For a fleeting moment, it lit up the bright blue and white tablecloths, while the shadows it left behind gently softened the delicate curves of her face.
As she turned, the light caught the spark in her hazel eyes, setting them aglow like embers stirred to life. Her long, thick black lashes fluttered, an elegant choreography of nature or perhaps artifice.
Were they real or false? A random stranger provided another small enigma, one of life’s countless, unanswered questions. The room buzzed with the hum of human connection. Families sat around tables, their laughter and conversation mingled with the quiet murmurs of couples, lost in dreams of untold futures. We were all actors in this grand theatre of life. I scanned the scene, ever the student of human behaviour.
Who were these people, really? Did the joy in their laughter and the smiles on their faces reveal genuine happiness, or were they masks concealing hidden stories? I couldn’t help but wonder.
Observation, I thought, is a vanishing art, as I crafted imaginary lives for the strangers around me, each one more elaborate than the last, my mind playing its own private game amidst the living theatre. I smiled, realising that maybe, instead of letting my mind race with its usual hum of thoughts, I could just chill for a moment.
A figure in black and white expertly wove her way through the crowded room, her movements fluid and purposeful. She approached our table, a warm smile spreading across her face as her eyes met ours. She set down a long, rectangular plate at the centre of the table. Before us lay two neat rows of circular morsels, a vibrant rainbow of colours drawing us in. Delicate ribbons of orange salmon, draped in translucent red sauce and topped with a tiny green rosette, teased the senses. The sheer beauty of it ignited something primal in me; my mouth watered instinctively, a testament to the art of flavour and anticipation. The sushi plate was shared between my wife, Shabana, and our sons Ayaan and Azeem. Needless to say, it was a feast for both the senses and the soul.
The Japanese, pioneers in so many aspects of life, have gifted the world many treasures, but perhaps none as delectable as sushi. Each bite of fresh, raw fish was not only irresistibly flavourful but also packed with the health benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids. These are vital for heart health, reducing inflammation and supporting cognitive function.
This delicate balance of taste and nourishment has played a role in making Okinawa, Japan, a Blue Zone one of only six places on earth where people live significantly longer, healthier lives. As we savoured the meal, it was easy to see why; sushi is a perfect harmony of nature’s gifts, both mouth-watering and life-enhancing.
While there are countless ways to enhance longevity, exercise being a well-known one, perhaps the most fascinating is the power of community. It’s not just an abstract idea; there’s hard science to support it.
Research consistently shows that dedicating 100 hours a year, or about two hours a week, to a charitable cause can reduce mortality risk by 44%. Even informal acts of kindness babysitting, cooking for a neighbour bring measurable benefits. Julia Nakamura, a PhD student at the University of British Columbia, explored this connection in a study that asked: “Can volunteering slow biological aging?”
Alongside researchers from UBC, UCLA, Harvard, and other institutions, Nakamura examined “epigenetic clocks” in over 4, 000 participants. Their findings were clear; those who volunteered showed slower biological aging. Interestingly, women are leading the charge according to the US Bureau of Labour Statistics, in 2022, women volunteered twice as often as men on any given day.
Men, it’s time to step up. The benefits of volunteering are universal, and there’s no better time to start than now. Early research from the Urban Institute found that if you start volunteering before retirement, you’re 81% more likely to continue afterward. So, get involved—the rewards are both immediate and long-lasting.
It’s all too easy to become swept up in the frenzied rhythm of daily life. The to-do lists are endless, and as we chase after a better existence, time seems to slip through our fingers.
It pauses for no one. In what feels like the blink of an eye, our hair turns gray, and our children have grown, suddenly standing on their own. In the relentless pursuit of material gain, we often forget a sobering truth; we take none of it with us in the end.
What endures is not the wealth we accumulate but the good we do, the lives we touch, and the kindness we leave behind. That is the legacy that lives on, long after we’re gone.
