June 16, 2019
On this American Father's day, some moments just flashed through my mind as I woke up and I want to capture and share those as they go back into the subconscious. Looking back, I think these are all moments that made me pick my own values silently.
During my undergrad, I was asked to travel alone from Pilani to home which involved changing a bus in Delhi, my first thought was 'seriously'? but I did it and frankly that was the time I was most fearless. It allowed me to know that it's ok to trust the world and it sticks with me. It allowed me to know that I can lead myself, I don’t need a man to accompany me everywhere.
He often quotes these 2 aphorisms a lot - ‘जूते में रहो’ and ‘चादर से बाहर पैर मत निकालो’. They both mean to live a life which is in alignment with what you have and with no show off even when you may have more. I have seen it all along and I still love to live the way I live. While the daughters now travel in cars, the father still loves his old 2 wheeler and prefers to travel 36 hrs in train from north to south.
Making friends with people who may not be at your own socioeconomic level is what I saw while growing up. 2 years back he made friends with a small shop’s owner outside my sister’s house and the next day was telling us all this life challenges and stories. With no effort of my own, I have unknowingly made friends with the barista folks at work, the lady who stocks stuff in the pantry and many others.
Telling us how not to take the stress of being at the top, he sometimes told me to leave a few questions unanswered in exam :). While I may be practicing yoga on the mat today but that was the time when I was learning to live a yogic life naturally.
Long time back he quoted a Bollywood movie - 'waqt'. It was like someone quoting the lines from bhaja govindam by shankara - ‘मा कुरु धनजनयौवनगर्वं, हरति निमेषात्कालः सर्वम्’ (don't feel proud of your money, people/relatives/friends and youth, time takes these away in a moment). I feel I was living the life in the Gita, understanding vedanta all along, just hadn't put a label on it.
It is said that it’s your prarabdha that decides the parents you are born to in order to have certain experiences and I have only gratitude!
