Thanksgiving-Those

My Dear Rishi,

I enjoyed talking to you for about forty minutes on the weekend. You were laughing and making funny noises. Every time I hear your voice, your laughter it sustains me till the next time I get to talk to you.

 

Honey

 



Yesterday was thanksgiving in Canada. Honey and I spent time together. Once again I missed you, love! This thanksgiving, despite my personal loss. I have chosen to be thankful to what "is" in my life. Although you are so far away and I miss you very much, I am thankful for the fact that you are well taken care of, you are loved and you have family around you. Rishi, as a parent it is natural to expect to be with their children and be part of their growing up experience. However, it is much more important for a parent in my situation is to be is thankful that their children or child is loved, cared for and are safe. As a father, I need to go beyond my own emotional need and look at life from your need and your perspective as you are the future and I am the past. I am grateful and thankful that every time we talk you tell me I love you daddy...Thank you Rishi :)

 



Honey

Today's poem is from a book called Live Your Dash By Linda Ellis. The title of poem is "THOSE"

 

Those

By Linda Ellis

 

I write, not for those thankful

for an abundance of wealth,

for whom good fortune has blessed

their home and their health;

 

those who walk golden pathways

towards means and success...

a safe distance apart

from those who have less,

 

but instead for the people

who can see those with more

and still humbly count blessings

for which they are thankful for;

 

those whose journey through life

has been far from the best,

yet consider themselves

nonetheless, blessed;

 

those whose open hearts give

without asking why;

those who freely share water

when their own well is dry;

 

those who view neighbors' riches

with no envy or greed,

nor resent them for having

much more than they need.

 

Let us solemnly promise

a day shall not close

without being grateful

and thankful for Those....

 

Rishi, my personal view on gratitude and being thankful begins from the minute I open my eyes. If I can get up from my bed in the morning, I am grateful and thankful to the universe that I have a roof above my head and a bed to sleep. I am grateful and thankful for Honey's presence in my life. I am thankful and grateful for the fact that I am able to walk, talk and do my things. I am thankful and grateful for the fact that I have  love, good health, enough money to sustain myself and do things I like and more. I can go on and on about things I am thankful and grateful for. Rishi, I choose to live a life of GRATITUDE. In, "Conversations with God" author Neale Donald Walsch wrties, "The correct prayer is not prayer of supplication but prayer of GRATITUDE...". I hope, pray and wish you live a life of GRATITUDE and not a life of supplication.

 

I love you Rishi!!

 

With lots of love, hugs and kisses

 

Love,

Daddy

 



 

Life Lessons

My Dear Rishi,

Hope you are doing well and you are back to school.  In the past few days I was reflecting back on my life and I was making a list of things I have learned and continue to learn.   I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you and make you part of this journey. Hope you may find some of the points  useful someday :). 

1. Live in Gratitude: Start the day with gratitude, live in gratitude and end the day with gratitude. You may be pondering why gratitude is essential? When you are in a state of gratitude, you open your world to possibilities. In the world of possibilities, you are in a positive place and being in positive place helps you attract positive influences in terms of people, circumstances and opportunities. When you live in gratitude, you are able to enjoy the life's simplest pleasures and you will discover life's greatest joys.

2. Be Authentic: What does this mean? Being true to yourself is the most important gift you can give yourself. This is the first and the most important commitment you should make in your life. Do not ever betray yourself and try to be true to someone else under any circumstances. Now having said that, being true to yourself, this is also the most difficult task. You will learn people will try to manipulate you or emotionally blackmail you or make you feel guilty or accuse you of being selfish. How do you distinguish when you are being selfish or authentic? When you are authentic or true to yourself, your thoughts, words and actions will be aligned. When your thoughts, words and actions are aligned you will be at peace and feel the joy within you and around you. This is how you can tell if you are being true to yourself. If you cannot be authentic or true to yourself, you will never be or can be true to others.

3. Face and Embrace your Fears: If a ship had the ability to think and feel fear, it would never leave its shores. The only way to deal with fears are to meet them face to face, look into the eye of the fear and embrace them. Once you deal with your fears you will never again lead a limited life, you will not be bound by your fears. Always remember, fear stands for False Evidence Appearing Real.

4. Kindness: Kindness is hallmark, talisman of a strong person, only weak are cruel and wicked. Kindness towards others and as well as to yourself is very important. People who are not kind to themselves can never be kind to others. Be kind in your thought, word and actions. Kindness will sustain you, nourish you and elevate you to higher consciousness. When you operate from a place of kindness, compassion and understanding you are reaching your highest potential as a human being.

5. Love: The purpose of life is love. Love is unconditional. True love seeks nothing in return and only gives.  If someone says if you love me you would listen to me or try to control you or manipulate you or make you feel guilty. My advise is, just move away from such people because all they are trying to do is manipulate or control you. This is not love. True love is free from drama melodrama. Love is beautiful, love is kind and love is truth. When you find such love son, count your blessings and bask in the glory of such love. Believe in such love. Remember to listen to your heart. Your heart is much more wiser than your mind because your mind is like a monkey. As monkey jumps from one branch to another and it is never still, so is your mind.

6. Influences: We all are influenced in life from the minute we are born till we die. In our life it is really important to choose our influences very well especially when you are growing up. Spend time with people, places or things that inspire you, motivate you transform you into a better human being. Spend time with people, places or  things that help you in love, overcoming your fears, be kind and live in gratitude. When you choose your influences wisely son, you will light the fire within you. This light will shine  bright and shed  light in the darkest corners of the world. Let your influences in life light the fire within you my love so that you can spread the message of love, kindness and compassion.

7. One Step at a Time: The journey of thousand miles begins with the first step. Patience is a virtue of wise. Learn to do small things very well because you would  have mastered the art of excellence in doing small things. Remember there is no work that is insignificant.  When you embark on doing big things, you will have the necessary discipline, devotion, patience and your signature of excellence will speak for itself. Your execution of any task or job or work will be a reflection of joy, mastery and excellence. Most important this is your contribution to the world...make it ever lasting.

8. Learning: Learning is something you can continue all your life. Learning from school, friends, family and even strangers are important part of your life's journey. Never be shy nor be too egotistical to say these three important words, "I don't know?" When you admit you don't know you create a possibility or open closed doors of your mind to learn. Mind and parachute work best when they are open. One of my favourite authors, Mark Twain said, " Do not let your schooling interfere with your education" I hope influences in your life stoke the fire of learning within you.

Life is a journey, hope one day you can share stories of your journey with me so that I can learn from you love.

I love you Rishi, I listen to your message everyday ....In my next letter to you I will type the message...let me think about if I should upload the message. Love you, miss you Rishi...

With lots of love, hugs and kisses.

Daddy