Why Choose Just One Day, Nurture the Bonds Everyday
Don’t fixate or bound the most prized possessions to be remembered on a particular day. Celebrate them every day.
Rakshabandhan, the festival signifying a unique bond between brother and sister is round the corner and there’s a huge excitement in the air to celebrate this cherished bond and the most precious connection. Sisters living far away from their brothers are thrilled at the thought of reuniting with their brothers by tying a rakhi on their brother’s wrist.
Those who can’t make it send their token of love, the Rakhi, the magic wand via courier ensuring that this bond is celebrated regardless of any distance.
But this raises an important question:
Why do we choose just one day to honor such a sacred bond? Why are these celebrations limited to a single day when they represent connections that are meant to be cherished every day? Why we’ve designated specific days to celebrate our most valued relationships, whether it’s Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Friendship Day, Daughter’s Day, Son’s Day, or even Husband and Wife Day, Teacher’s Day, and Children’s Day.
While these days offer an opportunity to pause and appreciate the important people in our lives, they also raise questions about the authenticity and depth of our expressions of love.
Though it’s a great initiative in today’s fast-paced world, where the demands of work often pull us away from our loved ones, and it’s difficult to find time for our own kids even, these designated days can indeed serve as reminders. They give us a moment to pause, reflect, and reconnect with people who matter the most. For parents who may feel distant from their children due to their busy schedules, or for siblings separated by miles, these days offer a chance to renew connections with heartfelt wishes and thoughtful gifts.
However, there is another side to this coin. Over time, these heartfelt celebrations have become increasingly commercialized, turning what should be genuine expressions of love into opportunities for profit.
Shopping websites flood our screens with offers and discounts, urging us to buy more in the spirit of the occasion. The festival spirit is harnessed not to deepen relationships but to drive sales. The true essence of these bonds is overshadowed by advertisements, sales strategies, and the pressure to perform on social media.
On these special days, we see an outpouring of affection online – messages, posts, and images all proclaiming love and devotion.
But how often do these displays reflect reality?
Many of us know people who post glowing tributes to their parents or siblings, yet in their day-to-day lives, they barely maintain contact with them. This disconnect between online displays of affection and real-life behavior can be troubling.
It begs the question:
Is this love, or is it a façade? Are we more concerned with garnering likes and views than with nurturing our relationships?
Even reality shows seize these festive days as an opportunity to captivate audiences, often using the emotional weight of these celebrations to draw viewers in. They craft narratives that play on the sentiments associated with these days, effectively hypnotizing the audience into an emotional trap. The focus shifts from genuine celebration to a spectacle designed to boost ratings, turning heartfelt moments into strategic tools for viewership.
This commercialization and the pressure to present a certain image can have unintended consequences. Those who are less privileged or who cannot participate in the extravagance of these celebrations may feel left out or inadequate. The feverish excitement of a single day can create feelings of inferiority and isolation for those who are unable to join in as fully as they might wish. Instead of being a day of joy, it can become a day of stress and disappointment.
I’m not against the idea of celebrating these relationships, and I hold the highest respect for the person who conceived these concepts.
Life is indeed meant to be celebrated, and finding reasons to celebrate our loved ones is important. However, the problem arises when these celebrations become more of an obligation than a heartfelt expression.
Every year on Rakshabandhan, we witness a rush of brothers and sisters going out of their way to meet, as if this is the only opportunity they’ll have to connect. Everyone seems to be in a hurry, driven by the fear of missing out, scrambling to meet the expectations that come with the day.
But why can’t we cherish these relationships every day?
Do we really need a designated day to remind us of these bonds?
If we truly nurture and value these relationships, then there’s no need for a specific day to celebrate or show off. A one-day remembrance isn’t real love; it’s a performance we put on for social media, sharing posts and messages, often forgetting the very people for whom the day is meant.
True love and connection should be an ongoing part of our lives, not something that we bring out once a year for the sake of appearances. Instead of focusing on meeting the demands of a particular day, we should strive to honor and appreciate our relationships every day. When we do this, we move beyond the superficiality of one-day celebrations and embrace the deeper, more meaningful connections that truly matter.
