A Gift To Be Simple

Nature is winning as the world is at a standstill. To think that life is for the birds, we got it all wrong. Birds have a simplistic view of life. Bird brain? Small they may be, they can thrive all year long at the Holly Tree growing in front of my balcony. It was fascinating to observe this bird to prepare a nest to lay her eggs.  When the fledglings were mature enough, they took a leap of faith from the birdhouse, flew and never to be seen.

Staying home, staying safe and distancing oneself can be an opportunity to rest, have a healthy self-reflection, pick up the pieces where I had left off when I became too busy making a living and no life to enjoy the beauty that surrounds me.

Note to myself: Do not watch the news. Do Not watch the news. DO NOT WATCH THE NEWS. When I do, my mind goes into a curve of never-ending spiral of negativity. Binge on Netflix instead.

Oh, I do know what people are currently preoccupied with, the ‘c’ word. Whenever I say this godforsaken word, the curl of my lip is indescribable.

The other day, I spoke to my Jewish friend inquiring how she is managing with her children. Our conversation turned to excitement about how we are going to celebrate the next few days. She and the children will celebrate Passover Seder with her mother and sister. While I will be observing the Triduum alone watching the live broadcasts of the mass either from Vancouver or the Vatican.

Holy week for me is not complete without viewing The Ten Commandments, an old-time movie favourite with Yul Bryner and Charlton Heston. According to the bible, ten plagues happened in Egypt. The motion picture showed at least four: turning the Nile River into blood, the storm of fire, darkness and death of the firstborn humans.

Go down, Mosses. Way down in Egypt land. Tell ole Pharaoh, let my people go!

In the movie, they found a cure against the 10th plague, death of the firstborn, by sacrificing a lamb and smear the blood on the door of their house. The epidemic passed over houses with the lamb’s blood.

I wish it’s that simple with COVID-19.  There I said the ‘c’ word.

See how easy it is!

A very simple ordinary sketch and yet it makes sense. What do you think?

Instead of expecting more, we try to show appreciation for what we already have. I know some people find it easier than others to express that gratitude. But that doesn’t mean we can’t all benefit from feeling a little thankful. So, over the next few weeks, I’m wondering what will happen if you find one thing to be grateful for each day.

It doesn’t have to be gratitude for a big, life-changing event. Look for the little things, then take a minute to see how you feel immediately afterwards. For just that moment, I suspect life will look a little brighter.

I bring up gratitude now because we’re living in world that seems overly focused on things that get in the way of it. It’s not so much a case of reminiscing for the “good ol’ days” versus today. Rather, I’ve become more convinced over time that many of our most common financial problems stem from too little awareness about what we already have. Part of building that awareness includes showing gratitude.

Source:  Carl Richards of Behavior Gap accidental artist with the help of a Sharpie and the belief that complex ideas can be made easy to understand writes at The New York Times.

Walking the Royal Steps

Raj Ghat means Royal Steps and is a place where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated on 1948.

In New Delhi, we visited Raj Ghat. To reach the memorial site, we walked a long corridor surrounded by beautiful green lawn, well-kept garden and a peaceful place.  The vastness of this place is impressive.

Gandhi’s memorial site is made of black marble slab adorned with orange marigolds. The flowers are changed daily. A perpetual flame burns at one end.  Inscribed on the stone is “He Ram” (Oh God).

It is mandatory that we must remove our shoes before entering the enclosure to keep the area free of dirt from our footwear.

The place was busy with visitors including school children on a field trip paying homage to him.

My life is my message ~ Mahatma Gandhi

The design of  a simple memorial site reflects Gandhi’s modest life. Simplicity at its best.

Simple Pleasure

Happiness is having my cat, Lucy, snuggly ensconced on my lap while I had a good cup of coffee on my first day back home coming from a pilgrimage to India.

Feeding the heart

Today is  new day.
I am creature of habit
Bird watching weather permitting
Standing at the entrance of the park
With a handful of bird seeds
The seeds will feed the birds
The joy of birds feeding
Will feed my heart.

Image source: Barb Markway