This week’s sharing is inspired by two stories. One, a true story, shared by a former teacher. The other, a story read in a magazine, which may not be true but wraps its message in a charming tale about a boy and his bicycle. Both these stories might resonate and inspire us to celebrate this December, a month that is unique as it is a bridge between the events of the past year and a transition to the next cycle.
The joy of ‘less is more’
It is a joy to be able to celebrate various festivals, and most festivals are now getting a global tinge. It is not uncommon for people from various communities to celebrate each other’s festivals. This also seems to result in a common set of signposts — huge billboards advertising sales, commercials selling us messages that true joy is directly proportional to the price tag on the gift and accumulating more things is not merely needed, but wanted!
A teacher, who had been working in some of the elite schools, shared how this culture was becoming rampant in the classroom. Students were buying and exchanging expensive gifts and there was almost a subtle peer pressure to reciprocate, in the name of Friendship Day or Birthdays and other such events.
She narrated a story of a student whose family followed a very different philosophy. Every year, for her birthday, the student was given a choice — a gift or a party at home, but not both. The teacher shared that when she heard this, she was curious. A conversation with her student followed. My colleague shared how surprised she was by the girl’s clarity! Either choice, her student said, made her happy; over the years it had made her appreciate that one gift or one get-together more than if she had an excess of either.
The family also celebrated festivals with a difference. Every year, they decided upon one thing they would give up, and it would be bought for someone less privileged. She shared that two years ago, her family had collectively decided not to buy new clothes for themselves but for their maid’s family. They then invited the maid’s family over to share their meal and she said the joy of seeing the family all decked up in their new clothes was priceless!
It is not easy in the era of choice to make such decisions. We are being conditioned to believe that we need to constantly upgrade anything from gadgets to pencil boxes. Perhaps, the sugar pill that we swallow could be an illusion that we need it for our happiness. We rarely see that the shot of happiness injected in us when we get a new phone is only as permanent as the next version in the market!
This December, it would be a good exercise to find our own creative ways to celebrate the spirit of a festival. Maybe one could find ways to understand the reason and spirit behind a celebration and make that the focus.
Bring joy by gifting someone your time. Hold a musical session for an old age facility. Maybe the New Year can be heralded with good spring cleaning in our homes, which narrows down and gives value to things that we really cherish. Once your creative caps are on, the possibilities are limitless!
Expectations and opportunities
The story in the magazine was about a six-year-old boy who desperately wanted a shiny red bicycle for Christmas. Every night, in his prayers, he would fervently pray for the bike, marking each night on the calendar. The night before Christmas, the prayer was even more intense. When he woke up the next morning, he found that there was no bicycle. As usual, he put on his coat and went out to play. His friends who knew about his conversations with God asked him why his prayers had gone unanswered. In complete innocence and trust, he turned around and replied, “Oh but he did answer. God said no!”
In the past year, there would have been many situations that challenged us because they went against our expectations. Some students might not have got their choice of college or course, despite working hard. We may not have got the star project that we desired or we might have lost out to someone in an audition or competition. Some of us might have been challenged by difficult people, who bullied us due to their own insecurities.
It would have been painful and it is natural that many of us would be carrying that burden in our hearts.
This month might be a good time to quietly reflect on those situations and see them as gifts given to us. Perhaps, not getting into the desired college made you explore options you never thought possible.
That audition you missed might have made you worked harder on your skills, or, perhaps, there was a better project waiting around the corner. The resentment towards a friend who had betrayed you might have made you angry with the whole world.
Once you see that the damage caused by carrying that anger within you far outweighs the action of your friend, it might bring peace to your own growth. The lessons that come in the form of a “No” in our lives can be wonderful stepping stones, if we just choose to look at them that way. Say a big Yes to the No!
As the year comes to a close, it has been a privilege to be able to connect to readers across cities and ages. A note of gratitude for sharing thoughts, ideas and feedback. Wishing all the readers a creative December, where they can find meaningful ways to celebrate and also appreciate the challenging moments of 2016.
Until we meet next year, wishing all a joyous journey ahead!
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