Making Memories ...

My Gmail status for a couple of days - now - says that, "Taking time and opportunities to make cherishable memories.", and all I could relate it to this very story, described by someone unknown to me, which is about a girl and her experience while shopping with her Mom in Wal-Mart.

She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence. It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout. We all stood there under the awning and just inside the door of the Wal-Mart. We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day. I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories were a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.

Her voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in,

"Mom, let's run through the rain," she said.
"What?" Mom asked.

"Let's run through the rain!" She repeated.
"No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit," Mom replied.

This young child waited about another minute and repeated, "Mom, let's run through the rain."
"We'll get soaked if we do," Mom said.

"No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning," the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm.

"This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?" "Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, 'If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!"

The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few minutes.

Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say. Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith.

"Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If God let's us get wet, well maybe we just needed washing," Mom said.

Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars.

Circumstances or people can take away my material possessions, they can take away my money, and they can take away my health. But no one can ever take away my precious memories.

So Ankit, don't forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories everyday. To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven.

Taking Up Responsibilities ...

This is an incident which I can recall from one of my books, which I had read in my school days.

Once an Indian was travelling in a train, at Japan. And there were of course many other people as well; with the Indian. As the Indian was about to take his seat, he noticed that the train's seat was a bit pierced and torn out at some places. He did nothing and while neglecting it, he just sat besides that torn seat.

All this was being noticed by a Japanese who was seated besides the Indian, and to whom the seat's poor condition was unnoticed while he was about to take one; the poor condition of the seat was unknown to him as well. But as soon as he came to know about it, he took a needle and some thread, out of his bag. Upon which the Japanese started sewing the torn part, of the seat.

The Indian who was watching the Japanese, was quite a lot astonished and amazed. Out of curiosity, he asked the Japanese, "What and why are you doing it?"

The reply which the Japanese gave was, "I'm sewing this seat which has been torn-ed out, just because it's my country's privilege and pride of honour, which takes people from places to places. If I don't do this, then it shall be a sense of shamefulness to my country. Moreover, its my responsibility that I take care of my very own nation's belongings and property as if they were mine; after all I pay the taxes, and that is my money."

The Indian was all shocked to hear this, and was wondering that if it would have been India, people would have been tearing it up more and enjoying it; they would also be commenting on the system and government, and do nothing else.

I had learnt that I need to realize my responsibilities to the fullest extent. I as a citizen of this nation, along with many others, are paying our money to the government and hence we need to take utmost care of it.

Even if I were a non-tax payer, I had to realize that someone else is doing that for me. I'm in fact indebted to him/her. I need to take up the work and do the best I can. I'll have to always remember that my nation's respect and pride is my respect, my pride and that is what I as an Indian, is proud of.

Everything Happens For The Good ...

All that happens, happens for the good. I've been hearing this for a very long time, but never knew whether it was really good, and what it meant.

I was at Powai this evening at around six, at The Residence hotel, and had caught an auto-rickshaw towards Kanjurmarg station such that I could reach up to Kharghar. It was raining quite heavily.

While the auto-rickshaw was on its way towards the station, it halted for a while at a crossing, and there were two females who were desperately waiting for an auto to reach up to the station. Out of anxiety, one of them asked me, whether the auto in which I was seated was heading the same way?

I very politely said, "Yes, Indeed!".

But the auto driver, instantly denied it. I had a small tight conversation with him, and said that, "If I don't have any objection, then why are you getting bothered?" He gave no reply, and his silence showed his acceptance, though an unwilling one, for sure.

On the way, the females were thanking me, but I could hardly understand anything, as everything they spoke was in Marathi. Despite of being at Mumbai, for almost an year, I still don't understand Marathi, and that's a very bad thing for me.

Anyways, I then said them that I couldn't understand anything. So, one of them, said the same in Hindi, and I was then able to understand, as to what they intended to convey. So silly of me! And yeah, they were Marathi teachers, at some nearby school.

It didn't end there itself. At Kurla station, I caught a train for Belapur because I thought that I would catch an auto for Kharghar. But when I reached Belapur, it was raining there as well, and I was standing all alone at the midst of the auto stand, but couldn't find any unoccupied one.

Finally, a car with two Sardarji's in it, were moving besides me with a slow pace. I just happened to ask them, whether they were moving up to Kharghar, and "Yes" came the reply. They didn't mind to give me a lift.

While I was on my way, I just realized that, a couple of hours back, I had given a lift to two females, and now I'm given the same by these two guys. Woh sach hi kehtey hai bade bujurg, kar bhala toh ho bhala. I conveyed the same to them, and they were quite amazed to hear this.

And yeah, one of the Sardarji had said me that he usually doesn't give a lift to anyone, and moreover to such person who was all wet, and would make his car seats wet as well. He concluded that probably this was what was waiting for me.

It's been a very delightful experience for me, for sure. I am feeling happy, and believe me or not, but my faith in god and belief is certainly increasing. Despite of hearing the same few words many-a-times; feeling and experiencing it was different today.

It is essentially the faith in self and people around us, which is more important. I was sharing the same experience with a few of my friends out here at the campus as well, and everyone was amazed. It's very well said, that we don't get, what we want, but the good ones do turn back to us, but the fact of the matter is that it was very soon for me, today, and that's what amazes me.

And yeah, when I had reached the Kanjurmarg station, I did ask the auto driver as to why was he denying me then! He replied me that, "Kya woh tere liyeh, aisa karengi kya?" I had nothing much to say him back other than saying that, "Yaar, akele aaye the, akele chale jayengey; aur joh mil gaya, ussey hans kar bhula dengey!".

A friend of mine, Peeyush, had also added that, "Life gives us our dues, and in return we pay our dues"; very well said.

Altogether, it was a good experience, which I shall have to nourish forever. And now I have more faith and belief in god, and also on what's good. I know that it's a subjective term, but then I mean it the way I've learnt it. So, I can now very well say that, all that happens, does happen for the good!

And yes Ankit, you need to realize that whatever your elders have said, they've said you with experience, so always keep it in mind!