A celebration of life

A lazy Monday morning saw me leafing through the pages of the popular daily, when I saw her there! A survey on the recently concluded ‘Lalbagh flower show’ had obviously zeroed in on her too, among a few other visitors. The same impeccable sense of dressing that could make even seasoned fashion designers want to consult her on what made her look so good! The understated shade of green with just a hint of embroidery brought out the classiness in her taste as always. And as I studied her face, it was there! Her favourite shade of brown lipstick which she had had used for decades.

My heart leapt with fond memories of the great times we had had for something like three decades. Just hanging out together, seeing every Amitabh movie that hit the screens every Friday, savouring street food together and just about painting the town red every other day made life so full of mirth.

Come to think of it, she has not had a rosy life while she was growing up, which is why her sense of humour and limitless verve are all the more noticeable. Nothing deterred her from finding a reason to laugh. Her fragile health in her growing up years, an average performance at academics, a not so good financial background, a wayward brother who had left home for years, nothing stopped her from enjoying every moment spent on the surface of this earth! She has had never made any grandiose plans for life either and just savours whatever comes her way.

The immense pride she takes in house-keeping makes her home look like an interior decorator’s delight. Carefully chosen artifacts, lovely framed pictures of loved ones, and exquisite furniture beckon friends and family to her abode. Bad moods, nosy neighbours, rude auto drivers, nothing can mar her day. Full of beans, she treats all her guests to hot steaming cups of tea and fried snacks (she stacks them religiously in her fridge!) each day. She tends to her plants in the roof garden like she would her children, with great care and love and they in turn spring to life like there is no tomorrow!

With no great achievements to boast of, her life has been a totally unadulterated celebration of life, just being alive keeps her happy. A simple basic celebration in it’s rawest and purest form so worthy of emulation. In today’s world where we are all wondering where we are headed in a race against time, perhaps this is what we need, to take time out and smell the roses and celebrate the joy of just being alive and kicking!
Perhaps it is this joy she emanates that has brought her on to the pages of the daily too!