It’s all in the way you carry the load

When we were kids, having guests at our home was always a great source of joy. Their coming home invariably meant good food, much laughter, and wonderful conversations. More often than not, our parents would also take this opportunity to reinforce social niceties in us and help us put our best foot forward, especially in front of our guests. It was only when we grew up that we realised that they were not just instilling social graces but also unwittingly imparting wisdom that sometimes hides in seemingly quotidian experiences.

Who knew that something as simple as placing glasses of water or cups of tea on a tray for our guests could provide a fresh perspective? My mother would wipe each glass or cup carefully and place it in some kind of pattern on the salver. She would then ask one of us to gingerly carry the tray to our guests. She would remind us over and over again to not focus on the glasses on the tray. “Look forward,” she would say; “don’t focus on the glasses in front of you or you’ll drop them. Look where you’re going, direct your attention to where your guests are seated, take confident steps, and the glasses will take care of themselves.”

This is very commonplace advice; however, it did help us serve water and tea to our guests without any fiasco. But if you consider this advice carefully, it’s not commonplace at all. It might be a good idea to speculate on what lies ahead, to stay focused on the goal, and to avoid succumbing to the immediate pressures or requirements that arise as we walk towards our destination. It is good to remember that reaching the goal, and reaching it right, is important.

Everything depends on how we carry the load. If we focus on the majestic mountains ahead of us, the pebbles we have to carry as we walk along our path will lose their significance. Once the non-essentials are eliminated, looking toward the sun and looking forward to tomorrow will certainly obliterate the problems of today.

There are always moments in our lives when the door of memory quietly opens and lets childhood walk into our present and future.

These moments are precious as they help us examine life closely and turn impromptu periods of time into capsules of wisdom.