Things I learned from Maa

“Maa, I had a bad day, please keep the food and bed ready. Will just eat and sleep”

“Okay beta,”

As I hung up the call I realized how I would call her to get things while returning home from office. How she for all the years of her work life, never had a call back home saying what I just did. As I reached home, I hugged Maa and said “How did you manage work and yet manage us and all the other family drama so smoothly?”

“You have more to see in the world. Come have dinner, it will get cold”

I don’t remember a time I ever felt any joy for food. But she always feels the joy to cook for me in a hope that I’ll eat with the same joy.

This is being hopeful for two decades straight without any positive output! To me this is an epitome of being hopeful in life. How do you manage to have hope in such a hopeless child like me?

My sister posted that she went to Bondi beach in Australia.

“I’ll ask her boondi beach gayi hai, laddoo beach kab jayegi”

This is the kind of humour my mom has always had. This was a dig at my sister but more often than not the jokes are two fold, punching me right in the face and making herself laugh if not anyone else!

I think this is how she gets back at me for not eating. But her jokes have also managed to lighten my mood at times when all I wish to do is nag and cry.

“Mom I need some coffee”

“I am watching Kiran the Knitter’s new video, in 5 mins I’ll give”

The above mentioned youtuber is one of my mom’s favourite. She keeps learning new knitting skills online. Instead from the time she is been introduced to youtube there hasn’t been a day for her without learning something new in areas of her interest like knitting and cooking.

Mom has a root desire to do her bit no matter what. In any situation, under any circumstance she always thinks of the other before her. How? Maa is the kind of person who would get beaten all over and still offer the person some food, yes food because its mom after all!

I have only observed Maa, I am yet to learn how she manages to remain sane amidst the chaos around. I’ll try my best at adapting some poor joke skill as well. I have definitely inherited the learning wheel from her. I am trying to become more selfless. I am hopeful to learn all this and more. And my hopes won’t die, learned that for sure!

This is my last post in the series “Things I learned from…” I hope this and each post gave you some learning too 🙂

December 2, 2017

Things I learned from people as I traveled

This year, I am thankful that I traveled. I still can’t believe how beautiful the year has been travel wise. There are few people I came across as I traveled from whom I learned, and had lessons to cherish forever. These people have made my travel diary smile brighter!

About two days after my birthday I was with 5 friends on a trail from Lonavla to Bhimashankar. We lost our way and asked for help. A man we met said 600/person charges to show us the way. We walked off and found ourselves lost again. Tired after our efforts, drenched in sweat we sat under a tree when we saw an old man come our way. We asked him for help to which he quickly said

I’ll just inform my family, if you can wait, then I’ll come show you the way

This old man helped us through the rest of the trail. Showed us where we could drink water, where we could rest. He cared for us without expecting anything in return. When we reached Bhimashankar, we gave him whatever we could, for him and his family.

On my second visit to Sikkim, I came across many interesting people. One of them who had a major impact on me was Prashant Rasaily, a film maker we had a session with as a part of our last industrial visit. This film maker in a couple of hours spoke things that made my mind go crazy.

*‘‘World has many successful people, not happy people, so grow to be happy people’’*

He made me think of life in terms of how much happy I am, with just his words he made me think of my 20 years. How much of it have I made it worth? Have I really lived happy enough?

His session with us was supposed to be about his upcoming movie, about cinema in Sikkim etc. He did speak about all that but he wished the session to be much more than that. He urged us all to become happy people. He motivated us to think in terms of making a mark and helping the society than just doing what we wish to.

The trip to Ladakh was beautiful and it was our last lunch before we left. I was almost done eating when I saw a monk enter. I smiled at him and he smiled back. I went up to him to have a conversation.

I asked him his name, he replied. I asked him what he does, he looked puzzled and then smiled, I am a monk. I asked again, what do you do? He said, I do many things, overall I try to find meaning to my life. Wow. I thought, how do I find meaning to my life without becoming a monk?

We further talked about his life. A tradition that his family follows is to give away one son from the family to monastery. His younger brother wished to be a doctor and so it was upon him to become a monk. He wished to be a writer, he read a few poems he had written in his language and explained me the meaning in English. I asked him, what will you do with this writing talent? How are you going to nourish it?

IMG_20170602_141616849 — *He smiled and said, I am trying to find meaning to my life, writing is only a medium.*

The old man I met made me realize that I should always try to help someone in need, selflessly. And that its always in my hands to be good and helpful to someone or make profit out of someone’s misery.

The film maker made me question how I am living my life, it was like a mirror. To be a happy human is my goal than a successful one, thanks to him!

The monk I had a word with in a simple conversation made me realize that how lightly I am taking my love of writing and that I should put in more efforts. I am thankful to have come across them as learning from each is making me and travel diary smile brighter!

November 12, 2017

Things that make me happy

What makes you happy? What is that one thing that makes you smile? What is that one thing that makes you wish, you live longer? It can be your better half, your parents, family or simply a hobby or a goal you wish to achieve.

When I sat down to answer this question, there are a few things that popped in my mind. Reading, writing, travelling, etc. When I tried to question and find out why exactly do they make me happy, the answer became complicated.

Its easy to know what makes you happy. It isn’t as easy to figure out why it makes you happy. Its like your first crush, you know you like them, you don’t know why.

I banged my head on this for a while and finally got an answer. Its the learning experience from each of the things I love doing that makes me happy. Every time I complete reading a book, a blog post, a travel there is a sort of happiness I cannot feel otherwise.

When I hammered on this question for some more days I got a link between these things that make me happy. Its people! I am a non fiction person when it comes to reading, and usually end up reading experiences of people that I connect with. (Eat Pray Love being my last read.) I love to write so that I get back response of at least one person who connects with what I write. Travelling that I do has many reasons, one of the biggest is to meet people and know more about their lives.

This year I have done my best to spend time doing things that make me happy than I ever have. And guess what it wasn’t even on my resolution or to do list! So I would like you to push yourself and find out what makes you happy, find a relation within them like I did or just make sure you spend time doing these things that make you happy and the rest shall be take care of.

Till the year ends, my last series of posts will be “Things I learned from…” This will include people I have learned the most from & who have molded me into the being I am today!

November 5, 2017