There is little bit of chilliness in westerly winds today. Smells like early onset of winter season.
Remember it was one of these days when the letter came from Kolkata. Sonu had cleared the DMET entrance exam. My father almost cried and said, “May you always be happy”.
I really never cared why elders said ‘be happy’ whenever they had to bless us.
I always looked at happiness as an outcome; like getting a good job, getting rich etc. ‘Be happy’ somewhat, meant ‘be successful’.
A long time has gone by since I joined the race to be successful. Not sure whether I could make it, as the definition of success changed at each turn. But quietly, I kept running.
The rainbows were still far when I heard that my father passed away (last 15 October) unattended. We thought we had taken all care and precautions, but despite that he left us behind. And he took away with him a part of me as well; the happy part of me.
I don’t think life will ever be the same again. This race appears to be meaningless as my youth also appears to be racing ahead now.
But I have learnt that ‘be happy’ doesn’t mean ‘be successful’. Happiness is a state of mind. We cannot plan to ‘be happy’. We all have to recognize and realize it ‘individually’.
Happiness lies in what we enjoy doing; and what we enjoy doing comes inspired by the God. Perhaps that’s why our elders pray to God to inspire us to do what leads to our purpose, our happiness.
Today the world moves on as my father sleeps. In silence, I hear muffled sound of those eternal bhajans and chimes I’ve heard since childhood. I remember what he often used to tell us:
• Life is not a race. We must not get driven by our or anyone’s greed, ego or illusion.
• As we love our lives we must respect death. It can come to us anytime and ‘no one’ can control it. Deathbed mentality helps in moving towards what we enjoy doing, so that when our eyes close, our hearts remain open.
Remember it was one of these days when the letter came from Kolkata. Sonu had cleared the DMET entrance exam. My father almost cried and said, “May you always be happy”.
I really never cared why elders said ‘be happy’ whenever they had to bless us.
I always looked at happiness as an outcome; like getting a good job, getting rich etc. ‘Be happy’ somewhat, meant ‘be successful’.
A long time has gone by since I joined the race to be successful. Not sure whether I could make it, as the definition of success changed at each turn. But quietly, I kept running.
The rainbows were still far when I heard that my father passed away (last 15 October) unattended. We thought we had taken all care and precautions, but despite that he left us behind. And he took away with him a part of me as well; the happy part of me.
I don’t think life will ever be the same again. This race appears to be meaningless as my youth also appears to be racing ahead now.
But I have learnt that ‘be happy’ doesn’t mean ‘be successful’. Happiness is a state of mind. We cannot plan to ‘be happy’. We all have to recognize and realize it ‘individually’.
Happiness lies in what we enjoy doing; and what we enjoy doing comes inspired by the God. Perhaps that’s why our elders pray to God to inspire us to do what leads to our purpose, our happiness.
Today the world moves on as my father sleeps. In silence, I hear muffled sound of those eternal bhajans and chimes I’ve heard since childhood. I remember what he often used to tell us:
• As we love our lives we must respect death. It can come to us anytime and ‘no one’ can control it. Deathbed mentality helps in moving towards what we enjoy doing, so that when our eyes close, our hearts remain open.
