Consider this postcard that got lost in the post and is arriving on your doorstep a little late.
Each year, the months of September - December have, in past years, been dedicated to lively and frenzied preparations for the festive seasons of Diwali & Christmas coupled with the launch of a new academic year.
After closing my Hindi and Chess classes, I am struggling this year to fill the void left by my forced retirement and have become even more mindful of the necessity to make my every action and effort a meaningful one.
I have always questioned the rather ritualistic approach to Diwali celebrations and the like. I have tried to introduce thought and meaning into our preparations, be it at a family or a community level, seeing it as a time for discarding old and decaying practises and embracing new thoughts and progress with hope and enthusiasm.
Even my participation in the Raam Leela production each year has seen a gradual progression from convention to innovation under the inspired direction of a young and vibrant artist, Darshini Joshi. Sadly, I was unable to play an active part in the 2014 production.
So to muster up the Festive Spirit, I have been busy distributing food for thought this Diwali. I was given the opportunity recently to write a brief article for the ITN website describing the festival and its celebration in our community. As I wrote I began to think even more deeply about the symbolism of our rituals and preparations during these days.
Be it Navratre, Karva Chauth, Ahoi Ashtami or Kali Poojan, all play a key role in enhancing personal relationships and encouraging social interaction. So I found myself organising a mehndi night before I could slap myself on the wrist! It was worth it! Not only did I feel a part of the human race again but also made a lot of new friends.
Diwali itself came and passed without much fuss. And then came Christmas. I tried to muster up enthusiasm for this widely celebrated festival. In the past it has been an occasion to touch base with friends and neighbours with whom I have barely exchanged greetings during the whole year.
All seems to be forgiven and forgotten with the exchange of a christmas card or two. However, this year found me in Scrooge mood and I decided to cut down on this formality restricting it to just the few friends with whom I had shared my personal journey over the past few months. I even went shopping for Christmas decorations and decided not to invest again in reusable decorations but created instead a christmas garland using foliage and twigs from our garden. Quite effective!
Depending on family to welcome & feed the spirit of the festival I became a passenger rather than the dutiful matriarch who must look after everything and everyone. A very strange feeling for me. Refreshing too to see that my children could manage everything, without complaint.
.
For me, personally, these were days to give thanks and count my blessings. To vanquish the demons from our lives, saying Goodbye to what was and what could have been. I am grateful for my wealth of beautiful memories, friends, family and loved ones.
Each year, the months of September - December have, in past years, been dedicated to lively and frenzied preparations for the festive seasons of Diwali & Christmas coupled with the launch of a new academic year.
After closing my Hindi and Chess classes, I am struggling this year to fill the void left by my forced retirement and have become even more mindful of the necessity to make my every action and effort a meaningful one.
I have always questioned the rather ritualistic approach to Diwali celebrations and the like. I have tried to introduce thought and meaning into our preparations, be it at a family or a community level, seeing it as a time for discarding old and decaying practises and embracing new thoughts and progress with hope and enthusiasm.
So to muster up the Festive Spirit, I have been busy distributing food for thought this Diwali. I was given the opportunity recently to write a brief article for the ITN website describing the festival and its celebration in our community. As I wrote I began to think even more deeply about the symbolism of our rituals and preparations during these days.
Diwali itself came and passed without much fuss. And then came Christmas. I tried to muster up enthusiasm for this widely celebrated festival. In the past it has been an occasion to touch base with friends and neighbours with whom I have barely exchanged greetings during the whole year. All seems to be forgiven and forgotten with the exchange of a christmas card or two. However, this year found me in Scrooge mood and I decided to cut down on this formality restricting it to just the few friends with whom I had shared my personal journey over the past few months. I even went shopping for Christmas decorations and decided not to invest again in reusable decorations but created instead a christmas garland using foliage and twigs from our garden. Quite effective!
Depending on family to welcome & feed the spirit of the festival I became a passenger rather than the dutiful matriarch who must look after everything and everyone. A very strange feeling for me. Refreshing too to see that my children could manage everything, without complaint.
.
For me, personally, these were days to give thanks and count my blessings. To vanquish the demons from our lives, saying Goodbye to what was and what could have been. I am grateful for my wealth of beautiful memories, friends, family and loved ones.
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