As I was growing up, My grandfather was one of the strongest influences in My life. Although I didn't realize it at the time, things he would share with Me, and even more importantly, the examples he set with his actions, helped shape My basic values, My outlook on life, and My open-mindedness.
He was a complex man. Really old school, yet forward-thinking, and could be a complete contradiction at times. Known for not having a fondness for small children or pets (both were too noisy and messy for his liking) he never failed to regale Me with amusing anecdotes of how well he looked after Me when I was a baby. He did everything from toting Me around, to being delegated as My official pram carrier! He absolutely adored Me. And I adored him.
He was a man ahead of his time, was very philosophical, extremely spiritual, and had amassed quite a number of followers and even devotees. He helped many families and touched countless lives, and I know that even today, so many generations later, people in various parts of the world still remember him with love and reverence.
Among the very many valuable lessons he taught Me, including humility, gratitude, and kindness, one of the things I loved most about him was his ability to find joy in everyday life. He always said that no matter how challenging life may get, or what difficulties one is going through, the very fact you have woken up to live a brand new day is reason enough to be grateful and to celebrate. He had the skill to turn even the most mundane into something beautiful, almost magical, and just sitting next to him on the balcony while he had his morning tea, was a delightful experience. His joy and gratitude for life obviously extended to his family and close circle, and although he could be extremely intimidating at times, he also had a knack of making whomever he was talking to at the time, feel validated. He made them feel they and their opinion mattered, and he was like that with everyone regardless of their economic or social standing.
Since he made normal days into a simple celebration of life, this got even more ramped up during any festive occasions. It didn't matter if it was Janmashtami, Easter, Diwali, or Christmas, he made everything even more special. But one of My favorite traditions of his has always been the way he would celebrate birthdays. He had his own unique rituals. First, he would wish the person who's birthday was coming up on the first day of that month. So it was a "Happy Birthday Month" celebration that may or may not have included one of My grandmother's delicious cakes, along with choruses of "Happy birthday month to you" and always a present or two. This was followed by celebrating the "Birthday Week," which was on the Monday of the week leading up to one's birthday. Once again, there was singing, something sweet, and always a present involved. But the best part was the countdown. I would always hope My birthday would fall on a Sunday (I hadn't yet realized I could just look at a calendar and figure it out, and this was WAY before the internet) because that meant I would get a FULL week of celebrations with wishes and gifts every single day leading up to My birthday!
It was glorious!
None of this was about materialism or wealth, (the presents could range from a simple pen, to a unique feather he found on one of his walks, or small knick-knacks My grandmother loved collecting on their various travels) but about celebrating the very existence of that person, and making them feel loved and special. And once again, he did that with everyone, regardless of their age or social standing.
Physically he's been gone a long time, but he lives on in My heart, in My soul, and in My spirit, and I always strive to emulate not only his values, but also continue his traditions. In recent times however, as I've struggled through multiple challenges, I've allowed the darkness I've been battling to sometimes overshadow the sheer joy of just being alive, and would forget what a truly wonderful gift life is.
So this year, although I don't know what challenges I may be facing when My birthday comes around, one thing I know for certain is that I will definitely be celebrating life, and celebrating Me!
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