Five Lessons for Life

My Dear Rishi,

Hope we can talk later in the evening. Hope you had a great weekend. I am looking forward to speaking to you today.

Few years back I wrote something and wanted to share with you. I wrote this at one of my lowest points in life.

FIVE LESSONS FOR LIFE

(1 :15am July 19^th , 2009)

1.        Everything changes and ends: If there is a beginning than there will be an end. Change happens continuously between the beginning and end; and this is what we call life.

2.      Things do not go always according to plan: If you believe in god and if you want to make god laugh please do share your plans

3.      Life is always not fair but you treat everyone with compassion, kindness, acceptance, empathy and loving them unconditionally.

4.      Pain is part of life but do not give pain to others, if someone crosses your path even for few seconds ensure that you cover their path with rose petals.

5.      People are not loving and loyal all the time but you always be loving and loyal to them under any circumstances because end of the day you only have control over your actions, your choices. You cannot control other person or choose for them, don’t let other people’s actions determine your actions. In any situation you will always have a choice, a choice to walk the higher road or not. In this lies our freedom, freedom to choose.

Rishi, hope some day you realize the value of this although I must warn you, this path is very tough, very lonely. Rishi, I miss you very much love.

With lots of love, hugs and kisses.

Daddy

Understanding and Compassion in Action

My Dear Rishi,

Let's continue the journey of understanding and compassion. I recently stumbled upon a story of understanding and compassion in action.

In 1976 Special Olympics was held in Sponkane, Washington. During a track and field event one of the nine contestants,  taking part in the race fell down after taking few steps because of his handicap. He tried to get up but he fell again. Two of the contestants saw the fallen contestant and came to his rescue. They  helped him to his feet and together they crossed the line. The audience rose to their feet and gave a standing ovation.

Rishi, here is a beautiful example of understanding and compassion in action. The two contestants chose the spirit of cooperation over competition. When we are aligned to cooperate with understanding our compassion lights our lives. We need more understanding and love to sustain this humanity.  His Holiness the Dalia Lama put this concept of "Compassion in Action" much more eloquently, "It is not enough to be compassionate. You must act. There are two aspects to action. One is to overcame the distortions and afflictions of your own mind, that is, in terms of calming and eventually dispelling anger. This is action out of compassion. The other is more social, more public. When something needs to be done in the world to rectify the wrongs, if one is really concerned with benefiting others, one needs to be engaged, involved"

Rishi, hope and wish you some day be the beacon of compassion in action. I love you very much and miss you.

With lots of love, hugs and kisses,

Daddy
 

Prayer of Understanding

My Dear Rishi,

I wanted to begin this year focusing on, "Understanding and Compassion". Hope, some day you will learn the true meaning and value of these two very powerful words.  Over the course of this year I will share with you some personal experiences, interesting writings I have read from wiser people who have walked this path quite ahead of me and longer than I have. Let me begin this journey of letters with a prayer, I read few days ago it is called, "Prayer of Understanding" By Abby Willowroot.  I took the liberty of making some minor changes but the essence of the poem is kept same. (I hope author forgives me for taking this liberty).

 

Prayer of Understanding



 By Abby Willowroot
 

May I come to Understand

that blessings are everywhere,

that my attitude will effect outcomes,

that challenges are often gifts in disguise.

 

May I come to Trust

that most things can get better, with time,

that a positive attitude make things go smoother.

 

May I come to See

that our skills and talents can be put to help others

that I am a positive influence on many people

that I am surrounded by people who wish me well.

 

May I come to Value

that today is a blessing to be enjoyed,

that each person is unique & important

that each moment of our lives has a meaning

 

Rishi, understanding intellectually will take you to a certain level but understanding with compassion and your heart will free you from you the trappings of this mind and intellectual crutches. Hope you transcend your mind and learn to lead life from a place of compassionate heart.

