"Essence"

Good Afternoon!

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” Albert Einstein.

Strangely, I'm really enjoying the coach ride from my nodal point to office every day. While I'm traveling in the coach, I can feel the sense of safety and security unlike traveling in a cab… :) In addition, I can enjoy seeing the serenity of trees by the road, the mushroom like silver mirage near AIIMS, the Yamuna River, multiples of Billboards around DND toll plaza, the extravagant statues of National Dalit Inspiration Place and Green Garden (Noida), etc. In spite of all the daily routines of honking, the traffic jam, the adrenaline rush of many drivers but the real beauty for me is the multitudes of new young leaf growing on the branches of most trees by the road. The young leaves are not very greenish rather lightest green in a purest form. It really seemed to me like fireflies in a clear daylight. Seeing the new leaf dancing every moment with the wind direction is a pure delight and proved the world is still beautiful.

Indeed! It is spring season, the best of the four seasons we have in a year. It makes sense to me now why the Hindu calendar popularly used in North India celebrates the New Year in the month of March or April every year... :) I guess very new start has to be new in order to replace the old. Of course, beauty of this season will fade away with time yet the essence of it beauty will always lingers in one's thought. I can still remember the Good Samaritan who gave us a lift along with my brother when we were waiting for a bus to go home for summer vacation in the year 2006. We were so excited leaving the hostel for a month long vacation right after the final examination, and we both were not ready to wait for the next morning for the journey home.

It was already dusk and after waiting for nearly 2 hours, unfortunately, there were not even a single bus heading to Imphal arrived. And both of us have given up for the day and starts mapping out a plan for early morning journey. On our way back to hostel, a Santro car just stopped by the side of the road and the guy from inside the car asked us, “Where are you two going?” And he continued, “Are you both going home for vacation?” I guessed he noticed our luggage and moreover it was summer vacation time for higher secondary schools in Manipur. Although I was skeptical about his questions but anyway I answered, “We were planning to go home for vacation but there are no bus heading to Imphal.”

He then replied, “I'm also heading to Imphal, and both of you can join me in the car since all of us are heading in the same direction.” I looked at my brother and he told me, “Let’s take the lift offered, anyway we need to get home and maybe he needs us as he also traveling alone.” I agreed with my brother point and we accepted the guy offer. And we both reached home safely by late evening shocking the hell out of our parents… :) His offer to help us knowing that we may be stranded on the road with luggage, and despite our hesitancy in the first place, still lingers in my heart and thoughts. I guess the caring with the eagerness to help people is one of the most beautiful essences of our life here on earth.

Why do we prefer a red rose over other flowers in Valentine’s Day even though the rose has thorns and yet we'd still risk our finger getting hurt? The simple fact is we believed red rose signifies love and the unique aroma of it scent. Yes! Red rose signifying true love is the essence. And the very essence of spring season is the rebirth of most nature around us. Mahatma Gandhi said, “Each night when I go to sleep, I die. And the next morning, when I wake up, I am reborn.” Yesterday is the past, and today is the gift to do something good worth remembering. I'm concluding this blog with the wise thoughts of William Arthur Ward.

“The adventure of life is to learn. The purpose of life is to grow. The nature of life is to change. The challenge of life is to overcome. The essence of life is to care. The opportunity of life is to serve. The secret of life is to dare. The spice of life is to befriend. The beauty of life is to give. The joy of life is to love.”

Thank you. Have a good evening!