Specks of Joy


Specks of Joy

After all the formalities, check-in, security checks, waiting and boarding, I was finally reclining in my seat in an IndiGo airplane heading to Pune from Kolkata via Chennai. This was my come-back. After 4 years, I was finally flying home, without a return ticket. My mind was filled with immense joy and the anticipation of going back home permanently. And this joy set the wheels of thoughts rolling…
                This was happiness beyond measure, yet whenever we dwell upon our happy moments, the one above would rarely come to our minds. Generally, joy is associated with material things or achievements- purchase of a car/house, a trip, winning a prize/award, marriage etc. In this process, we tend to discount the innumerable tiny moments that make our day but lose out to above mentioned things. These tiny specks of joy are what make life so enjoyable, so worthy of living. Let’s not miss the little sparkling specks of happiness that lie around us unnoticed, waiting to be picked, experienced and shared. And here, I hope to recreate the magic these small moments have created.
                The above mentioned joy of home-coming is amongst the greatest of such moments. It is really hard to describe the feelings that overwhelm a person who’s returning back after been away from home for years. To a lesser extent, but in no measure small, is the joy associated with the vacation to your home when you are staying away. There is happiness in loving, being loved, in feeling secure & belonged.
                Animal lovers would vouch for the happiness that even merely watching a pet can give. The unconditional love, the innocent charm, the unbiased display of emotions, the unflinching loyalty, the way pets look up to their masters… gives you a God-like aura. Like pets, babies are a source of constant joy. It’s simply irresistible to watch babies at work - their antics, their movements, their attempts to talk.
                Foodies will back me for this one. The aroma of your favourite dish is enough to distract you from anything you are doing. Remember walking past a shop preparing fresh, hot samosas, onion-pakodas or bhel? I am sure the whiff itself is sufficient to send your mind to cloud 9. And once your taste buds get to act on the food, no words can describe the joy that you feel. Ah, nothing can match the momentary euphoria that comes from piping hot ginger tea on a cold morning, hot frothy coffee, tangy chaat, steaming idly, aroma of freshly baked cake, melted cheese on a pizza….I could go on and on.
                Another unaccounted joy is the pleasure of giving. I am no big social worker or a charitable person. But the pure joy that the receiver gets from something you have given is matchless. Equally blithesome is the feeling of watching your protégé succeed, or someone benefitting from your guidance, tutoring or mentoring. Then, there is happiness in delivering a tough assignment for your team.
                Every day, I grumble about my routine, my job and every other thing, but there is happiness in right outside as the leaves flutter nonchalantly in the gentle breeze, as birds twitter flirting with the breeze. There is mirth as a couple walks around hand in hand blissfully oblivious of everything around, the innocent laughter of kids playing in the park while older couples relax on a bench nearby reliving their own tales full of nostalgia. There is happiness in watching the way the water-droplets gracefully charts its path in a fountain,  simply relaxing by the sea-side watching the waves trying to catch each other or watching the city lights from top of a building. Ever waited for the long awaited release of a movie or a book…and then tried to grab it on day 1 by hook or crook. There’s a different joy in that. And who can forget the tremendous glee at finishing an examination? And can you forget the jocundity on finding a lost object, hearing mom’s voice on phone, shuffling through your old photographs or watching your team clinch the final of a sporting tournament. Every note of music, every step of dance and every stroke of brush in a painting- all have their different share of joy. And oh lord, can there be any greater joy than to lie down in your bed lazily on a holiday without the need to rush off to work?
                So, friends, there are many such tiny moments of happiness around us that we tend to miss in our pursuit of material happiness. Go around, have a look and enjoy. Signing off on a lighter note, probably the greatest joy one can experience is when you relieve yourself while answering an urgent nature’s call or scratching yourself after an itch!!!

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