It happens
It happens to me once every while,
That I feel sad and low -
Nothing seems to make me smile,
My world runs out of flow.
It happens to me sometimes from now,
That I feel out of place -
I fail to get things right somehow,
And badly seek solace.
It happens to me several times,
That I feel bitter and miffed -
Good luck comes in cents and dimes,
With (only) a dust of fortune sniffed!
(But) it happens to me not so often,
That I feel happy and blessed !!
Forget the loss, embrace the gain,
How little good I faced!
How often do we feel the pain,
Of hardships that come others' way ?
We are nine of every ten,
Who complain and never pray !!
Life's a shade of colours galore,
That fills the world 'round us!
And we keep on asking for more,
Thinking we missed the bus!
- Satabdi Chatterjee*
Unlike the USA, Thanksgiving is not much of a tradition in Australia and for that matter in India, where I hail from. However, the whole idea of being content with the present and expressing thanks to people who gave reasons to smile always ticks with me.
In the last one year, a lot changed. I moved from my home country to Sydney, leaving behind the comforts of a well settled life.There were anxious moments, questioning times and uncertainties that were part of the deal. However, in the midst of all the chaos, some dreams came true and I can't be more grateful.
Here are my top 3 reasons to be thankful for this year:
(Re)Starting this blog - This was constantly being pushed to the back burner for numerous reasons, time being one of them and finally I could start it this year!
Getting a new job in a month - One of the reasons, the move was a difficult decision, was the professional uncertainty. I have seen people ,who are worthy of their mettle, struggling to set foot in this market. I am grateful to God that I my efforts paid off very soon.
Being more connected with people - I met many new people, some very like minded and more not so but it was still fun communicating and discussing different perspectives on the same issue. At the end of the day, it only adds to the experience and broadens the horizon.
And this is not to mention the family, friends back in India who exude the same warmth. The physical distance and tricky time zones could not take the fizz out and I cannot be more grateful!
What are you thankful for?
*Satabdi is a healthcare researcher by profession, a poet at heart and hopeless romantic by choice. She lives in the US with her husband and juggles between the world of her words and the "real" one.