The Year of Gratitude

It’s that time of the year again when the snowflakes have covered the land, Christmas carols have echoed in the neighborhood and the holidays have begun.


As all of us await to welcome yet another calendar year, I sit back and ponder upon the year that has just a few hours left to its life. The year has been extraordinary. The good and the bad, the happiness and the sorrows, the turbulence and the tranquility. 2020 has blended all of them together and served human race a drink they haven’t tasted before.


This year will remain in the history of human race, that has pandemic written in bold on its cover page. The book runs into the pages of uncertainty, fear, sickness and loss. It also has the essence of awareness, co-existence and gratitude, but they are metaphorically penned by the creator, it is at the behest of the reader to soak up this elixir of wisdom.


If we balance the year on a scale, the losses outweigh the gains, but the lessons that have bloomed in this dynamic time have greater and deeper qualitative value attached to them. 


I will always remember this year as an ‘year of gratitude’ for this year taught me to be much more grateful than I ever was! We all have a tendency to complain, to nag about things that don’t please our comfort biospheres. It blinds us to an extent that we are inconsiderate to the good that happens to us, for the blessings that have been poured upon us. In the ambiguous environment of a pandemic, if we escaped being infected, we must be grateful. If we were infected and recovered, we must be thankful. If we could buy essentials, without having to think about finances, we must be obliged. If we could find a chance to be with our family, if we had a group of friends we could talk to. If we could stay healthy physically and mentally, we should be nothing but grateful. 


Over the past few years, our greed had forgotten the boundaries. The more we had, the less it felt. We had immersed ourselves so deeply into the usual monotony of life that we had forgotten about how it feels to watch a movie with family on a lazy afternoon, the joys of cooking together and singing the old tunes on karaoke nights. We needed a powerful jolt to realize that nothing but the time we spend together, the health and happiness of those we love matters the most.


I read somewhere once, “When you disconnect with external circle, it is only then you meet your real self “This time revoked our pride and ego, which makes us believe that everything that we plan and forecast is the best. It displayed the fragility of our projections and that nothing will remain forever. It makes us recount how we have been blessed over the years. The small joys of life which we often dump at the back seat are actually the ones that add sparkle to our life. Most of us have been guilty of not appreciating the warm smiles of our loved ones when we return from work, just because we had a grumpy client to deal with. An argument with our best friend/boyfriend/girlfriend and our parents or family takes a toll. When we narrow down each day, each month and each year, we realize the blessings that have been showered upon us are way more than the losses we had. 


Nature has always been kind to us, it was the time we appreciated. There is love flowing all around us, it was the time we acknowledged. Everything that we have is enough for our needs, it was time we registered. Whenever we take the kindness to us for granted, we are hit hard, so we learn.


I know the year gone by was the most challenging year that most of us have witnessed. This makes it even more important to identify the pearls of wisdom the year is leaving by. This year taught me to practice gratitude. There were innumerable occasions when I just closed my eyes, folded my hands and whispered Thank God! He disguised himself to make our lives as beautiful and comfortable as it could be. This year, whenever I sat down to pray, I had no list of requests to put forward. All I could say was “Thank You for everything.” and I believe God continued to be merciful as always.


I want to take forward this virtue of gratitude, which 2020 taught. Alongside, I have decided to practice one virtue throughout the year, so that my soul stays nourished. I choose 2021 to be my Year of Forgiveness. Seeking forgiveness for the wrong I might have done. Forgiving myself for the guilts and regrets that continue to wound my heart and forgiving those who have left some emotional scars. I know, it ain’t as easy as it sounds, but Let the healing begin.


On that note, my deepest gratitude to you for reading my last scribblings of the year 2020. Wishing you health and happiness in the year to come. Happy New Year 2021 :)


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