OUR CANDLES AND FLOWERS

 





“At the heart of all anger, all grudges

and all resentment, you’ll always find a fear

that hopes to stay anonymous.”

Donald L. Hicks


 

There is sense in singing glory to a person when he or she is dead and gone. It makes sense only if we say,  “I love you,”… “Thank you”…  “I am sorry”… etc., when the person is alive and around us.

Yesterday, all over the world, Christians observed what is traditionally known as ‘All Souls’ Day’. On this day, we remember our dear and near ones who are no more… We go near their graves and pray… We light candles, place fresh flowers, get overwhelmed and cry…

Frankly, this is a powerful experience. If observed meaningfully, it can leave us a lot healed.

But, I said, “If observed meaningfully”!

When our near and dear ones are alive and around us, we tend to think, that we all are going to be alive and around for a long, long time, if not ‘forever’. So, the thought, that ‘Life is short’, that we should express our love and affection, gratitude, and, above all, forgive and seek forgiveness, when we are alive… yes, this thought simply doesn’t cross our mind…

Then, our near and dear ones go… Yes, our love and affection, gratitude and forgiveness remain unexpressed… Invariably, this is how most of us go about our lives.

So, on an ‘All Souls’ Day’, what do we pray… what do we say… standing near the graves of our near and dear ones?

As I said, there is no sense in crying when the person is no more. It makes sense only if we cry when the person is alive and around us. Nevertheless, if crying and praying before the grave can make us better humans… leave us a lot humbled and healed, it’s definitely a meaningful thing to do…







Else, the fate of our thoughts and prayers will be just like that of those candles we light and flowers we place on the graves… Short-lived.

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic.: pixabay

 

Video:  Neil Diamond/ Hit Crew Masters - Topic

 

 

 

 

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...