Birthdays are special times !!!

Birthdays are clearly special times. You expect people to do special things for you.

One of my most memorable birthdays was when I had just returned from the US. 2 years back. My cousin was getting married on that date, so we were at his place a few days in advance. On the eve of my birthday all of us (means the whole big Indian family) had got together to sing songs and have some fun and frolic. It is a tradition for every marraige.

Usually songs and dance end before mid-night - to let the boy or the girl have a good nights sleep before the D-day. It was getting longer and longer that day and I was getting curious about my cousin not asking to pack up and head for the bed.

Things had also started dragging a bit, but somehow people were still clinging on. This was unusual. Anyways, I didn't bother about it much. I was having lots of fun teasing my cousin and singing and dancing to my heart's content.

As time approached midnight, I felt my cellphone ringing. I went out of the overcrowded room to attend the call. It was the usual midnight birthday wishes. But when I entered the room back, I was in for a big surprise.

Everyone was standing to invite me back into the room and sing the birthday song for me. I was flattered. I was also a bit embarrassed at having missed out on all the obvious signals to this thing. I blushed and blushed like anything. We were all there for some other reason. My cousin should have been the center of attention all through. But I was in the lime-light at that time.

The day itself was real fun. Marraiges in India are always fun. So, this is one birthday I can't forget. I remember it today - because its my birthday again - and I am heading for another marraige - this time of a colleague in office.

Don't know if I should feel happy or sad. Its on my birthday that a friend (and earlier, a cousin) is being sacrificed on the altar of matrimony.

Sun Shines

However cloudy the day may sound from below, the sun is always shining above the clouds.

This is an interesting statement. It can also be read as - however bad your day might be going, something good is still happening to you, though you might not be in a position to appreciate it just yet.

Another way to look at it is - however sad and dark your life might look, when you rise above the clouds of sadness consciously, you will find the divine bliss of God's light everywhere around you.