What happens when you laugh or smile?

Well, if you were in Never Land (yup! of Peter Pan and Tinker Bell), your first laugh as a baby would have traveled over hill and dale and over the seas before turning into a fairy in the magical land. That set me thinking. What happens to a smile or a laugh that bubbles forth from the depths of one’s soul? If a smile has the power to cheer another, surely it can’t just die on your lips? It must have a longer lifespan! And that brings me to the following conclusions:

· Often, it becomes a smile on another’s face.
· Sometimes, it turns into a song in a wounded heart.
· It can also turn into an act of kindness.
· It can set out on a long journey on the “Train of goodness”.

So, keep smiling. You never know when your smile might come back to you on a gloomy day as a smile, a song or an act of kindness.

Nature speaks but we hardly ever listen. I did try to put into words what I would say:

When nature speaks

When I look up at the stormy skies,
I see your wondrous might.
When I look at the deep blue sea,
I sense a great awe that runs so deep.

And then I sing for joy,
Sing out loud to you!
And I lift my heart in praise
For I know that the world is in you!

When I look up at the mountains tall,
I see your awesome majesty in all.
When I look out at the rich forests.
I see the power that in you rests.

Oh how my hearts soars with thanks!
And how can I express my gratitude?

For I want to sing for joy,
Sing out loud to you!
And I lift my heart in praise
For I know that the world is in you!

Cyclone alert!

It was as dark and wet as it could get. Incessant rains that spelt imminent flooding, howling winds that left their rattling signature on my windowpanes and an enforced leave that left me all alone in my flat. There was no power too and therefore, the cell-phone had to be used carefully. Handicapped as I was with a painful sprain, I was in no mood to try an adventurous get-away to a friend’s place. So I decided to wait out the storm with books and an occasional peek at the storm. The day just flew by and in the evening when I tuned in to the radio news at a music channel. Here were a couple of RJs, in some obscure studio, who were asking the city to be thankful for the rain. “Yes,” they said, “there was flooding, terrifying traffic jams and no power, but it was temporary. But the city was no longer dry. Wells that had been left dry for years were now brimming with water. Reservoirs were overflowing. That’s permanent and that’s to be thought about.” They also asked callers to share ideas on how to wait out the storm. They were talking about family bonding and bailing out water together. I was suddenly forced to laugh. The day became exciting for me. Soon I was calling up friends and family and having a whale of a time, alone.

It needed a certain measure of spunk to be able to send out encouragement to a city that was reeling under nature’s fury. Thanks guys! You made a difference!

Stormed over!

Last night was perfect for a storm-lover like me. The sky was overcast with dense clouds on which the city lights played to create an intriguing illusion of sorts. The air was moist with rain that was past and heralded more to come. Wrapping all this was the powerful sense of an impending storm that pervaded the earth and the heavens. The chillness in the air was a treat too! Amidst all this I could not but help say a thank you to the God of the storm. What’s life without a few storms?:-)

The sea parteth …

What I haven’t shared yet is why my blue-sky happiness has been restored. Of course, I would not know the intricate biochemical reactions that cause this euphoric feeling but I do know for certain that my perception on life has just changed drastically. Life has become beautiful, I’m discovering more surprises about myself and the world has become less menacing. And as I’ve just stepped into a new year of my life, it’s as though all of the clouds of my past have been blown away. I’m reminded of the ancient tale of the winds that blew all night to create a path amidst the Red Sea. Yes, I feel as though a great celestial fan has been switched on and the very fabric of my life and how I viewed it is being blown away. Now I know that just like the Chosen people of yore, I will also cross over my Red Sea into freedom and happiness.

Down a long-forgotten memory lane

In the busyness of my morning at work, I chanced upon some color pencils sitting neatly in a stand. I found myself reaching out to them – to just hold them and treat myself to the feast of colors. Not that I don’t get to see colors but one of the little pleasures I have afforded myself is to write on paper with pens and pencils of various colors whenever I find them.

It was not the grown-up thing to do. But something in me gathered those pencils and came back to my place quietly. I arranged them in the VIBGYOR order and then in random manner and tried out all kinds of permutations and combinations. This unofficial playtime of mine triggered off memories of my fascination with colors. My dada got me my first paint box at the age of 3. I remember being taught to dip the little brush into a cup of water and dab it into a color cake. The newspaper was my first canvas. I painted with fervor. Food was immaterial, parents were forgotten. I had to turn that black and white newspaper into splashes of red, blue and all the colors of the rainbow.

Later as I grew up I indulged my growing fascination for colors, fantasized about days when the whole world would be awash in one color a day of the week or people turning color according to their moods!

And, yes, I have borrowed from my happy memories of colors to color up my life and I’m so much happier because of that!

My ‘blue-sky’ happiness

Today was one of those days when I found myself brimming with happiness at the sheer magic of life. On my way to office, it seemed as though the world had taken on a “new look”. In all that happiness I found myself longing to lay on a grassy glade and gaze at the skies and its happy cloud formations for endless moments. A tiny spark of memory rushed back to me over the growing up years and filled me with an inexplicable sense of joy. A little boy and girl (six and eight respectively) lay on lush green lawns surrounded by the prettiest flowerbeds looking up at the clouds. The little girl’s busy story-telling. Tales woven around the clouds and refurbished as the winds change them. The little brother’s doubts and questions are brushed away for the stories are changing course quickly. (I blush as I write this now.)

As an adult, I can still see remnants of these memories in my life. I have often woken up excited at the blue skies and during the day wondered where that excitement sprang up from! And now I know where that blue-sky happiness found its origin. It was those moments in our garden with my brother.

Perhaps you have a blue-sky happiness waiting to be discovered?

When all is NOT lost …

Picture your life as a lovely boat on calm waters under magical blue skies. And then out of the blue, there appears a fierce storm. The lashing waves whip away your boat from under you. The winds take away your loved ones. The angry skies cause the seed of fear to bloom within you. But one of the beautiful things about life’s storms is that rarely is everything lost! All of you is still there! Whole and in your senses. Shaken but very much alive. Isn’t that reason enough to give yourself a chance at a wholesome life rather than letting crippling memories blind your future. Take the life that you have and let some sunshine in! Seize the day and get some happiness coursing through your blood.

All the best!

When it’s your turn …

It’s been a really long time but it was one of those rare periods in my life when I had to put into practice all that I believed in.

Let me explain with a story from the Bible: After a tiring day, Jesus’ disciples were crossing over the Sea of Galilee. Suddenly, there churned up out of the depths a storm so furious that even the hearts of seasoned fishermen like Peter, James and John were fearful. As the Twelve quaking hearts weathered the winds, they saw a figure in the distance walking on the water! Their troubled minds could only think in the same vein – that it was a ghost.

However, Jesus knowing the condition of their hearts called out to reassure them. Then Peter responded saying, “If it is you, tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come”, said the Master. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

One of the lessons I had always learnt and maintained was that Peter HAD to get out of the boat and he HAD to get his feet wet before he could actually walk on the water. A step that required not just courage but faith too. I never really thought I would ever have to go through that experience, but the adventurer in me refused to let me stay in my comfort zone. And today, I am so glad that I dared to step out of my boat and into the waters. For I discovered my miracle the moment I stepped out!

Picture credit: fineartprintsondemand.com