Looking up for a hidden blessing or a true beauty in disguise…especially during most tumultuous time of one’s life is a form of art indeed. Most of us are not born or naturally capacitated with it. It is one of the rarest gems to find in a heap of pebbles and rocks. As human beings, we are somewhat clouded when it comes to be appreciative of what we have got or achieved. Acquiring or accomplishing more in life is such a black hole, the more one feeds into it the deeper it seems to be…. it is such a mirage, a rush for gold… the more we run after it the more distant it tends to be. We move along and succumb to the superficial surface of the things, no time to dig deeper within. Little do we realize that sometimes the wrapping of a gift may be more tempting or lucrative than the worth of the gift enclosed, still we get carried away. Well, such is human mind. The voyage of discovery or a level of contentment does not require newer landscapes or targets, as all we really need is a new set of eyes. In actuality it sums up to be our attitude or our outlook towards life and things that draw the much needed line.

Leaving behind my household, my job, a close knit little friend circle and packing up the remains of my life of last several years in Canada in a little suitcase, to a much deserved peaceful life was not an easy decision that I made one night six years ago. Sneaking my child out of the Province of BC (kidnapping is a term that is commonly used and accepted much to my distress in this western world of mine) was a tough call. Remaining calm, poised and focused on the outer shell in this petite frame of mine and much strong deep inside during my last two visits to Vancouver BC, was a challenge as I tried and lived through my durations successfully in that city which once I belonged to, in order to fight my only child back legally. It is not remotely funny or commended in any which way when a biological mother has to fight her child back legally and exhaust all financial resources available to one’s disposal to claim back a part of her very own body, soul and dignity… her child. I get a lot of peace and solace now when I wake up in the middle of the night and watch Mehar sleep comfortably, her little chest rises and falls as she breathes rhythmically, unaware of the fact that her favourite cabbage patch doll is lying face down on the floor, however, I pick her up most every time and tuck her back in properly right next to Mehar in her red and white polka dotted comforter, because I know that the first thing Mehar does in the morning is kiss both the cheeks of her doll and asks her cabbage patch if she had a good night sleep or if she had a bad dream.

Life passes us by everyday as we wait for it to happen; the biggest moment is the one we live in, not the one that we wait for. Life passes us by sneakily as we are more focused on the breaking news around the globe and worry about the unavoidable expensed bigger than the take home income…rather than take a moment to admire a fresh flower in the back yard that has just blossomed over night when we were fast asleep.  The energy of a sunbeam, the lament of a fading leaf, the power of an early morning peaceful Raaga (traditional classical Indian genre of melodious lyrics and instruments…a term holy and sacred enough to be addressed as an institution in itself) or a Yoga Asana (a position of body during yoga or meditation) has no takers at times amidst the chaotic rut named life. We are eternally over-engaged in a never ending search of completeness and wholeness, ignoring unconsciously the “now moment” the one that we have on hand…we sit on the threshold of life. We don’t live it.  We are almost scared to crack through the barriers between physical and metaphysical.

The art of eliminating the nonessential is something I learn from Mehar on an everyday basis when I see her believe in dwelling in a “now moment” or have a faith in a fairy tale character or believe that her doll has just as much significance as the humming birds and snails that are die-hard vegetarians with feelings and emotions, ” mama, snails are very friendly you know and they do not complain that they have no money”, she explained this reality to me when she was six and a half year old. Little does she realize that human being are different than snails but how much is enough…remains a question!

“Mama let’s play tea party”, Mehar expressed her desire while I was hurriedly trying to catch up with some chores at home a few days back. “Not right now beta (child), I am busy”, I almost got irritated. Just one look at her saddened eyes made me put aside the mop and rethink about what I had just said to my daughter. Humans are constantly in hurry, yet we always seem to have more to do in less time. Nature on the other hand never rushes; yet everything happens at the right time…spring in spring, summer in summer…so on and so forth. Reflecting upon the difference between moving at the speed of life and moving at the speed of thought is deplorable at times. I washed my hands quickly and gave my only child the biggest hug and she started to prepare pretend tea in her floral miniature china tea set.  We keep misinterpreting and misrepresenting that we are a part and participle of nature. So what if we trust our own unfolding process of growth and stop trying to think of ways to rush life. Even though acceptance of life is an idea as simple as its being a “shift” from always leaning forward towards the “next experience” and being relaxed, grounded, balanced and upright. Fully relishing “this experience”. “The Now Experience”! Mehar’s pretend tea was delicious by the way!

A volunteer worker, let’s call her Ms. B. comes to my work place twice a week to help us greet the patients, offer them tea/coffee, lead them to the treatment rooms or examination rooms not to mention she takes care of various other duties that involve several walking trips to hospital labs and other areas during the course of a day that many of us would take for granted. Ms. B. is 97 years old, she is a cancer survivor. Cognitively speaking Ms. B. is as compatible as a fifty-year old woman. She is very smart, swift, happy, sharp witted, prim and proper and very social. She drives to work or everywhere else around from a distant suburb during hailstorm or shine. I have been seeing her for almost two years now and not even once I have seen a single strand from her golden locks out of place. She wears a different bright colour nail polish every single time, her jewellery matches her business attire and her laughter compliments her bubbly and active personality so much. She lives independently. Ms. B. is a great friend of mine… good old high school buddies is the right term to describe us. During a dull moment at work (which seldom happens) both of us click selfies and chitchat. I asked her the other day the secret behind her longevity and great spirits and she summed up life very smoothly, “it is what you make out of it… when health is most important do not wish for a beautiful face, when two meals is all you need do not wish for Swiss accounts, when life is a long journey be thankful for the fact that you can handle it, do not run after what is not meant to be, you only live once so make sure to leave behind a good reason or two that people would always remember you for who you were, life is very simple please keep it that way…” She then gave me a big hug like she normally does and said lovingly but firmly, “slow down Anoop for a moment to give yourself a pat on the back for what you have been doing, do not be harsh and hard on yourself, life is too short”. “But Ms. B. you are 97 years old and a perfect babe still you tell me that life is too short,” I cut her off abruptly and both of us laughed before hugging one last time before she left for the day.

Ms. B. is so right, there will never be a moment in life when all issues will be resolved and all pieces of the puzzle of human mind will fit perfectly into their proper place… life is an on going process, little hindrances and distractions here and there or everywhere, frankly speaking should not detour any one of us to dwell in the “now moment”. How many of us allow our spirits and energies to rise above the everyday stress of our lives and liberate the peace of our mind from the shackles of socioeconomic pitfalls of a programmed and routine life. Human mind is so complex…Life is moving toward us all the time, the aura and beauty of the universe wants to embrace us but we back away, because we feel guilty surrendering into nature and basic bare minimum even if it is for a short period of time. We have limited ourselves in the cocoons of materialism, under the shrouds of advancement and technology little do we understand that this world may be a small place and we are nothing but slaves to the gadgets. We are little particles and molecules of nature and nature is something we have shunted out of our lives.

The need of the moment sometimes is to forget the great purpose or an extra ordinary project… break through one’s bonds of thoughts, let this mind transcend all worldly limitations big or small and simply reward oneself by rejoicing this life just the way it is. Sometimes it is important to let go off the world that we can measure with lines and rules and cherish a haven where heart and imagination needs no boundaries… let’s take refuge in a land where snails are friendly and dolls have feeling too! Let’s be ourselves! Let’s keep happy!

– Anoop Kaur Babra