Rememberence

What is the best way to remember somebody? This has been on my mind for some time.. how does one remember them when loved ones are not with one, and sometimes one has very little or no hope of meeting again? Perhaps One could start by the features one loved best, the eyes, the hair colour and texture, the smile, the voice, and perhaps even fragrance. The infectious laugh of a dear friend, eyes crinkling up in the sheer joy of living..then the thoughts and words we shared, and sometimes even the songs we sang, the plans made excitedly , many that saw the light of day, and many more that didnt.. To be human is to be ephemeral, and the frailties that accompany our humanness,endear us even more to kindred spirits. We plan ahead, we think , we strategize, and do cost benefit analyses. yet life is happening to us all this while, and flows on its own path. When its path meets our plans, we call ourselves successful, smart, visionary even. Along this path we meet others like us, and some become the mirrors of our souls.. and being with them makes us feel joyful,complete, strong. And it is not only the good qualities that make two people identify with each other, but also the bad ones, the eccentricities, the quirks which nobody else understands, but in the eyes of a loved one it reflects amusement, humour, understanding. One way to remember a loved one could be through his quirks, the traits that set him apart from others but were similar to you, his habits which nobody else liked but was absolutely fine by you. It sounds almost cliched to say that you love somebody because of what he makes you through his company,but im sure it has happened to all of us that we become different people depending on who we are interacting. The same person can be a saint with one person but a sinner with another. Just depends on what qualities resonate between two people, what is brought out in both wthrough intercation. Friends and most loved ones, not all, make us feel on top of our game, better about ourselves, and full of hope and dreams. With their support and mere presence we can have the courage to look ahead, to be brave and aspire for more than we had in the past. These feelings are only the reflection of the good opinion they have of u, or the good opinion u have of them. If you dont feel good with somebody, I suggest you revisit your relationship or its complexion, perhaps it is not what you think it was. But i know that with each of my loved ones and friends, I feel differently, and all in positive ways. And the one i feel best with, is the one i love the best. The one I want to meet, or would want to meet with the dawn of each new day. Recalling the feeling that you get when u see each other, that is the best form of remembering.

Divinity

I grew up in a regimented lifestyle, with very clear dos and donts, yes and nos, hierarchy and discipline. Most of my generation did . As a member of the civil service i still work in a very regimented system. We are taught certain things as children, and we learn to judge others very early in life through these standards and also define our own course in life according to these beliefs and suppositions. Yet there comes a time when one, through the course of one's life, stops and asks himself/herself, are my beliefs correct? does following my values really pay? Is this the path to a fulfilling life? some find answers, some dont, and a few never ask these questions in the first place. But while we theorize and find answers, the universe, living, breathing around us, seems to follow a different course and does not work how we thought. I was trained to believe that mistakes are punished and people should pay for them. But i have seen that happiness belongs to the ones who forgive, who let go, who let others decide things for themselves,not those who set out to punish others. It is said that to forgive is divine.But to forgive is to me the ability to acknowledge the superiority of the divine power to punish and do justice, and forego it ourselves. It is true that people who sin are punished, but it is only for God to decide to punish them, and for what and how much, not human beings. And no human being can punish someebody the way God can. So leave it to God and behold his justice. We think that the more we hold on to things the better we can possses them.Yet nothing could be farther from the truth. Love is a flower which needs nurtutring, but gets crushed when held in hand, or if tinkered with too much. The same is with our possessions.The more you run after them, the more you lose control of things. To accumulate is good, but it is a silent principle of the universe that only those are given in abundance, who share their good fortune with others, who use thier possessions and positions to help others. The more you give, the more you receive. I believe in it. Possessions come and go, but who you are and what you stand for, is what defines you, and as Robert Frost said, makes all the difference in your life path. And the more you forgive, the more you accept and love others as they are, and not try to control them, the happier you are, and much more loved. We all want love and acceptance, how can we receive it if we are not willing to give? I see people who are really unhappy and frustrated because they want to control others,to do their bidding. they want to be smart, they want to befool them into submission. it works for a while, and after that, one just ends up angry when ones ploys fail. People who aim to control others, often forget, that there is a hand of God, which thwarts their machinations and creates balance in the world. Because God belongs to every one, even one's enemies, and listens to their prayers too,so does justice. This is how I came to realize the existence of a living Divine power, much higher than all our designs and expectations, and to live in harmony with divinity is what gives us lasting peace.