A lot to thank for!

The first day was a breeze. All I had to do was announce to myself and whoever was reading that I'm now up for this little (don't really think so!) quest. It looked like a cake walk, when I was enthusiastically perusing through the gratitude calendar.

21 days of positive vibes coming from within to without. Tranquility, right?

Yeah well, this is the second day... almost half the day has gone by and I look at the exercise ahead of me and I'm thinking to myself, "do I even have that much to be grateful for??". 

So, the exercise is simple enough, I am supposed to take each letter of the alphabet and name something or someone and be grateful for it. My head keeps ringing, thinking, isn't it too sweet??

Too much to thank in one day... won't I be spent by the end of it.

Well, I'm starting off. Let's just see what I have to say by the end of "Z". 

A - 

Accidents: I have had many, quite literally, like a collision with my car into a tractor turning the corner putting me in the hospital, to the minor ones that we call "Chance". 

Where would I be without them! A little lost for sure, coz the former showed me that, now my wife, but "just friends" friend at the time of my landing in the hospital, really did have feelings for me!! Oh, it was amazing to have her by my side in that boring hospital room first thing in the morning holding my hand. I mean, seriously which "friend" comes to you in the mornings and holds your hands till your palms get sweaty. And here we are 15 years later, still holding hands with a baby in tow. 

Also, the "other", accidents that led me from one milestone of my life to another, changing my decisions, at the very moment altering my life's course completely. In the middle of it all I would wonder, why?? why is this not happening the way I want it to... but little did/do I know. It happened/s so things could happen the way they intended to. Well, Thanks a ton to that! 

B - 

Banoffee Pie: Oh yeah!! The dessert, banana, toffee and cream with a cookie dough base. Now, my wife always thought dessert was chocolate and anything to do with it, rest were just random. Boy, did she flip when she had this slice of pie! So, how is it  my story? 

I had always been crazy for Mcleodganj, a Tibetan settlement just above Dharamshala. She wouldn't get it, She's a beach person. But, I stood my ground and forced her to the mountains, cribbing and complaining, that we never travel to the hills. So the missus relents, we are there, I'm showing my favorite spots to her but, up until the pie happened, she hated the cold... So, I make her walk!! and how! And then it happened... a long scenic walk in the mountains to this quaint little pizzeria run by a local family, making authentic clay oven baked pizzas (those too were just out of this world) but the icing was a glass of ginger lemon honey tea and a generous slice of the Banoffee pie!!! One bite and she was sold... the place transformed... the pie gave me back the mountains. Need I say more! (I'm so glad that my stomachs full right now ;) )  

C -

Common Sense: Aren't we all thankful for common sense. A little bit of it goes a long way. But I must thank my senses for using it every now and then. It's got me out of tough spots.

One incident comes to mind. I was driving from Bandra onto the highway to head back to my place, when a couple of guys, looking extremely worried rode right next to my side of the car and told me about some sparks coming out from my cars bonnet. I, obviously couldn't see it, and being the trusting guy that I am, I have to admit, I pull the breaks. What's more they were ready to help. Ready to call for a mechanic, get my car checked so it doesn't blow up!! And I'm thinking, "Holy sh*t!! I wouldn't want that to happen while I'm driving!". So I did what anyone would have done, accepted their help. 

But, friends! Remember, never ever disregard the simple questions that crop up in your head at times like these. That is what common sense is made of. It made me want to check the car myself, made me question the guys about who the mechanic was, made me call up not one but two mechanics I had previously got work done from. And so, this common sense to probe started giving me some knowledge, and when I started getting confident and asked the right questions they didnt have the answer to, the guy posing as the mechanic flinched... and before I could complete, dude, take me to your garage!! This guy got going on the pretext of going for a piss (or maybe he was just shitting his pants!), and never came back!

These guys posing as good samaritans were definitely gonna get a bundle of money from me, by inducing the fear of my car catching fire. But thanks to the little simple questions popping up in my head, I got out, car running fine and the bank balance still intact. Thanks to the little mercies of common sense. Definitely, listen to it a lot more now.    

