It felt as if her breath was stopping. She silently wished the walk to the balcony would stretch on forever.
But lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice when her hand touched the cold iron of the balcony railing.
She looked up at the sky — the weather was cloudy and beautiful today. Down on the street, life was flowing as usual oblivious to the stillness in her heart.
For a moment, she saw her lifeless body lying in the middle of the road. A shiver ran through her body. “It must be painful,” she thought. Then another thought came — “Not more painful than this life”. She gripped the railing tighter.
“The weather is really good today,” a voice reached her ears.
Startled, she turned toward the voice. A young boy on the neighboring balcony was looking at her with a thoughtful smile.
Her grip on the balcony railing loosened. “Yes, the weather has really been nice after a long time. I haven’t seen you here before,” the woman asked.
“We just moved in a few days ago,” the young boy replied. “You seem a little sad, even in such beautiful weather,” he said.
“Such things feel lovely in youth, but perhaps they lose their meaning at my age.” the woman responded quietly.
“How old are you?” the boy asked.
The woman answered listlessly, “Forty-six.”
“That’s not so old… but you look older.” the boy said honestly.
“Yes, may be my illness has worn me down.” she replied.
“What illness do you have?” he asked with concern.
Still gazing at the sky, the woman answered, “Stage-3 Breast Cancer.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that… How are you feeling now?” the boy asked gently.
“It was diagnosed almost two years ago. One of my breasts has been removed, and the treatment is ongoing,” the woman replied.
“Don’t worry — you will be completely fine,” the boy tried to comfort her.
She shook her head. “This illness has taken so much from me — my health, my savings, even my husband,” the woman said, her voice quivering with emotion.
“Your husband?” the boy asked in surprise.
“Yes, he left me too… perhaps he was tired of it all,” the woman’s eyes filled with tears.
The boy said softly, “A person’s true face is revealed in difficult times. Don’t grieve for him. You’ll find someone much better than him.”
“Listening to you reminds me of my high school teacher, Miss Sophia. She was also diagnosed with Stage-3 breast cancer — which later progressed to stage four.” he continued.
“Six months later, I completed my high school and got admission into a college. I lost contact with her after that. Two months ago, I saw her again in a library after six years. I was stunned when I saw her.
She looked even healthier and younger than before. I asked her about her health and her illness. What she told me was truly surprising.”
She said, “This illness turned out to be a blessing from God. It changed my life completely. When I was diagnosed with cancer, the doctors told me that the first 6 to 8 months would be extremely critical, and that my chances of survival were very low. I was deeply worried and hopeless. It felt like everything had come to an end. My health was deteriorating rapidly, and I had completely lost all interest in life.
But then i made a decision — whatever life I had left, I would live it to the fullest. After seeing death so closely, all fear
vanished from my life. I made the decisions I had always been too afraid to make. I quit my job and started an online coaching channel. Once the fear of death disappeared, my body also began to heal — and I completely recovered. This illness took a part of my body, but what it gave me in return — for that, I thank God every day. Now, I am financially independent and living a much happier, fuller life than before.”
The boy fell silent.
“Sophia must have been young, that’s why she recovered,” the woman said, looking at the boy with curiosity.
“No, not at all,” the boy replied. “She was 51 years old when she was diagnosed.”
Hearing this, a sense of calm and a new light appeared on the woman’s face.
She spoke with enthusiasm, “I’m a teacher too — I teach the primary section.”
“Then this story is even more meaningful for you,” the boy said. “Just don’t lose hope and never give up.”
“In my opinion, there are pains and illnesses in this world far worse than cancer,” the boy added.
The woman replied, “To me, there is nothing more painful in this world than this illness.”
“Cancer brings pain when it arrives,” the boy said, “but there are illnesses that one is born with — they stay with you our entire life, and often, there is no complete cure for them.”
“Which illness are you talking about? Is someone you know suffering from it?” the woman asked.
“I was born with it,” the boy replied. “I have ADHD and dyslexia. There’s a constant noise in my mind. It’s almost impossible for me to focus on anything for more than a few seconds. “I’ve been fighting with myself since childhood. Every single day feels like a form of torture for me.”
“But as far as I know, there are treatments and therapies for it,” the woman said. “It’s not a disease that is unbearably painful or incurable.”
“The most painful part is people’s behavior”. the boy replied.
“You see, there’s a difference between a physical disease and a psychological one. Like cancer — everyone can see its damage. But with psychological illnesses, a person may look completely fine on the outside, while inside, he is falling apart. Forget others — even your own loved ones fail to understand you.
My father is a successful mechanical engineer — a very strict and angry father. He always wanted me to become a successful engineer like him. But despite all my efforts, I couldn’t become what he expected”.
“I am a failure. Maybe he feels ashamed of me in front of relatives and family friends. Over time, his behavior grew harsher and more distant. If I am alive today, it is only because of my mother’s love and support”. The boy fell silent.
The woman said, “You are not a failure. How can someone who gives another person hope and a reason to live be called a failure.”
“Many years ago, I had a student named James who suffered from the same condition. He was inattentive and extremely hyperactive. His mother was always very worried about him. She used to visit the school frequently. Then her husband was transferred to another city, and James had to leave the school. After a long time — just last year during my cancer treatment — I ran into his mother at a hospital.
I asked her about James’s health and practical life. She told me that James is now a successful graphic designer working at a major multinational company. He’s living a happy, married life and even has a son.
The more I used to worry about him, the more successful he turned out to be. Because of his personality challenges, he focused a lot on self-development. He continued therapy and counseling, but certain things had a deep impact on his personality — like the book The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins and the practice of ‘NSDR’. As far as I know, he is the most successful among all his classmates.”
The woman paused for a moment, then said,
“You shouldn’t lose hope either. If you couldn’t become an engineer, you can still be successful in some other field of your choice. Life is vast.”
“Yes, I really love painting,” the boy replied with joy.
“It’s the one activity during which I never lose focus — and I never realize how time passes when I’m doing it. Today might be the most important day of my life — and it’s all because of you,” the boy said.
“I don’t think I did anything special,” the woman replied softly, “but you’ve made this day unforgettable for me too.”
The clouds thundered and lightning flashed, and it began to rain lightly.
“It has started to rain. We should go inside.” the boy said.
“Yes, you’re right,” the woman nodded. We’ll meet again — with new stories,” she said, turning away.
The boy stood there watching the woman go, his face soaked in rain — and tears.
He thought to himself, “Today, this woman saved my life. I was about to commit suicide.”