With lots of love, hugs and kisses,

Daddy



 





 

Tomorrow's Yesterday

My Dear Rishi,

It has been sometime since I wrote. As the year ends, I take some time to reflect the year 2012. It has been a year of personal loss and also a year of personal transformation. Today, as I write these words I am grateful for where I am in spite of many changes. This is the year I have made strides in letting go and just be. I have realized, it matters how we live rest of the life and cherish what we have. I want to end this year with one of the poems which has touched me recently in a quite palpable way.

 

Tomorrow's Yesterday

By Linda Ellis

 

We rue the passing of each yesterday

because it is, forever gone

and take for granted that we'll live to see

another break of dawn.

 

Time eagerly moves forward;

though we may plead, it never lingers.

Intangible yet, we feel its presence

as it slips right through our fingers.

 

It progresses callously onward

like an illness with no cure,

while we anticipate tomorrow

as if it was ours, for sure.

 

Precious seconds tick in rhythm

as we walk...and laugh...and sleep,

accumulating into minutes

that we can use, but never keep.

 

Today is here, but only once,

a blessing...merely ours to borrow,

for it will soon turn into yesterday...

just as it is was once, tomorrow.

 

Minutes to hours, hours to days,

no secret or mystery....

our "now" in turn, becomes our "then"

...a part of life's history.

 

Live for today...live for your "now"\

make memories that will last;

paint bold colors of your present

to the canvas of your past.

 

Don't postpone your hopes and dreams

by saying ....I'll be happy when....."

Seize the seconds that are passing by

for you can't get them back again!

 

Learn to savor these 24 hours

without one minute of delay,

because too soon they will forever be....

tomorrow's yesterday.

 

Rishi, I love you each day more and more although the distance between becomes wider and wider, as you said, "Daddy, when you are alone remember, I am in your heart and you are in my heart". Truly wised words Rishi...I love you more each second, minute, hour, days, months and years......

 

Wish you a Happy New Year son.....hope, pray and wish you the very best for 2013. Whatever is best for you should always happen...love ! I miss you ...

 

With lots of love, hugs and kisses....

 

Daddy

Miracles

My Dear Rishi,

Wishing you the very best on Diwali. Hope, you have a wonderful day. Today I recieved, a wonderful comment on this blog. It was sorts of miracle as I was wondering if my writing this blog for you has any value at all. I am not sure if you will ever read and all kinds of negative thoughts were running in my head, to be honest I was feeling very down. I was checking my email and  I saw following,  comment from a complete stranger about one specific story I wrote for you in my blog.

 Martha Williams, Kids Trek has left a new comment on your post "Story of Evans Wadongo":

On Wed., Nov. 14, I shall teach children and their families the process of invention during the Mensa Kids Trek Inventors Workshop here in Alabama, United States of America.
Miracles happen every moment of our lives. A miracle, by my definition, is anything that has not yet been explained by science.
The miracle of this moment is that I have found your letter just after learning about the accomplishment of Evans Wandongo that was posted by an organization who has worked to help our excellent President Barack Obama receive re-election.
How the threads intertwine is always amazing.
I plan to use your letter to inspire my children and their families to expand their minds through the invention process, and, also, to realize that people of all ages, of all backgrounds have the potential to be successful in their lives, to contribute to the world, and, possibly, to discover the geniuses that lie within all of us.
Thank you for taking the time to read my comment. May your life be blessed as you bless the lives of those around you.
Rishi, this is miracle in action for you.  I never imagined what I am writing for you could help others. I hope, wish one day you also get an opportunity to read this blog. Since the theme of today's letter has been about "miracles", I feel today's poem should also be about miracles. Here is a beautiful poem by Walt Whitman on miracles.

