MAY OUR GREETINGS NOT PASS LIKE SHIPS THAT PASS IN THE NIGHT

























Pic.: Shoba N. Krishnan



“How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains!”
-       John Muir


Today is the main day of Diwali and I haven’t, yet, sent a single greeting to anyone. But, I have already received ship-loads of them… They are still coming and will continue to come, maybe, for the next couple of days.

But, if you ask me, “Who has sent you the Diwali greetings?” or “Do you remember any wordings?”  you will get only my blank stare!

There is nothing ‘exclusive’ or ‘special’ about greetings we send or receive, anymore… They are mechanical, impersonal and bereft of true feelings – affection and care.

Am I generalizing?

No, I am not.

To me, the biggest concern, today on this auspicious day of Diwali, is this: “Will my greetings be noticed at all? Or, will they pass like ships that pass in the night?”

Well, on the upside, I have, suddenly, become ‘conscious’ of those two words – ‘Happy Diwali’… or, for that matter – ‘Happy B’day’, ‘Happy New Year’ or, ‘Happy Valentine Day’ etc. I have become conscious that I should not simply drop them… I should pack them with my true feelings…


Facebook. WhatsApp. Twitter. E-mail. Sms. Phone-calls. Personal visits. Or, just remember and wish your near and dear ones genuinely in your heart. Anything from this is fine as long as I feel special and someone feels special by the greetings we send to each other. Else, like many other things we do in life, we will continue to be the ‘herd’ that we are…

Thought I would let my near and dear ones know what I felt before I greeted them:‘HAPPY DIWALI’…

May our greetings not pass like ships that pass in the night.


GERALD D’CUNHA




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