The Simple Pleasures of Life
Happiness is not always a result of our efforts. Most of it passes by like people scurrying past us. Happiness is not an achievement, it is an endowment unto all who have been chosen by existence to live and breathe. It does not proceed from either competition or personal ambition. It is like sunshine; move out of your home and you are basking in its warmth. And, our lives are filled with numerous occurrences that fill us with joy and take us away from our preoccupation with worries.
The anxieties of the work-a-day world not only disrupt our leisure but also disturb our sleep. Mornings that wake me up fresh from an undisturbed sleep are deeply satisfying. The world seems awash in tranquility and nature at peace with herself. The twilight on the horizon, the chirping of birds and the tinkling of pots at the water tap are so very soothing. And, when I have a pleasant bowel movement clearing it all in one sitting, it betokens an auspicious day ahead!
I am getting late for my office, where late is thankfully after 12, journey by bus will only add to the delay, a stranger offers me a ride and me..... I am left rejoicing in His providential care. Sometimes this is only a sprinkling of His grace. He calls upon Time itself to subserve my cause with traffic signals turning green before I could fret over being stuck in the red. I alight, thank the rider and run across the road. Two more minutes and I would be late. While I am still considering the alternatives: whether to take the stairs or the lift, the vacant lift invites me in and shows me straight to the 4th floor. I relish my victory over the potential odds that could have worked against me. I reach office and the happy news that awaits me is that my boss is on leave. My joy knows no bounds.
A sustained appetite throughout the day allowing me three sumptuous meals without upsetting my tummy, is again very gratifying. And, when I end up paying less than the actual amount either because a few items go missing on the bill or the cashier goofs up in tendering change, it fills me with a thrill. This excitement heightens during impecuniosity. And, is there a pleasure that can be compared with the pleasure of finding a five hundred rupee note lying on the road unclaimed!
Ah! The joy of being with kids. There is a certain freshness about them and their manner. When they wave at you from the window of their school bus, you can't hold back but respond with the same enthusiasm. It is sheer delight to watch an infant sleep. Notice the cute one pucker its lips, tiny fingers rubbing against its nose and the sweet smile that gleams over those rosy lips every so often!
During winters, isn't it joy to nestle against your pet in the cosiness of the rug! Back home, after a tiring day's work, when your Bruno leaps at you wagging its tail, don't you feel infused with energy? Is it not very gladdening that you mean so much to someone in a world of selfish and ungrateful men?
A steady drizzle in the evening air, the delicious scent of the wet earth, a warm cup of coffee and a favourite song being aired on radio, these precious moments are given away so freely to us and we hurry past them, that too, although these pleasures are without any vices!!
"What is this life, so full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare."
(607 words)
The anxieties of the work-a-day world not only disrupt our leisure but also disturb our sleep. Mornings that wake me up fresh from an undisturbed sleep are deeply satisfying. The world seems awash in tranquility and nature at peace with herself. The twilight on the horizon, the chirping of birds and the tinkling of pots at the water tap are so very soothing. And, when I have a pleasant bowel movement clearing it all in one sitting, it betokens an auspicious day ahead!
I am getting late for my office, where late is thankfully after 12, journey by bus will only add to the delay, a stranger offers me a ride and me..... I am left rejoicing in His providential care. Sometimes this is only a sprinkling of His grace. He calls upon Time itself to subserve my cause with traffic signals turning green before I could fret over being stuck in the red. I alight, thank the rider and run across the road. Two more minutes and I would be late. While I am still considering the alternatives: whether to take the stairs or the lift, the vacant lift invites me in and shows me straight to the 4th floor. I relish my victory over the potential odds that could have worked against me. I reach office and the happy news that awaits me is that my boss is on leave. My joy knows no bounds.
A sustained appetite throughout the day allowing me three sumptuous meals without upsetting my tummy, is again very gratifying. And, when I end up paying less than the actual amount either because a few items go missing on the bill or the cashier goofs up in tendering change, it fills me with a thrill. This excitement heightens during impecuniosity. And, is there a pleasure that can be compared with the pleasure of finding a five hundred rupee note lying on the road unclaimed!
Ah! The joy of being with kids. There is a certain freshness about them and their manner. When they wave at you from the window of their school bus, you can't hold back but respond with the same enthusiasm. It is sheer delight to watch an infant sleep. Notice the cute one pucker its lips, tiny fingers rubbing against its nose and the sweet smile that gleams over those rosy lips every so often!
During winters, isn't it joy to nestle against your pet in the cosiness of the rug! Back home, after a tiring day's work, when your Bruno leaps at you wagging its tail, don't you feel infused with energy? Is it not very gladdening that you mean so much to someone in a world of selfish and ungrateful men?
A steady drizzle in the evening air, the delicious scent of the wet earth, a warm cup of coffee and a favourite song being aired on radio, these precious moments are given away so freely to us and we hurry past them, that too, although these pleasures are without any vices!!
"What is this life, so full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare."
(607 words)
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