Year 2K14

The year that went by, went away too quickly. Don’t you think? Or maybe it’s just me. I think, we go through this feeling of time crunch when we fail miserably in being happy most of the time.

It’s like this thing I read somewhere, most people claim that breakfast is their healthiest meal. We all start out with hopes and brand new beginnings at the crack of dawn but keeping up that spirit through the day becomes challenging… dealing with all the things that life throws at us, people, work, stress… we just give in and by the end of the day, what we put in our mouths is the last thing we care about. It’s almost the same thing with new year resolutions. It really makes my head spin when all the late December and early Jan deals and commercials are about losing weight and getting healthy. It’s sad when you think of it. Anyways, I did start out 2013 without a plan except cleaning up my diet and losing a few pounds to get back to pre-baby weight. And I did and that has been one of my achievements. I have learnt a lot about myself in the same process too… every time someone in the doctor’s office asks me, “Do you have a living will?” .. I realize how fleeting time is.

Before, I had some illusions about what happiness was and what would make me happy… But all round happiness I think is a myth, what makes us happy differs from moment to moment. I think what makes our life so rich and meaningful is letting that moment define what happiness means at that very precise moment. Sometimes I am the happiest person on this planet when I am running behind my very active toddler, or sometimes just taking a break and going out for an hour long quiet walk alone or with my pet. So, 2014 for me will not be about chasing happiness, it will be focussing on moments and enjoying the heck out of them! … So, below is my personal manifesto for year 2014. It sounds so simple, but I know it’ll be challenging.

Cheers to you and yours for Year 2k14! 

This is your LIFE

 

Do what you LOVE, and do it OFTEN.

Just like any other family, especially those with new kids, we are a regular family trying to live within a budget. And I work very hard to not give into impulse buys, but this one thing had stayed on my mind for a long time. Since I read this manifesto, I wasn’t able to take it off my mind. The words got so ingrained in me, that I would re-play it in my mind every time I thought I couldn’t do something, or feared a new challenge, or just when things would take a sour turn professionally. It stayed really close to my heart. It has given me strength, hope and courage.

So, finally I give in and buy my very own poster and get it all ready for office. I spend long afternoons at work, so I figured this would be my compass and anchor from hence forth. I work for a homeless shelter, and words cannot express how I feel everyday. It has taken me a LONG time to figure out what my purpose has been, and to say, I am off my traditional career path would be an understatement! I know, I am still looking and searching, but now I can see possibilities. Anyway, as this poster made its way to my office, it got quite some glances. But one of our shelter residents, a good friend of mine or so I think, stood there and read it out, while I nudged him a little as the wordings are not linear in any sense. After he read it, he quietly nodded and smiled.

We walked back to my office quietly, and he helped me hang it up… each of us in our own world of thought. And I knew in that instant that for a homeless person who has suffered a long time in life and seen Hunger, Poverty, Disease, Loneliness, Confinement… my wise manifesto meant NOTHING. Life, Love, Passion, Dreams, Travel, Job are truly, the luxurious problems of the middle class, and educated. We should be lucky to have the problems we think we have! But in some way, my manifesto did not fail me today, in its own way, it had already encapsulated the essence of this moment for me…

“Open your mind, arms and heart to new things and people. We are united in our differences.”

Everyday Miracle…

It’s been a quiet Sunday morning – for once, I am sitting down in a clean dining room. We had friends over for dinner last night, and hence had to clean up. Isn’t it funny, how quickly you can move and clean your mess when someone’s coming over?! We always laugh about it… maybe we should have someone each weekend just for that, and go back to our cavemen lifestyle during the rest of the days.

I met a very sweet couple last night, a little younger than us…she was a Chinese and her American husband, and their story was plain fascinating! How they happened to meet for a couple of minutes in the middle of Wisconsin when she was on exchange, and then exactly after 3 months, happened to live in the same building in Norway when he was on exchange – and he moved to China just to be with her!! I am always fascinated about the lives of people, their life-stories, and love stories… the seemingly vague dots which somehow miraculously come together to build a beautiful picture – I think it’s plain marvelous! Hearing stories makes me come alive, for the most part. And incidentally, just like us, they have traveled a lot. And just like me, she enjoys writing… and in Chinese! So, it was fun to catch up over some really spicy food!! And we walked away with some great suggestions for travel… if we can only figure out how to entertain our ten month old for 24 hours straight. Ha!

I think a lot of times in life, we don’t give people or their stories as much importance as they deserve. But in reality, what makes us a human being, is the need to talk, share, wonder, acknowledge and give. I appreciate someone who hasn’t traveled out of his neighborhood, but boy the stories he can tell!.. rather than some one who’s been everywhere but doesn’t have even an ounce of appreciation or gratitude or plain wonder! One of my all time favorite quotes, is by Einstein, “There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.” Sure, we are busy with so many things going on… but honestly, I know not of ONE person in this whole wide world who is “ein hundert” one hundred percent sure they will LIVE through the day, and wake up the next morning!! Mortality is so taken for granted that it constantly amazes me…I am no preacher..I too am to be blamed but I’m learning constantly.

Beach Getaway

Finally we managed to get away from work and come to the beach! It’s (of course!) the first beach vacation for the baby, and it constantly amazes me at things she finds amusing. She’s probably thrilled at the fact that mom and dad not only sit with her all day but also hold her most of the time, she gets to play with sand and at times just sneak in a few morsels into the mouth when mom’s not watching! The best part of spending time with her, for me, is how she drifts off to sleep on my chest to the cool breeze… can’t remember the last time she’s done that, probably when she was just a month or two old. Now she hates to be held, or rocked to sleep, she loves to spend time all alone with her toys while she speaks and lulls herself to sleep. My husband used to say this back then “There’s no other feeling that comes even close to it, feels so good!” I so agree.

I’m loving this family time, away from all other distractions. Don’t read too much into that… there’s still the news channels we can’t live without, sports, games and books! Lol. Yesterday morning, I got up early and did my yoga on the balcony, feeling the salty and the cool breeze on my face. My body is slowly getting stronger, there’s still a long way to go till I can declare how strong I am, but didn’t someone say, the joy IS in the journey! This morning, I walked a good hour with my dog, two years ago, she was still a puppy and scared of the water. But not today, she bravely fetched everything I threw into the water, the stick, some sea weed, a stone or even a shell – it amazes me that each time she brought back the SAME thing I threw out! She’s all so well behaved off-leash too… a couple of old people commented on that too!!

Everyday we come across a lot of people, and of course, a lot of them like us are ‘making a living’ rushing from one place to the next. But then, you meet a few special people, especially a little older ones, who stop and chat with you, comment on your baby or pet, or just about the weather. If your own state of mind allows it, you encourage it, if not you just dismiss it and walk away. I am nobody to say what is right or wrong, but in my mind, I’m thinking… what else is there in life?! If you can’t return a smile or a genuine gesture, don’t find a minute to stop and appreciate this ‘life’ …what’s all the money, titles, cars, ‘ecteras’ worth?!

You don’t have to be too lucky to smile, to be happy, to let go, to find beauty, to be yourself in all spirit – it surrounds all of us, but to even appreciate it, we got to start looking for it, to stop and listen, to open our eyes and see. I saw these beautiful words… How appropriate!!