Outside my building entrance is a tree.
It’s in a weird place. (Much like how I define my own life these strange and difficult days)...At the edge of the footpath – but on the street. And in my way.
So everyday morning – I have to decide whether to walk around it or under it or what.
It comes up just after I turn left from my street – so it has to be a split second decision.
One day I went under the tree and some wet leaves fell on my newly ironed work outfit.
The next day I walked around it – and an angry Bus splashed water on my trousers.
This tree was in my way. Everyday.
Today – I was walking – with my umbrella opened– protecting my outfit and my laptop bag from the torrents and came to the tree and decided to walk around it…as I did... I noticed that the man in front of me had slowed down. He was carrying a big box on his head – soaking wet in the rain and clearly had a far more exhausting day than mine ahead of him or behind him and if I am right – both.
He set his box down. Then he stretched out his hands and touched this tree trunk. Touched his forehead. Repeated this twice. Then he folded his hands and closed his eyes and prayed.
To my Tree…
He offered her a prayer – while I had given her nothing other than misdirected frustration and bitterness.
He saw God in this Tree that he had just passed by on a rainy morning.
I walked past this Tree everyday and saw nothing. Nothing.
Nothing other than what I wanted to see anyways.
Someone once left a beautiful Kabir Toda as a comment on my blog.
“Kasturi Kundali base – Mrig dhoondhe van mahi …aise ghati ghati Ram hai ...
Duniya dekhat nahi” - It means that the essence of Kesar is inside the Deer - but he looks for it
all over the forest. Similarly God is everywhere - but the world doesnt notice.
And today I found out what it really means.
Everyday – I learn.
Thank you God – for talking back to me.
I promise to listen. I do.
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