Sometimes, the heart feels multiple emotions and thoughts, all at once… we try to look for a pattern that maynot exist… because there maybe layers upon layers of experiences and memories behind the complexity we feel….
but the good news is that you can still make a complex , but beautiful life with all those emotions and thoughts… embrace your emotions, I say…. acceptance is the only way forward…
“When life gives you tangles, make zentangle Art!”
-Purvi Gokani
This appeared in my feed from an app today– “Freedom is not giving two hoots about what others think of you”, and that set me thinking-
Is that even a kind of Freedom?
Is that even a kind of Freedom we want?
In this day and age where we put all we put up everything on social Media… from wedding photoshoots, vacations, cooking skills, landmarks from our and our kids’ lives, our political views to what makes us laugh, our hobbies and our achievements, From anniversary wishes to our better half and our proclamation of unmeasurable love for them, to Birthday wishes for our departed family members, do we want this Freedom from being judged? Like, seriously?
I Wonder what would happen to the likes of Fb, Insta, tiktok, (and the status and stories and shorts) if we ever got that kind of Freedom.
Nah, I don’t think that’s even remotely possible- as a human race we are constantly seeeking validation, and as much as we hate it, we still all want those likes, comments and shares. We want those followers on our page or channel. Even though we know that half those likes, comments and follows are obligatory in nature, we seek them… we use them as measures of our being accepted in the world. In reality, we just need to accept our own self, not just the perfect curated self, but our imperfect self!
Who are we kidding?
Just ourselves, Really.
“Have Gratitude, Always…If for nothing else, than for the fact that you made it through the day…Not only because you want more tomorrow, but mainly because you had enough today…”
-Purvi Gokani
So we are celebrating today (one day) as women’s day. Hmm, right… No, No, wrong.
I deny having my glory, my beauty, my strength, my freedom, my success, my honor and my right to live – all of these- limited to one day!
Don’t glorify all that women are on this day, its fine- really…. just don’t take it away from us on all the other days.
Let us, the women, be…
What a day and age to be living in- we have come a long way, to put it in very simple terms- but we haven’t arrived… no, not yet.
And I have this firm belief that we cannot reach there alone- for all of us , the “relatively” free and liberated women, we need to carry forward many more of us who aren’t so lucky, who are still living in so much darkness…. we need to help each other up and above the repression that they don’t even know they live in.
Let us start with one person at a time, and when we can bring one more woman to a better life and reality, that day will truly be a Happy women’s day!
ઘણાએ હતા નાનપણમાં મને, English ના અભરખા,
કેટલાક વર્ષો રહ્યા, બહુ English બોલવાના ચસરકા…
પણ ક્યારેક, ક્યારેક, Father મા પપ્પા જેવો વટ ના પડ્યો,
અને Granny થી બા જેવો હેત કદી એ ના મળ્યો…
ભાઈ શબ્દ જેટલી મસ્તી, Brother મા સમાણીજ નહીં ,
અને sister તો દીદી સામે સાવ ફિક્કી પડી ગઈ…
To- Do- Go નું કોકડું તો હજી ઉકેલયું નથી, ત્યાં તો,
સાલું આ silent letters એ આવીને, રમણે ચડાવ્યા …
અરે જે English શબ્દો ને ન્યાય ન આપી શકી,
એ ભાવનાઓ ને કેમ કરી પહોંચે?
મન ની વાતો , “English Express” મા,
ક્યારેક ચડે ઉતરે, ક્યારેક છુટી જાય…
પણ ગુજરાતી મા વિચારો ને પ્રેમ થી, કહેવાય અને સમજાય …
હશે ભલે School, કોલેજ, Office, ઇન્ટરનેટ નું માધ્યમ English, પણ…
મેણા ટોણા ની તીખાશ હોય કે અશ્રુઓ ની ભીનાશ,
કે પછી હોય હૈયુ ઠાલવ્યાની હળવાશ…
સાહેબ, પ્રેમ નો રસ , સપના ની પાંખો, અને,
અને, જિંદગી ના તાણા- વાણા,
એ તો આપણી ગુજરાતી માં જ છે ,
એ તો આપણી ગુજરાતી માં જ છે…
Gratitude is such a small yet heavy thing. It’s such a rich word- it’s like the proverbial ocean that we amass by gathering water droplets!
Forget about how important it is to be grateful and how it will attract more into your life …
Instead… Think of it like this- how does it instantly feel to be grateful? Definitely makes you happier and lighter! Makes you smile at that moment…. now build that same excercise at every step of the day- for hot tea, cool water, safe home, healthy kids, beautiful sunrise, spectacular sunset, fresh meals, your car and a parking for it, and your ocean of gratitude is already filling up!
So, tell me, how many droplets of happiness did you add to your ocean today?
Musings Of My Life 