Life Deserving!

I offer my obeisance to you, Sri Om Swamiji🙏🕉

So big is the day, for even if you chalk out some wondrous plan, it would bring forth what is truly needed for you at that point in your space.

The early morning walks got a bit delayed thanks to the human excusing but since I have maintained a timetable, I had to rush out and complete it, with a happy face. For when something weighs us down or we miss doing it, I have noticed the smile takes a downward curve. Any kind of pushy auto suggestions, don’t work too, for it does not come from the heart.

Speaking to the trees and lush green shrubs, wishing almost a noon to the beauty of various flowers, hugging a couple of trees, I felt light. Finally I reached my favorite spot of two giant, friendly, thick trees. Placing my hands on their trunks one by one, said a small prayer and clicked some quick pictures under their bearded ferns capturing the Sun God. But then I noticed a gentleman,  was pushing and hushing  his dog outside from sniffing under the tree as I was not visible to anyone being inside. I guess, can’t blame them, for no one would hardly be or crazily be speaking to leaves and trees.

Eventually, before the inner God of the sweet dog could ransack the place and my ever exploring intent, I showed up and the person had an apologetic smile full of relief, thinking it was a human and not a bear under the bushed tree. I quickly walked ahead with an even bigger smile and my ever visual creating head (my inner child always plays up and best to never stop it) which witnessed a confused smile a while ago.

As I went further around a curve, there are these beautiful, calm apartments where a lot of aged souls live. I stood there watching a very frail gentleman watering his garden and he seemed to be very engrossed, thoroughly enjoying every bit of it, for he hardly noticed me on the other side of the fence watching him. After some time he happened to see me and I smiled at him, he politely greeted me and we exchanged a few words on gardening. I praised him, for even at this age he was fit and had not given up on life and working . There was joy and calmness on his face.

He said, “Nature has taught me, never to give up! Even though I suffered from a back injury few years ago, I manage to do my things well”. His wife was bedridden past 10 years now and he is looking after her too.  He further mentioned about his passion for gardening, that he was associated with garden nurseries earlier and now he loved doing his bit in this little garden. When asked how old he was, very softly came the reply, “I am 82 years old”.

I smiled at him and said, “You truly are an inspiration for me”. I asked for his permission to take his photograph. A bit confused with his emotions, as to how to pose, a bit fumbled, where to move, he said, “Sure please, but I really don’t know how to pose. No one has ever asked me for a photograph before. I am so touched, with your gesture”.

After the photograph, I promised to get him chocolates the next day and he was really happy. He said, “You are such a gracious woman, I hope I get to see you often during your walks”. I smiled with a big ‘Yes!’ :))

It reminds me of a small story, I heard during my school days, not sure of the author.

The Joy Of Giving:

A woman who was traveling alone in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream.

The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, the woman opened her bag to share her food.

The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation.

The traveler left, rejoicing in his great fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the woman. “I’ve been thinking,” he said, “I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone.”

The woman smiled, “The joy of giving!”

The beauty of life is that it keeps showing up graciously, each day. Let’s do our bit too in some manner of showing up to life, with joy  and a smile 🙂

Walking back home, I felt the richness of the day and the richness of the Divine presence felt again…Hari Om!

Siddhika Umesh🙏🕉

p.s. The pic above is of the gentleman I met today.

Add on: The next day I handed him a big box of chocolates and since we are adhering to maintain social distance, we exchanged a gesture of virtual hug and namaste 🙏