Some moments – they bring in light into our lives – not too brash not too harsh – not LED…just a small wicker lamp that slowly and soothingly light up our lives.. And as we recognize those moments, Diwali happens..easy, numerous and countless in its occurrence! Perhaps our whole life is spent finding these moments or letting these slip by and reminiscing of the Diwali that could have been..
This Diwali, I want to pause, not
run..to recognize, not look away..to indulge, not remorse..So I paused to see
the sky and the sunset – to witness a Rangoli in the sky – bright colours
bursting into a million palettes- effortless and inexpensive. I chose to
overlook the stuttering and the blundering of a Rangoli design at home, instead
recognized the glimmer of innocent enthusiasm in my daughter’s eyes as she
painstakingly worked her way through a design – her effervescence summing up a thousand
diyas… I chose to not feel deprived without the usual quota of delicious
sweetness boxed into ‘office gifts’ ..instead indulged in the sweetness of home
cooked delicacies laced with mother’s love - more sinful and more addictive than
the ghee-dripping ‘mysorepa’ that usually finds its way home during Diwali..
And like all festivities, there
is a bit of history, a bit of justification and a bit of story that we like to
weave – and so while I may not be able behead any serious evils, the least I
can do is excavate some goodness instead..recognize the goodness of family and
friends around me, the luxury of my life where square meals do not haunt me and
the freedom of good times that I can bestow myself without guilt or fear..
Maybe the evil lies within me –
the evils of procrastination and prejudices – age old habits that never die so
easily…the evils of disrespect and discrimination – we all are guilty of
gluttony – overstuffed societal norms and overdosed morality..This Diwali – let’s put these into the fire – light up a few lives,
burn out a few evils and sweeten a few moments – not all Diwalis need a box of
Kaju Katlis?
