Growing old and happy

Write only if you cannot live without writing. Write only what you alone can write. - Elie Wiesel.

I read this and instantly my lack of writing here in February became clear to me. Incidentally, I lost a thought today and hard as much I try to remember it, I just can't. I am quite in a tumble over this. Where is it gone? Will I never be able to recall it again? One of the major culprits is this bad habit of thinking twenty different things that the mind conjures up at the most inopportune times. I am also amazed at the way systems function in our world. There are a hundred thoughts running through my head right now. I am at once thinking about work, people, life in a perspective and so many things I ought to do but I am not. 

A few minutes ago, I was telling a young friend who will turn 25 in a few days about the vitality of our hearts and that old age grips those whose hearts become old. What does being old even mean anymore? It's just a time stamp on our existence. Perhaps, the memory creates more troubles as it decays experiences. Things rarely anger us as we become older. We learn to accommodate all events, every act that contradicts our sensibilities. What a travesty! Years ago, we would have moved mountains over trivial issues that irked us. That's the beauty of growing up. We learn to control our emotions. Act like an adult. That's what the world wants us to be- responsible beings. Anyone defying the culture of seriousness gets a rap on their faces. And yet there are individuals who lit up this dreary world with their perkiness and vibrancy. They are remembered by many as kind souls who encouraged happy spirits to filter the veils of reservedness. They break barriers in all walks of life. 

So many narratives to share. I am quite happy with the memory of events that made me smile and feel content in the past years. Kindness showered upon me when I most needed it by strangers who became friends later. I am such a fan of feel-good moments especially when they improve the tone of summer heat and winter cold. We are all here to help each other grow in kindness and happiness. That thought stays with me each day as I begin a fresh slate of living each moment in time. Nothing can shoot our happy spirits if we don't let them affect us by accepting them. Give all but accept only that which we require in terms of love, kindness and compassion for all. That shall make living joyful and worthwhile. 

Live for yourself. It is essential in order to maintain our equilibrium. Art makes me happy. So does music and dancing and reading. All these are a tonic to our ever increasingly busy lives filled with chaos and disorder. Only when we embrace peace within that we become wholesome in terms of compassionate beings. Let's become more kind, calm and more giving. We all need it.