The Dream...

You know that dream which scares you because of its sheer intensity, its urgency, its ability to take over every fibre of your thinking , its ability to free you from your every burden, to be able to lift you above everything while still keeping you connected; its presence in every plan you have for a successful life, its unique power to drive everything you do, influence every decision you take...? Well... that's the dream worth keeping, worth sacrificing for, worth fighting for... that's THE dream!

A Tidal Wave of Joy

A tidal wave of joy,

It’s salt:  innumerable crystals of hope…

The deafening boom of happiness,

It’s carrier: unnerving silence of gratitude…

They come crashing, roaring, colliding,

They come knocking at your heart, threatening to break down all walls,

They come to uplift your soul,

They come to teach, to guide you…

They come with endearing smiles, resonating with innocence,

They come, brought here by the purity of childhood bruised but not yet broken…

Experience this joy, and hear this silence… Feel your heart warm up with the gratitude… Sense the light on a little child’s face as you fulfil one tiny albeit significant wish of his… Take this journey and learn one of the truest lessons of life: True joy and true happiness can be felt only when you give, and not when you take and the happiest moments of your life are the ones in which you put a smile on the face of somebody not as fortunate as you.

The Nest!

        “There was once a family of sparrows, who lived together happily from one day to the next. The nest which had been so lovingly and painstakingly built resonated with the happy chirping of the baby birds everyday… everyday, the mother would fly off and return with food for her little ones. As time flew by, the little ones grew and soon began their training. Now everyday, the mother would coach her babies and teach them the art of flight and before she realized, came the day when her little ones took their final flight from their nest. Fully grown and equipped with the required skills, they were now ready to face the world on their own, they were now ready to build their own nests and see their own little ones fly away…”

As a kid, this story always amazed me every time I heard it. My mother would tell me this tale nearly every night and for some reason, by the end of it she would always be teary eyed. The story amazed me because I never fully understood why the ‘little ones’ had to leave, and why the mother couldn't stop them…it filled me with a sense of dread and wonder at the same time. I dreaded the thought of flying away into the unknown, without the love and care of my mother, without the warmth of ‘home’ but I was filled with wonder at the thought of all the new things that awaited the ‘little ones’ once they took flight. The thought of all the beautiful places they would fly to, all the adventures they would have and all the new ties they would form amazed me.

        Today as I stand at yet another junction, at yet another threshold in life, I’m reminded of this story once again. Being a second year college student faced with the ‘make or break’ decision of what to do with life, I now truly understand the ‘little ones’, their dreams, their aspirations and their need to spread their wings and seeing my mom go through the decision making process with me, I also understand the hopes, apprehensions, fears and prayers of the mother bird…

        What am I supposed to do next? Where do I go from here? Where should I place my next step? Which direction is the right direction? These questions riddle me every day, as I navigate my way in this world and try to leave my mark on it. In this ever evolving, ever growing world, I am blessed with the choice to make my life what I want it to be. Unlike many teenagers before us, our generation is not limited by the few set career choices, we are no longer confined within the  society’s notions of which life is the ‘right’ life…we can chose to live the way we want, independently, happily and with a sense of achievement and contentment. But all these wonderful things come with a price, as is the law of nature… in order to build that happy and satisfied ‘tomorrow’ we have to sacrifice our peace of mind ‘today’. Yes, the options we have to our disposal are greater but that just makes our job as students, as young adults stepping into this ‘big, bad world’ so much more difficult at the same time. Too many choices, too many decisions and too little time; that is our dilemma today.

       These uncertainties burden my mind, they make me restless and oh so sensitive! But through it all, there is one force which keeps me strong; the warmth of my parent’s love, the comfort of my ‘nest’, give me solace, they are my ‘home base’, the place where nothing can get me. But, as my graduation day comes nearer, so does my time to fly, my time to spread my wings and leave my nest just like the ‘little ones’. Soon my time will be filled with college brochures, application deadlines, visa and passport formalities, the student loans, the hostel hunting until one fine day I will be packed and ready to fly!

