Stay Noble, Stay Blessed!

There is always at least one harsh critique associated with every concept. Never, can one find a universal acceptance of a particular issue. Even I have come up with an argument against the celebration of certain festivals in India. These include, Holi, Dussehra, Diwali and to some extent, Christmas. But basically it’s the way Diwali is celebrated or more appropriately, the way it is supposed to be “celebrated” that lays down the foundation of my following contentions.

Apart from being a fiesta of lights and joy (which almost every festival claims to spread in our lives), Diwali is also considered as one of the most apt time for family re-unions (at least this is the notion that I have been brought up with). To some extent, I agree. But most of the academic institutions and workplaces reject “The Re-union Theory” .  All they offer is a one-day holiday and hence, Har Diwali wo kisi ko khush nahi karte! My dad’s application for leave was firmly rejected and we, here in MH, shall be granted only one official holiday. Eventually one finds oneself trapped in a state of a terrible dilemma where one has to choose between one’s work and family. The festival of Diwali turns more or less into “shaadi ke laddoo” since, if you prefer work over your family, you miss family (because you are supposed to!) and if your family becomes a priority then you keep on thinking about your work (because you have to!) So, either ways, you turn out to be at a loss which is dire enough to reduce your efficiency as well as your stability.

Now let me pose the million dollar question- Does the gist of a festival remain alive only when we make merry with our family members? Well, my brother has been living abroad for over two years now and he hasn’t shown up in any of these festivals. He must be missing us all on these occasions; perhaps, he’s even used to them by now. But does he really find himself in a depressed state of mind? I am sure he doesn’t (as far as I know him). He acquires peace as long as his purpose of existence is served. For him, his work fetches him happiness, colors, light and all those stuff that these festivals assert to bring in our lives (or at least we expect them to!) There are millions like him on this planet and they do manage to manage themselves. Amidst the diversities of these gala event lies a common message- “Stay noble, stay blessed” This is my personal interpretation and as stated at the beginning of this article, is subjected to criticism! I say so because if we look closely at the history of the origin of these celebrations, we essentially find that the uprights triumph! Never would have Shri Ram thought that while people celebrate his victory all over the country, few houses would be covered under darkness and few juvenile eyes would be filled with tears because they DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH RICHES TO MATERIALIZE THE FESTIVAL! Enlightening your mind, your thoughts is way more essential than lightening your house.

This is gonna be the first time when I would be spending Diwali without my family and friends i.e. alone and I am not at all used to it. Guess, this is why I have come up with a different theory of my own. Perhaps, I needed to convince myself way more than others that I am certainly not at a loss if I choose work over spending the day with my family and won’t be tuning into “Here I feel so loooooonely” or “Lonely, I am Mr. Lonely” to aggravate my pain, if any! (Really man, some songs can turn you into a weeping fountain even if you don’t want to!) You may undergo a similar situation now or in the years to come. And when you do feel terrible about the thought of being alone on such an occasion, just remember two things…

1. Smile...because you should!
2. Stay noble, stay blessed!

IRONICALLY, these two articles on my blog may help you discover your latent righteousness. (Do not kill me if they don’t!)Moreover, a more promising idea is to furnish another concept of your own that satisfies at least one person in the world-YOU! This is applicable to almost every issue but make sure you are totally and virtuously assured by it and no other argument can change your mind. Live life not on the terms set by society but on your own stipulations. Stay noble, stay blessed!