THE JOY HAMPERS














What comes straight from my heart, that’s my greatest gift!

During this Diwali season, like most around me, I, too, have either received several gifts – from sweets-boxes to exotic hampers – Or, I have given to others some (Just some ordinary ones though!). But, when I look back at all these, I feel amazed, that the finest gifts have, always, been the ones that have come straight from the hearts… with no frills or glamour around them!

The thought behind the gifts, definitely, is what makes the gift special!

A friend of mine has invited me for a lunch, this noon. He invites me every year during the Diwali season… Something homely with no frills around them…. Just for our friendship sake… and I love that. He doesn’t expect me to turn up with anything. Still, I do not prefer to go with empty hands. So, this morning, as I was picking something simple for my friend’s family at a nearby store, I bumped into another friend of mine there. While leaving, he quietly put a nicely-wrapped sweet – a single piece – into my hand and said, “Something simple for you.”

Oh, I loved that!

One solitary piece of sweet, straight from the heart… with no burden of “What to give?”

Then, this friend of mine asked me, “Why no blogs these days? Missing them.”

I smiled and said, “My heart has to prompt me to write… The breaks are good.”

Just like the thought of giving gifts to others can become a strain, the thought of writing my blog, too, can.

Why are we giving gifts? Is it because we yearn to maintain our ‘good image’?

And, why am I writing my blogs? Is it for the same reason?

Honestly, I ask this, today, to myself: “Why am I writing?”

What comes straight from our hearts, I really feel, is our priceless gift!

That’s why, of all the posts and videos I keep getting to watch on the internet, my favourites ones are those of little children (particularly babies), pets like dogs, cats, and chicken… Those are spontaneous, straight from the heart… and, to me, that’s happiness… that’s joy.





Can anything in this world – including the most expensive gift-hampers – replace this?



Hope, you had a glimpse into such joyous moments, this Diwali season.



GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Pinterest.com

Video: WL OS ABC 13


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MUTHU KODI KAWARI HADA

Image
Pic.; Ashwin Mohta M y Hindi was always bad. It still is. One reason for this was, that they introduced Hindi for us only in 6 th standard. Or, was it in 8 th ? I don’t remember… I only remember struggling to write and read… leave alone speak! But, I loved Hindi movies, and, strangely, I could understand the dialogues and the lyrics of the songs… I used to sing those songs (of course when no one was around me!) as if I was the lyricist… One of the songs was a very funny one. ‘Muthu Kodi Kawari Hada’. It was from Mehmood’s super-hit comedy – ‘Do Phool’. I was a 15-year-old high-school boy when I had heard that song (not watched the movie). I could grasp the meaning of two words – ‘Muthu Kodi’… which meant ‘Give kiss’… But, what ‘Kawari Hada’ meant, I have no clue till date! It was just like ‘Why this kolaveri di’... Yes, why ask? Simply enjoy the beats… And, the beats are great… The rest... Who cares? Really! So, whatever bit of Hi
Read more

"HAPPILY EVER AFTER IS NOT A FAIRY-TALE... IT IS A CHOICE"

Image
“Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone… It has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.” – Ursula K. Le Guin,  The Lathe of Heaven T welve years ago, when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie got married, the world began to hail the couple as ‘Brangelina’. It became a fashion for couples around us to call themselves so… Norbert and Teresa renamed them as ‘Noresa’…  Amol and Vishaka baptized their relationship as ‘Amoshka’… and, Salman and Nargis became ‘Salgis’! I and my wife, too, got tempted to re-christian our matrimonial relationship as ‘Germa’... That is, Gerald and Anima, to be precise! B efore I proceed any further, let me make it very clear, here… that, I have no business to judge on the break-up of Brad Pitt and Angelina’ Jolie’s marriage. I have no inclination to go into why, how, what when etc behind it… The couple ‘chose’ to split. And, it’s their choice… Only they know how good or bad… how joyful or painful that
Read more

SELLING MIRRORS IN THE CITY OF THE BLIND

Image
“I laugh when I hear that the fish in the water is thirsty. I laugh when I hear that people go on pilgrimage to find God.” - Kabir T here is a universal human weakness – and it dates back to the days of fallen civilizations – and it is: to place people on pedestal and trying to be smothered by them, feel loved and protected in their company… worship them as mentors, heroes,  gurus, Mahagurus and Satgurus… Make these mortals larger-than-life cut-outs, worship them as flawless, pure and give one’s all… And, then, ‘take’ everything from them blindly as divine… Give everything to them blindly… Eventually, what happens is:  one more dangerous bondage… What was supposed to free you now becomes a new prison… It’s sad to see this happen! T his room, where I am writing this Post, has no image of any deity. I have no image of any Guru or Master around me… My question is: “Am I not able to feel close to Almighty God?  How does it matter
Read more
THE WILD, WAYSIDE FLOWERS
There is, always, something extra-ordinary in the wild, wayside flowers...