Lessons of life.

Hell of day ! Its Deepawali. There is happiness in the air, festivity all around me, the city streets are decorated, fire crackers bursting everywhere, greetings, wishes and phone calls have been non stop all day and whats more I love this festival. I have been returning calls, making a few on my own, wishing everyone whom i met today "Happy Deepawali", i have been saying with as much enthusiasm if not more as a 2 year old, who knows only these two words for the day.

But the fact when I look at myself and contemplate is, that this is just not right. Although I have done exactly the same things I have been doing over the years, lighting the lamps, decorating my house, sweets, crackers etc but there is some thing drastically wrong. I have this plastic environ around me which offers everything that one theoretically requires to enjoying the festival and having fun. Its never been so grand for me. Whats missing is the genuine feeling of mutual happiness which one shares when one celebrates with family and/or friends. Till the time I was with my folks, I never realized that a festival can be without family. Being youngest it was the time when my siblings came home and family reunion of sorts took place.

Once I was in profession, there were friends all around, good ones, not so good ones but when it came to celebrations everyone came out and for that day/hour/minute that you were with them you thoroughly enjoyed. All said and done it was genuine affection and the feeling of togetherness never let you miss family.

Now that I am where I am, I realize the importance of friends in life. Its not only me who is feeling this and realizing it. I know a dozen of my colleagues whom I talked to today who would agree and feel the same. Some of them will own up, others shrug it off, but guys when I talked to you I got the vibes which tell me that the feeling is mutual.

So, whats positive about all this ? A lot i must say, life has its ways of teaching things, fortunately for me the lessons are coming my way early in life. People who genuinely feel for you and actually care for you always make you happy even if they might not be able to be around you always. A celebration need not be a grand setup, extravagant showoff, chocolaty words etc etc, it rather be a simple get together of people who care, even in the most adverse circumstances, and I think that would make me happy.

Where you are doesn't matter, what matters is whom you are with. If where you are has started giving you more joy as compared to whom you are around with then you have to wait till an event like this deepawali comes to you. I thank almighty that I am not waiting.

At the end, I dedicate this piece to my family and friends, who are not here with me tonight but whom I miss (no words to describe how much). I hope that never again will such feeling come to me.