       “I will no longer come home to my mom and her warm embrace, I will no longer relish piping hot ‘home food’, I will no longer fight my dad for my favourite T.V show and my mom will no longer switch off the T.V in the middle of that very show and send me to my room to study! I will now come home to an empty room (or if I’m lucky, my roommate), I will now wait for the holidays to satiate my craving for home food, and no one will be bothered anymore whether I spend my time working and studying or partying all night! Marathon study nights will no longer be accompanied by ‘hot vegetable maggi’ and sleepless nights will no longer end with hot chocolate and deep, meaningful conversations with mom… My parents will always be one phone call away, they will always guide me and support me no matter which corner of the world I am in, but nothing will ever be the same again…”  I think of all these changes, and the future which seemed so bright scares me. As I sit here, filled with dread, something strikes me! I think of all the places I’ll explore, of all the people I will meet, of all the adventures I’ll have, all the obstacles I’ll face and all the victories I will see. I imagine my parents’ faces flush with pride when I am awarded my postgraduate degree on my graduation day… I see the joy on their faces as I fling the hat in the air and I feel the contentment they would feel when I would land my first big break and the dread is soon edged out by wonder!

       I now fully understand the ‘little ones’ and their dreams…I understand why they fly and why the mother doesn't stop them… As my dreams, goals and aspirations merge into and become one with my parents’ hopes and fears, their pride and joy, I finally understand!  

             

Some roads need to be walked on alone,
Some journeys need to be taken on your own...
Nobody to pull you through, 
Nobody to catch you when you fall...
Take the first step and remain strong,
And you'll see that every doubt you ever had was wrong...
So face the fears and light the fire,
Let it consume you, and you'll get something new...
Just hold on and don't let go; you'll realize something you never knew,
Just believe and you'll get the rarest gift, you will find YOU.

Slow but Sure

Confused, in search of clarity…
Tired, yet aching to take that one step forward…
Where does this path lead, where does it begin…?
What lies ahead, solid ground or plunging recesses of despair…?
Lost…
What is it that is missing…?
What is it that we search?
What is it that we want…?
Holding on…
Seeking comfort in the unknown…
Walking in the dark, the fire within us lighting our path…
Waiting to get there, wanting to conquer…
Letting go…
Fear no more, courage in what we do…
Confidence in what we chose….
One step at a time, slowly but surely.

Silence

Silence, It's a language...
Sitting daintily on our lips,
Still, not moving not quivering,
Strong, not shaking.

Silence, It's a countenance...
Prettier than any other,
Serene in its chaos,
Peaceful yet savage.

Silence, It's serendipity...
Here when it's least expected,
Gone when it's most needed,
None's to purchase but Everyone's to own;
A song the lips or a melody to the ears... The call for peace or the siren of a war.

Silence, It's the flicker of a candle flame...
Fighting; Guiding; Never failing
Dispelling darkness and forever shining.

Silence,
It's a language, a countenance like none other,
The Quite Crusader,
Unparalleled, Unraveled.  

Never Give Up. Never Let Go

'Never give up. Never let go', is something we are always told but sometimes letting go is the only way we can make space for something better. Sometimes letting go is the only way to know what is truly ours and what never was. For if we let go of something and it comes back to us, it was always ours, if it doesn't then well...we were never meant to have it.
Sometimes we want things very badly and life takes them from us, giving us something else in return. We may curse life, fate and time all we want but somewhere down the line we realize, life gave us what was best for us. Sometimes we want things and we get them...just not the way in which we wanted them. We begin to question our dreams, our desire but really the best thing to do is to enjoy the mess; Because before we know it, it will be gone and life will have sorted itself.
So here's to life and here's to living it! You have a life today, it will go on...

"Live it, Love it, Cherish it and Enjoy it!"