D -

Deer Park: This is not just some random place, it's a place in Delhi. A park full of deers and rabbits (their breeding closely monitored), Peacocks and ponds full of little fish. A place of my childhood. I grew up in a place the first ten years of my life which was surrounded by a lot of green cover. This was one of those places. I remember, the first thing I did when I learnt how to ride a cycle was get here with my friends, every time it was an adventure. Hide and seek, fishing (amateur and we used to put them back, didn't intend to kill them), just exploring nature. That sure was a magical time. And, I hope I can give the same to my son. A whole lot of nature, where like me he could role play the adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer .

E -

Extra!: Hey now! Who doesn't love a little extra of your favorite dish, an extra discount on your shopping, a little extra time off from work! I absolutely do!! These bonuses, if and when they spring up, are a delight. And, I just hope the universe keeps giving us an extra helping of happiness in one way or the other. 

F -

Friendship: It's pretty obvious that I would mention this relationship in general. Now, I will most definitely thank my friends individually for some reason or the other but, it is important to eulogize friendships. 

These are the support blocks of your adult life for sure. Especially if you've flown far from your nest. Friendships are what help you, hold you, teach you. 
As you grow older, friendships are what reconnect you to your parents, siblings. 

I know, they have done so, for me. 

They cement a marriage, help each other grow more as individuals, giving each other space and respect.

If it wasn't for friendships in all it's forms, I wouldn't have survived alone. 

No man is an island, I had read somewhere. How true is that! 

G -

Game of thrones: Hahaha.... do I really need to say anything about it. It's just GOOD stuff. Can't wait for the next season!!

H -

Holidays: Everybody loves some time off, forced or otherwise. I am grateful for all the free time I have been given so far. 

Go for vacations, chill at home, work on yourself or that long lost hobby, if you've got a holiday. Use it!!! 

I personally have got some well deserved ones and some that I really didn't want. But, on hindsight, I know the free days that I didn't waste in questioning why and "actually" did something, a free day or month gave me so much more.  

I -

Ivaan: That's ma li'l boy!! He chose us. And, I am grateful for it. For everything that he has in store for us. Right from his sullied diapers to his tantrums, which he has learnt so darn quickly, just to grab attention (but, I'm the dad.. won't let him get away with it. I have things in store for him as well... Hehehe). 
But, taking care of another life, unconditionally does teach you a lot. As of today, he is one of our biggest teachers. 

J -

Jamming: I'm talking about all those impromptu music sessions I orchestrated or participated in, at home or just some random staircase (no, not a good singer or musician and nor are ANY of my friends), regardless of the lack of talent. Music just uplifts the soul. And, doing a jig with a bunch of friends, just priceless!

K -

Kaushik Mani: I am individually thanking this guy. A dear old friend, with whom I developed a love for books, music, language (although, none of us know any apart from English, Hindi, he's a tamilian, so that too for him). 

We experimented with life during our college days together. We jammed poems, took the longest walks discussing religion, philosophy, psychology, literature. You, my friend are a very important part of my life. 

And to top it all, somehow through all his degenerative habits, the guy is still around... and I am grateful for that. He is a brilliant writer himself. Whose stuff I love to read and rip apart. May he take himself less seriously and write something soon.

L -

Liberty: I am talking about freedom, autonomy, a sense of self governance that all of us deserve, have, but forget. 

We forget this gift of life, when we let others decide for us, when we let them affect us, oppress us. But, it's still there. Because, when we have had enough, when common sense rings in with its simpler questions, we realize it's right there for us to take hold of and be free. More importantly, seek this liberty within, because the universe reveals its many secrets when you are truly free. 

Food for thought isn't it?

M -

Magic: For me, we use magic almost everyday. It is nothing but a well crafted surprise, that brings awe and a sense of wonderment followed by an inexplicable smile. I do it with my son. Hide my face with  my hands and then show my face, you should see his smile. When I give my wife a surprise when she is least expecting it, like a flower on her pillow, The smile!! The smile!! 

