This year, I have had the good fortune of meeting some new people. Don’t get me wrong. I meet new people every year. But this year has been nicer to me. I say this because I have a tendency to lose the friendship of at least one person every year. And this year, I didn’t. I gained many people. Probably people I will know and love for a lifetime.
Some have been through friends; some have been through new jobs. Nonetheless, they make life lighter for me. Smiles came easier this year, and laughter was not as painfully forced as before. I decided to fix my headaches after two years, and it turns out homeopathy works better than a nerve relaxer. I feel like a fresh person. Someone new. Seldom do we feel this way, and more often than not, it takes crossing a mountain of experiences to feel this way. (So, I will not scratch away the possibility of another newness in my life. I will await it).
Earlier this year, I met Mohit (the editor of Roadfolk), who gave me the chance to pen down my thoughts and put them out for people to read. I have only been a shadow writer for years; the kind that kept a diary aside with short poems. But, someone decided to put their faith in my writing, and here I am, 40+ articles down, and I hope you’ve liked reading them. Mohit helped me find direction in my creativity by publishing my articles. This gave me confidence that I never knew I could have.
In the first quarter of the year, I lost my job. A job that I worked on for 3 years; and tirelessly, without any breaks. Also, one of the number 1 causes for the stress I went through. So despite losing my source of income, I gained a ton of peace. Lucky me, because lockdown time and zero travel. I got a break that my body, my mind and my heart needed for a long time coming. It gave me time to think. A tough year, overheads to complete for many. It also made me realise some things. Life is complete with my parents around, with my sister smiling, and food on the table. Albeit, a steady flow of income is needed to survive. But so are people and love.
We all need a great volume of love, to get through the good and the bad. Happiness stems from love. Why do we smile, when we see someone feed a homeless person on the road? It’s because we sense the love that the giver portrays. It’s the emotion that lets our hearts flutter into a merry dance of smiles and joy.
My friends’ son turned a year old this October, and the joy it brings us to know that he survived with smiles and learning words faster than in a normal environment, during this lockdown period is immense. A little boy full of smiles and joy (of course, the crying sometimes never stops). But the nicest part that hits someone in a thought process is, that he doesn’t care for that many toys. It is the people around that make life better for him. Just having someone around, to chat with (there isn’t much comprehension here), or to sit beside or to show things to. Babies are simple; and our lessons best learnt are from them. It doesn’t take much; some nice words, a little cuddle and a lot of blabbing about sweet nothings, that makes life pleasant.
My little sister decided to work upon herself in these months. Mentally and physically. She exerts herself at MMA (a weird form of martial arts, because of which I will never cross words with her, haha!), to remove pent up anger or frustration, instead of dispelling it on those around her. Tai-Chi and some meditation make her a more spiritual soul; understanding comes easier to her. Live and let live, is a practice she began to follow, and it has made all the difference. Just knowing that she’s working on her health, is something that makes me, Ma and Pa happy. Light. Relieved. Just happy.
All these things, and minor happenings of the year, bring my heart to settle into a light smile. It’s different because it’s a new feeling. Sometimes it’s a fleeting feeling; but that doesn’t mean we don’t savour every minute of it. Happiness is simple. Find people that make you feel light, that make you feel loved and make you feel unjudged. They are the ones that will give you the smiles you need. A Mercedes is comfortable, but it’s worthless without someone to share it with; always remember this.
Sometimes I think it’s why we have festivals. To be reminded of how important having people in our lives is. How life is a rainbow of experiences and each colour is just as important as another!
Written by Anisha Masand
Week 50, December ’20
