You? Who is the “you”? Didn’t you already assume that I am writing about a lover? Yes I am, but as I am writing this and mention this word “lover” why is it always connoted to our partners, boyfriends and girlfriends, wife and husband and not to our parents who has always been our lover since the beginning of our time? This is just a random thought but intriguing as I am starting to wonder. Am I being too dramatic over a mere word? Or may be you could ponder upon it as well.
The time is 6:10AM on my watch. I am walking at a my normal pace because I am in no hurry to reach anywhere except to catch the train of 6:30AM. So I have ample time to cover the distance at the allocated time even at my normal walking speed. One of the many perks of getting up early! I have my mask on and a coffee in my small flask. I pull my mask on and off as I take a sip of my black coffee. And then it is when the sun rose. Sunrises are beautiful! Aren’t they? And then I go saying few prayers automatically and think of my parents first. This is my way of saying “WOW!” since the day my mom told me to offer anything beautiful to the god above before I devour the beauty with my selfish eyes.
I vividly remember when she gave me this lesson. Few years back, we were taking a walk when we passed by a fully bloomed red rhododendron tree. Yes it was beautiful! Very beautiful indeed! I even wanted one of the blossoms in my hair to decorate. There she stood near the tree and went “this is beautiful and I offer this beauty to the triple gem”. It was then when she told me to offer anything beautiful to the creator above first and I enjoy it later. I didn’t ask her why because it was too profound to ask why. I didn’t want to pluck one of the blossoms to decorate my hair. Isn’t just the thought of offering beautiful? But today when I see the flowers, sunrises and sunsets, moon and stars, the beautiful sky, the gentle breeze on summer days, beaches, trees and colours and anything beautiful in my sight I think of my mom and my parents. I offer this beauty to them first,because they are my creator. The creator above of who I am today. I pray that they remain safe in their health and wealth.
So at the beauties I thought of you parents! It is 7:07AM now and I have ample of time until I catch another train.
Good day peeps!
P.S: Random wandering thoughts on lessons and repercussions.
The Russian word for snow is “снег” pronounced as “sneg”.
I have been lazing off and putting off everything for later, tomorrow and to next time. Not occupied with anything to be busy. I have never been a morning person all my life, but lately I have been lazing off too much. The books that I have picked up from the street library, few books my friend gifted to few books I bought from a bookstore have been standing tall on the shelf for months now. Put aside the idea of reading it, I haven’t even taken a look in a long time. I envy people who read a lot. My younger brother is one of those readers I envy. Enough of my lazy stories! So I decided to read a random book from the shelf.
I picked this book “The Russian Word for Snow by Janis Cooke Newman” way long time back from a street library with a friend while returning home from college. “What kind of book do you like?” and I said I liked something non-fictional. I flipped few chapters of the book in that library and came with the book to finish it later and I have left it like rest to the ‘next time”. It has taken me couple of months to finish it. It was only a matter of week even if I read few pages a day if it wasn’t for my next time. I don’t really want to say that procrastination is thief of time but definitely Procrastination has elongated the read duration of my 232 paged book. I hope this doesn’t go into the world Geniuses record!!
Okay, back to the book. This book isn’t about the snow, but about a journey of parent reaching to a child named the Russian word for snow. The journey begins when an American couple decides to have a child of their own. Their struggles of not being able to conceive they end up to an adoption agency only vaguely interested in the idea. The child in a videotape is all that takes for them when they decide to adopt. But the journey doesn’t get easier, the very fact that the child is in Russia. Apart from finance and all the official routes they had pass through it takes them enough of waiting and yearning. It kept me on toes, broke my heart when they had to return home leaving the boy in the orphanage after their first visitation, fumed me with anger when the locals charged them $21 for a bottle of water, felt the joy when they finally got the boy home with them. It was worth the read to understand the real struggle of becoming a parent, specifically about the international adoption system and the tensions that a parent has to bear.
When others talk about world I talk about Bhutan (though my knowledge limited) and when other talk about world leaders I talk about our king. Whatever it may be, the one thing I can always do is relate and reflect back on what happens back home. This reading journey piqued a question on what happens to our “Khaw” if there are any in the country. Does someone try reaching them as well?
Few meters away from one another; at least a meter apart from one another
Stood an oak and a pine
And I was there in the mid of meters apart distance between them
And I heard them
Their conversation
“Is it not autumn yet in your neighbourhood?” enquires the golden yellow oak
“Autumn? I don’t quite get this ?” puzzled it seemed the lush green pine
“Yes Autumn the season of fruitfulness as John Keats may say” said the oak
“Ahh” says the pine “is it autumn in your neighbourhood?”
“Yes it is, look at my green leaves that turned to golden yellow colour” says the oak
“Ahh, I see. My needles have not changed colour since the beginning. May be autumn isn’t visiting our neighbourhood” the pine sounded sadly upset
“What is the fruitfulness of your autumn if John Keats may ask?” Asked the pine
The oak replied, “We start as an acorn, then shoot, seedling and an adult. When in autumn, we shed leaves and fruits to produce few more oaks like us. It is our start to new lives”
“That is lovely. I wish autumn visits us too” the pine sounded sadder than upset
“hmmm… but… but… we do the same except our leaves doesn’t shed and change colour as yours do. Does it mean autumn visited us?”
“May be it did. But if it doesn’t, when you see me yellowing know it is autumn in our neighbourhood. Goodbye until next season” said the oak
And here I am smiling at their conversation
Thinking the pine may ponder on the question “is it not autumn yet in your neighbourhood?”
Or the oak wondering if it is not yet autumn with pine
I have been debating on if I should I write this down or not. As this battle of pandemic subsides over the time and the number death almost forgotten over the years, however, one of the most vivid memories of Covid-19 would be the stocking up challenge. When one side of the society is working tirelessly (even sacrificing their own life) to fight this global battle of dire pandemic, sadly but visibly there are also some who is only concerned about stocking up. I am not putting forefront my judgement of you being cruel but I couldn’t stop myself of asking if someone can be so selfish. May be I am. Are you going to let someone starve with the food that you stocked up in your home? Are you going to save your family while letting others die? “ I have never felt this poor in my whole life” was what my friend told me the other day in our conversation. But I told her “we wouldn’t have stocked up even if we were rich, because you think of others”. All I could comment was “I can’t stop looking at rice bags behind the scene 😂😂” in a TikTok video where a group of people were making dumplings. My friend and I live on our weekly or monthly pay check, but there are people who doesn’t even have reliable pay check. What do you think will happen to them? Are you going to let them starve, let them become homeless just because you have a greater buying power. Isn’t it time for sharing and caring? I think if you feel you are more privileged than others you should be helping those deserving of your privilege. I am not asking you to donate a sum or anything, just don’t stock up!!! Don’t take away the share of people who have less buying power than yours. It is their share! We may be able to fight pandemic not only through social distancing but also by not stocking up and not taking others share.
Wandering Thoughts 