There's magic in everything around us. the scent of the flowers, the colors we see, acts of kindness from people we least expect, our being is nothing short of magic. 

N -

Naps: :) Don't you love it when you sneak in one, during a heavy day. I love them even more, when you have a day off and you sneak like thousands of them between your meals, barely getting out of bed.

Naps are nothing short of romantic interludes of a lazy day.

O -

Observing: I'm choosing a verb here. The act itself. The thing about it is, that, you can use it any which way. You can observe silence, observe a fast, observe people walking on the streets while you sip an idle cup of coffee, observe yourself within... I could go on and it's importance wouldn't be expressed enough.

Like many things instinctual, this too is forgotten when we get too involved in just reacting, acting upon, running around. But, if any of you have taken a moment and observed any of the things i just mentioned above there definitely would be a lot more peace and happiness, within and without. 

P -

Poetry: Rabindranath Tagore, William Blake, Arthur Rimbaud, Allen Ginsberg, Kalidas all of these men were the ones who made me fall in love with poetry. Poetry is what life looks like in rhythm. Here's one that I wrote once, nothing too serious... just a little fun with the words - 

A LITTLE SOMETHING 

A little word my rolling tongue speaks,

Out of its’ sound a funny rhyme, in-just sneaks.

Is it hard? Is it tough?

All I know poetry is no mean feat!

When a little word my rolling tongue does speak,

                                   I try and I try until a little poem through me takes leave.

Q -

Queen: The Band! The Band! and the legend, Mr. Freddie Mercury! Go ahead and tell me bohemian rhapsody, radio gaga, we are the champions aren't just that, Legendary!! Queen was one of my biggest influences back in my college days.    

R -

Rajnikant: COME ON!! COOOOOMMMME OOOONN!!! 

S -

Sakshi: She is my raison d'être! The glue that binds my life together in a way that it all makes sense. She is why I write, read, work on my self. Words do not do justice to what I feel for her. Besides, I think I should give her my gratitude personally, rather than write more here. ;) 

T -

Taste Buds: How else would you be able to tell the difference between, eggs benedict-molten chocolate cake-khichda-nasi goreng? How else would a show like master chef Australia work? 
Bonding over food with friends, sharing food, breaking bread. The joys of life.   

U -

Uber: It took me a while, but you've got to hand it to the guys who came up with the idea. they are running many households, and how convenient. Really! Bravo guys!! Thanks a ton!  

V -

Vipassana: A place where I really understood what meditating really is. It re-introduced this practice in my life. Helped me in so many ways. Made me understand the impermanence of each moment. Helped me look within. Of course it is a daily practice. I try.  

W -

Washroom: Heh heh heh.... the only place in the world, where I feel relieved and peaceful at the same time. My alone time. The place where I read my paper, gather my thoughts. Just me and my pot!!  

X -

I have to be honest here.... I am blank when it came to this alphabet, If any of you are thankful for something that was named with an X, lemme know!

Ok, apart from an X-ray, or celebrating X-mas (I'm just trying too hard man). so I'm gonna just X it out. 

Y -

Yoga: If meditation taught me the impermanence of things, Yoga showed me the grace of being patient. The beauty of staying still in the most contorted way possible. It is the tool that you need to make your practice of meditation stronger. A downward dog bow down to all the yoga masters in the world. 

Z -

Zen and the art of Motorcycle maintenance: A book. Actually 'THE' book for me. The one that gave me a perspective. 

This was the first ever book of philosophy/psychology/to some extent spiritual, that I read right after I passed out of school. This is the book that made me want to question things, to think on my own. Not an easy read. But, told beautifully by Robert M. Pirsig, in a narrative of a travelogue with his son across the country. 


Wow! I cant believe I've managed to do this, and it would be commendable if anyone reading this has managed to skim through or even read through this babble. Going through the alphabets, I realized that there are so many more things around us, big or small that are just amazing. these are just a few things that I wrote down on my list. There is so much more. But, like I said earlier, this exercise is definitely a dollop full of sugar. But it's my dollop full. :)