When Hearts Embrace Hearts-2 | Thanks, My Sunshine! My Shade!

When Hearts Embrace Hearts-2

Thanks, My Sunshine! My Shade!

The final moments of Socrates! A set of disciples surrounded him with their ears all seeking his last few words. 

“O Sage, Do you have any debts to clear?” a disciple asked.

“Yes,” replied Socrates. He told them about a vow he had to fulfil!

“Any other debts?” asked another disciple.

Socrates closed his eyes and with a frail smile on his face just said, “There are enough debts, to all those human beings who made me Socrates. How am I going to repay all those?”

That great soul sobbed like a baby.

We too reached this position with the mercy of so many people, known and unknown. With the first touch of the doctor, midwife on birth, to the one known or unknown person who threw a fist of earth into our graves, when we departed, so many people’s love have embraced us all in our short journey called life. There isn’t enmity or hatred in the heart that hold gratitude to each smile and delight! Only love throbs. 

The whole of this life we owe others. For the love that flow non-stop from the Merciful One! For the unconditional affection our parents poured on us! For the feasts our close ones spread for us with warmth and fondness! For exposing us to the fountains of knowledge, by our beloved teachers! For the seeds of compassion sown by our companions!

The cup that we got may not be filled to the brim. But we can be grateful for having at least a cup in our hands. Grateful to the tears and delights that we experienced! O Creator! Thanks for the acceptances and rejections. 

Sugatha Kumari, a renowned poet wrote:

Gratitude for the sunshine in my way,

Gratitude for the burden on my shoulders,

Gratitude to the shade in my way,

Gratitude to the little cuckoo on the swaying branch,

Gratitude to the spiky ache in my way!

By lamenting, nothing changes and the lost won’t come back. This moment becomes contented when one is full of love and gratitude for everything that came by the way, and for all those one possess. A vertical line is enough to convert negative into positive. “Proclaim the blessings,” says Quran.

The clothe that one wear, the medicine that one take, the book that guides, the food that one consume, the vehicle that one rides upon, the technology that one uses to read this....! Efforts and contributions of many strangers are behind all these. Can’t we close our eyes for a moment and pray for them? Can’t we smile to the person next to us? Can’t we prostrate down in humility before the Almighty, who provided us all these?