THE MASK ON THE CHRISTMAS TREE

 



“Don’t waste your time in anger, regrets, worry and grudges.

Life is too short to be unhappy.”

Roy T. Bennett

 

Gloom is contagious. So is happiness!

These nearly-two years of Pandemic have taken all of us through this roller coaster of happiness and gloom. None has been spared. None.

But, then, we all have relied on our respective coping mechanism. Getting into gloom may have seemed easy… Rather, automatic. Most of us have found ourselves simply slipping into the gloom – feeling overwhelmed by anxiety and worry about our future. From there, fortunately, many of us have bounced back. But, some of us have remained stuck, and some of us have, unfortunately, perished!

I believe, this has been the familiar scenario during these unusual times.

It’s tough to stay optimistic and motivated when gloom surrounds us from all sides. The more the mind focuses on ‘what we have lost’ and ‘what may happen’… yes, the more pessimistic and dejected we become. A person like me, who is gifted to write every day something, found overwhelmed, too. What would I write about – when drawn so deep into the negative chasm? Would I write about doom? Would I write about hopelessness? Or, would I write nothing at all?

The creative process, I have come to trust, is one of the best ways of maintaining our sanity. The songwriters, poets, novelist, painters, film makers, actors and all creative people realize this truth… They learn to weave something sublime through their gloomy experiences… The saddest songs come from heartbreaks. But, then, why are they so beautiful, and even uplifting? It’s a mystery to me… Listen to these two:





 



We all have this choice: to let sadness poison us, or transmute it into something sublime… Poetry, prose,  music, songs, paintings, drama, films, sculpting, architecture, even craziest comedy – yes, everything which we truly appreciate and find solace in, today, would have been just lifeless and soulless without the deep spring of  pain and sorrow within.

That’s why, I think, there is enough reason for all of us to thank Universe for making us go through these tough times of Pandemic… From the very spring of pain and sorrow, worry and fear, we could see something sublime… Hope, courage and meaning!

Yesterday, I came across this heartwarming story of how this simple family in America tried to beat its Pandemic blues…

 



 


 


 

My wife and I ended up watching dozens of their videos, yesterday. And, like millions of people around the world, we, too, came out a lot happier, a lot hopeful and stronger…

Gloom is contagious. So is happiness. That’s my opening statement. Be it my closing statement, too!

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: pixabay

Videos: 1. Perry Como/Chris McMurray 2. Engelbert Humperdinck/VHS-Goldie

            3. & 4. The Clark Family Creative  5.  The EllenShow

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