Miralces

By Walt Whitman

 

WHY! who makes much of a miracle?
As to me, I know of nothing else but miracles,
Whether I walk the streets of Manhattan,
Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky,
Or wade with naked feet along the beach, just in the edge of the water,
Or stand under trees in the woods,
Or talk by day with any one I love—or sleep in the bed at night with any one I love,
Or sit at table at dinner with my mother,
Or look at strangers opposite me riding in the car,
Or watch honey-bees busy around the hive, of a summer forenoon,
Or animals feeding in the fields,
Or birds—or the wonderfulness of insects in the air,
Or the wonderfulness of the sun-down—or of stars shining so quiet and bright,
Or the exquisite, delicate, thin curve of the new moon in spring;
Or whether I go among those I like best, and that like me best—mechanics, boatmen,
farmers,
Or among the savans—or to the soiree—or to the opera,
Or stand a long while looking at the movements of machinery,
Or behold children at their sports,
Or the admirable sight of the perfect old man, or the perfect old woman,
Or the sick in hospitals, or the dead carried to burial,
Or my own eyes and figure in the glass;
These, with the rest, one and all, are to me miracles,
The whole referring—yet each distinct, and in its place.

To me, every hour of the light and dark is a miracle,
Every cubic inch of space is a miracle,
Every square yard of the surface of the earth is spread with the same,
Every foot of the interior swarms with the same;
Every spear of grass—the frames, limbs, organs, of men and women, and all that
concerns them,

All these to me are unspeakably perfect miracles.

To me the sea is a continual miracle;
The fishes that swim—the rocks—the motion of the waves—the ships, with men
in them,
What stranger miracles are there?

 

Let this Diwali bring miracles in our lives and hope we spend more time together. 

With lots of love, hugs, kisses and best wishes,

Daddy.



To Hope

My Dear Rishi,

After our long talk few weeks back, we have not been able to talk for more than fifteen minutes at a stretch since then.

I came across another poem few years back by Emily Dickinson called, "Hope" is the thing with feathers.

"Hope" is the thing with feathers

By Emily Dickinson

 

"Hope" is the thing with feathers --
That perches in the soul --
And sings the tune without the words --
And never stops -- at all --

And sweetest -- in the Gale -- is heard --
And sore must be the storm --
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm --

I've heard it in the chillest land --
And on the strangest Sea --
Yet, never, in Extremity,
It asked a crumb -- of Me.

 

Rishi, every weekend I live with a hope that I hear your voice, talk to you forever, be part of your life, I have already missed out so much and everything else fails, this hope sustains me and keeps me going that one day we will be together. I love you very much and miss you Rishi.

 

With lots of love, hugs and kisses,

 

Daddy







The Solitary Reaper

My Dear Rishi,

Last weekend we spoke for an hour and fifteen minutes. You were telling me jokes, singing songs and you also told me about your sister. I am really happy for your Rishi, that you have a younger sister to play with and give you company. You are so loving and you will enjoy company of a sibling. I did not have a sister but having a younger brother was so much fun, we used to play together, sometimes fight and yet be there for each other. My best childhood memories are with my younger brother and I love my brother. I am so glad he is in my life. Rishi, you are a big brother...congratulations!

Today's poem is called, " The Solitary Reaper" By William's Wordsworth. I came across this poem in when I was in 6th Grade. That time I did not understand it much but as I grew older I understand and feel the poem in my heart..I have realized sometimes we all are nothing but "Solitary Reapers" in this journey of life

The Solitary Reaper

By Williams Wordsworth

Be hold her, single in the field,

Yon solitary Highland Lass!

Reaping and signing by herself;

Stop here, or gently pass!

Alone she cuts and binds the grain,

And signs a melancholy strain;

O listen! for the Vale profound

Is overflowing the sound.

No Nightingale did ever chaunt

More welcome notes to weary bands

Of travellers in some shady haunt,

Among Arabian sands:

A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard

In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,

Breaking the silence of the seas

Among the farthest Hebrides.

Will no one tell me what she sings?-

Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow

For old, unhappy, far-off things,

And battles long ago;

Or is it some more humble lay,

Familiar matter of to-day?

Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,

That has been and may again?

Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang

As if her song could have no ending;

I saw her singing at her work,

And o'er the sickle bending;-

I listen'd, motionless and still;

And, as I mounted up the hill,

The music in my heart I bore.

Long after it was heard no more.

 

Rishi, I love you very much and miss you!

 

With lots of love, hugs and kisses,

 

Daddy