Something to Ponder

On Christmas day I received a call and got invited to join Anita and her family at her home for supper at 7:00 pm. I dressed in a maroon blouse and paired it with a pair of black trousers and black sandals. Accessorizing with a pashmina shawl as there was a slight chill in the evening.

Anita is a florist by profession, and she makes beautiful bouquets and creates magic by fulfilling the demands of her clients. I met her at her shop, and I recall how she made a beautiful bouquet that I needed to give to a friend on her birthday. And so, from being her client we became good friends.

I reached her home, carefully parked the car, and got to the door and rang the doorbell. Anita opened the door and welcomed me.  We hugged each other and I handed over the bag of home baked goodies to her. As it was Christmas I baked a Christmas fruit cake, cookies and bought a box of chocolates for her children. Anita was very thankful for all the goodies and directed me towards the living room area.

As I walked into the living room, I could get the smell of cinnamon and vanilla which was so comforting and just as I stepped into the living room, I saw a big Christmas tree in the corner of the room.  It was beaming with decorative pieces and lights. It looked beautiful.  The living room was cozy and warm as the fire was burning from the fireplace in the room. Anita asked me to make myself comfortable as she excused herself for a brief moment.

There were soft instrumental carols being played in the background. It was serene to be at such a warm peaceful place especially after having a very busy month. As I comfortably sat in the living room Anita was back with an elderly couple.  I stood up to greet them.  The couple happened to be one of her neighbours. They seemed to be in their late 70's or early 80's years. Both Mr and Mrs Verma seemed to be jovial and energetic by nature.  As we were exchanging pleasantries Anita's husband Rohit and their two daughters Sanvi, 8 and Sachi 9 years of age made their way into the room.

The evening began to look magical as we all enjoyed talking about our experiences. We had delightful heartwarming conversations with lots of moments of laughter. The food was delicious, and we all savoured and relished every bite. It was now 10:30 pm, time passed by so fast. Anita's daughters seemed to be feeling sleepy. They went towards their mom and gently whispered “Mom we are feeling sleepy can we go and sleep?” Anita answered, “yes sweethearts, say good night to everyone and brush your teeth and I'll be with both of you soon”. The girls kissed and hugged Mr and Mrs Verma, then came towards me and did the same and lastly hugged Rohit and went running upstairs towards their room.

Anita excused herself for a brief moment as she went to tuck in her daughters to bed. We sat and enjoyed the warmth from the fireplace as we waited for Anita to rejoin us.

Mr Verma said “In just a matter of days the year is coming to an end, have you made any resolution for the coming year?”

As I was beginning to place my thoughts on what my resolutions would be for the coming year Rohit began to answer. “Yes, I figured it all out” he said with confidence. Just before he was about to begin Anita walked into the living room with a tray of hot coffee and a box of chocolates. As she began to serve us, she asked “what have I missed out on?” Rohit was quick to reply and said “Mr Verma asked us if we have made any resolution for the coming year? “without wasting time Rohit began by saying I got it all figured out. “Oh good, tell me all about it,” said Mr Verma.

“I want to join the gym and become fit, I want to save more money, have less screen time and travel more”, said Rohit.

Anita said “I need to let go of over-committing as it becomes tiresome mentally and physically. I also need to learn to say No and the need to let go of resisting help and lastly, I would like to read more books.

As everyone looked at me to give my thoughts with regards to the same as I gathered my thoughts I said, “I want to focus more on what matters, I want to visualise the best possible outcomes and celebrate my small wins.” Everyone in the room began to ponder over my words as I watched them digest and reflect over every word said.

Mr Verma said “I have met many people and have had so many conversations but never have I ever heard something so fine. It feels nice to learn something new every day and to be honest I have had a wonderful evening.”

He continued “as my wife and I are getting old and with decades of experience we both have come to realise a lot and would be happy to share our thoughts with all of you as you could take some words of wisdom into consideration.” He continued, “I was almost at a verge of having my business shutdown as I had made some unwise decisions which crippled the flow of my trade, but my wife encouraged me and told me to give up the idea of closing down the business.  Instead, she encouraged me to work on my failures and as challenging as it seemed she didn't give up encouraging me. That's when I learned a few lessons in my life.

Firstly, never to get defeated for failures are bound to happen. Instead face the challenges and redirect yourself on a steady path. Also, I learned that company surely matters. I was lucky to have my wife to help me notice the blind spots and not even once did she make me feel unworthy. She guided me and empowered me to believe in myself and what I can do.”

“Always be in the company of like-minded people.  This I believe is a very important aspect for they shall always be a source of inspiration. Lastly, spread kindness wherever you can and be grateful for what you have as you wait for more things to be grateful for and as you do all this remember to take care and love yourself just like how you do for others.”

With such amazing wisdom we continued to enjoy the rest of the evening.  

As Rumi once quoted “Be a witness, not a judge. Focus on yourself, not others. Listen to your heart, not your crowd.” 

May we ring in the new year, may the year bring you love, happiness and memorable moments.

Have An Awesome And A Blessed 2024!

by Disha Sharma