A few years ago, a repairman at my house, when faced with a problem he couldn’t fix remarked:
Mil sab kuch jaega to tammanna kis cheez ki kareinge?
The repairman may have been a poet in another life because these words were profound. They represented an acceptance of life’s challenges and their inevitability. It was a testament that life throws hurdles, and it is the wish for a better day that keeps us going.
We expect too much, from ourselves, from other people, and from life. Inevitably, when our expectations aren’t met we are dismayed, we curse, we retreat into our shells, and we stop trying. In essence, what I am trying to say is that if only we could lower our expectations, the most amazing of things, that we deem insignificant, will start to seem remarkable.
A dialogue, from one of my favorite films; Munna Bhai M.B.B.S, goes:
Carrom ramwanu, juice peevanu, majjani life!
“Play Carrom, drink juice, enjoy your life!”
The main character deems playing a board game, and drinking a beverage, as the benchmarks for having a good life. In other words, conveying that he is content with the bare minimum.
So I say unto you; Be content this year. Focus on your goals, but don’t let them overcome you. Life isn’t always about getting a high paying job, or taking that trip to Turkey; these are just add-ons. Maybe all you and I need, to be happy, is a group of friends, melodious laughter, and a treat.
Come whatever may, I want you to face this year with the utmost resolve. Believe that this year belongs to you. Be glad that you have a chance at this beautiful life. Death is so terribly final, while life is full of possibilities.
“Aik cup cheeni, usmein do chammach chai”
This quip was often used by a relative of mine, as a retort to the oft-repeated question, “Aap chai mein kitni chammach cheeni pien ge?”. It would be followed by a short burst of forced laughter. While the host wondered if such an undertaking would actually have to be performed.
The line between wisdom and folly is very thin indeed because I realized that of course, my relative didn’t actually want his hosts to serve him a cup of liquid death. All he was ever trying to convey was that it’s better for a cup of tea to be too sweet, than for it to be sour. Perhaps, I have reached a new level of enlightenment, or quarantine has finally taken its toll on my mind.
I know 2020 hasn’t exactly been the best year, but I implore you to give 2021 a chance. Live for the little things, accept that nothing is perfect, and be content with what you have.
Life is your host, a cup of tea will be presented to you one way or another, but you are the one who must decide how sweet it is.
