Little things
To be honest, when I started writing my first story, I was a wee bit anxious and nervous, constantly questioning myself.
But here’s the thing, out of all the human emotions, I feel gratitude is the healthiest — so it is only fair, that today’s story begins on a thankful note. A big thank you to all my readers for such a warm welcome and all those messages filled with love — you all helped me to stay confident enough to write this second piece.
Here we go…
Town — Sidhpur, Himachal Pradesh, India
Situated in this quaint and peaceful town of Sidhpur, is the charming Norbulingka Institute. It is dedicated to preserving Tibetan art and culture, and trust me, the moment you put your first step in this place, you’re bound to fall in love with it. As luck would have it, I got a chance to spend a few days at Norbulingka — where I met some amazing people — but there were these three that left an impact on me — Tsoney, his mother and Lobsang.
Tsoney was that kid in the room who was always bubbling with energy and enthusiasm. A die-hard fan of Bollywood movies, he loved drawing, craft and solving Math problems. His mother worked in the café at Norbulingka. There were a thousand challenges she was facing but she worked hard and was extremely dedicated. She’d multi-task, and try and make Tsoney do his homework while his energy levels were at its peak. But you know what made both of them so pure? The bond that they shared. There would be so much chaos happening everywhere, but the moment Tsoney and his mom sat together — all the chaos stopped, she smiled, he listened and normalcy prevailed.
Lobsang, who worked at the café as well at that time — was an amazing football player. While he loved his work (he makes the best masala chai in Dharamsala), he also loved the sport and dreamt of playing it professionally and if possible, someday represent his country for football. When I spoke to him I understood, that along with work and football, another thing that was extremely precious to him was his family and the culture of which he was a part. He remembers all the stories of the struggle that his grandparents faced when they were forced to leave their homeland and how they found joy and happiness in Dharamsala along with other Tibetans who came to India with them.
As humans, we are competitive and before we even realize it, all of us become a part of this rat-race where each of us just wants to vault our way up to the top of the ladder. And you know what? It is okay to be that way, as long as you do not lose yourself.
We tend to forget some very fundamental things as we progress in life. It isn’t that we do not know these things but sometimes all we need is — reminders — which is exactly what these three humans gave me.
They helped me understand that you may achieve all that you wish for, but in that journey, do not forget your roots — because revisiting your roots would only make you stronger and more determined. Additionally, there would be chaos around you, sometimes for a short span and sometimes for a longer duration, but what makes the chaos bearable is when you enjoy the little things in life. For Tsoney, it was probably watching Bollywood movies or spending time with his mother; for Lobsang, it was playing football or making the most amazing masala chai. What I’m trying to say is that uncertainties shall always be prevalent, don’t let them stop you from enjoying the present moment. Call that friend, you’ve been missing, hug people if you want, draw, dance, sing your favorite song, go for a walk or dunk Parle-G in chai (a very Indian thing to do) and savor the taste — just breathe — celebrating these little joys of life makes the journey worth the struggle and in the end it all will make sense.
