A Winter Dawn's Learning

From the moment I started breaking into a run to the sound of Enrique crooning into my ears to the time when I eased into my destination after a hearty run, the Sun had changed into so many colors. From the ravishing robe of red to the glowing garb of orange, he tried so many hues of both colors, before finally settling for a majestic golden garment.

As I was indulging in the sight of yet another glorious sunrise, something came as a realization within me. How similar the daily sojourn of this Sun is to our lives!

Just imagine - the Sun's birth (sunrise) and his demise (sunset) are both events attracting a lot of attention, as anyone in love with Nature would vouch for. All that glory and colors of a Sunrise, akin to all that happiness and joy that abounds in a family at the arrival of a baby. And, all the gloom and darkness that engulfs the world at the sunset, no matter how ethereal a sight it turns out to be. Just the same way, the pain and sadness that afflicts a family at the death of a dear one, no matter how great or glorious the life had been.

What happens in the intervening period, between birth and death, then? We take the Sun for granted, just as we take our dear ones for granted. We complain about the heat, we don't appreciate the fact of the Sun being the source of all life and energy on our planet, and we don't care to acknowledge or even notice the presence of the Sun. Isn't that what we do with our dear ones too - taking them for granted, fighting over petty stuff, forgetting that the love we share is all that matters in the end, no matter what we own, what we wear and which earthly positions we occupy?

The Sun is the ultimate source of energy and life on our planet. The much ridiculed and oppressed pagans knew it. Modern science has given us the facts that affirm the pagans' belief. Similarly, the people in our lives are the source of our energy and happiness. Let's treat them with the respect, love and care that they deserve, instead of waiting for the 'Sunset' to realize and acknowledge the importance.

Also, not everyone gets to see the glory of the sunrise, but most of us get to partake in the beauty of the sunset. In the same way, not all our births are known or celebrated well. Let's ensure that when we 'set', we set in glorious grandeur! <3

Appreciation and the Price of Tender-Coconuts

This being the last week of current year and the first week of the new year, I decided to spend it by conveying gratitude to all the people in my life and around it. One of the ways in which I wanted to do that is by expressing appreciation of a genuine kind. (After all, aren't we all capable of differentiating between an open-hearted appreciation and an insincere flattery?)

I started it this morning with the old woman selling tender-coconut near my residence. After the morning's intense workout I stopped to have some coconut water as usual. After the drink, I told her that the water tasted really good - it was indeed - and the quantity was also more than sufficient. She felt happy and told me about how they buy the coconuts from the farmers directly and don't involve any middlemen. Moreover, she took only Rs.35 instead of Rs.40 that  she normally charges.

If a simple and honest appreciation like this can make somebody happy to the extent of foregoing the profit, just imagine how many problems can it solve! How many people will give up their mindless pursuits of wealth, fame and senseless status symbols?! How nice a place our world will be, if we start telling people about what is really good about them - in a honest way?! 

May be, as I once wrote in my journal, we should become stingy with our criticisms and complaints, and become more generous with our compliments and encouragements!<3