The beautiful porcelain ware and the Faustian bargain

“People are busy talking and enjoying in the party. You feel good that you are invited to the party in which celebrities are also taking part. They look great in their expensive outfits and accessories. You feel good that you chose to wear the best Sari from your wardrobe. Your kids too looked great in their new dress. The wine is already served. The crystal wine glasses the celebrities are holding are sparkling. You walked to counter to take the wine. There are only a few crystal sparkling glasses  left. You are happy to get one of them. The kids are also delighted. The stage show started and the dinner is also served. You stayed near the stage since the kids wanted to enjoy the show for some time. Again you noticed the ware in which the dinner was served. The plates that the people were holding were exquisite. Never had you seen such beautiful crockery.

By the time you reached the counter where the dinner is served, the exotic ware were all taken. You are disappointed. Now you have no choice but to have food in the few plain wares which are left. Now the caterers are not willing to keep any good ware since the celebrities have all taken their food and they know very well who is a celebrity and who is not. Your children are also complaining. One of the kids managed to get one the good plates. He was as ecstatic as the other was whiny in not getting a good plate. You take food and walk to your table.

Suddenly you start to feel bad and conscious. You feel that others are watching you and one particular person who talked to you earlier is now trying to avoid your company. Now isn’t this is a clear message that you are not one of the special guests? Now you do not feel confident to sit in any of the special tables set. You chose a table at the corner. The food is great, you liked it. But it would have been great if you got one of those exquisite ware too…”

This is a fictitious scenario, but you would definitely face situations similar to this in many areas of our life. If you look at the situation objectively, the important thing here is the party and the great food that was served. The ware is only the container which should not in any way affect the taste of the food. But many a times the ware becomes more important than the food in our life– From the model of mobile phones, the car, the house, the dress, the pay of the job, the type of seat you reserved on the plane, the status of the family, the caste, the make of the watch to the type of pencil box, the school bag and where Papa took you this vacation. The list is endless, but it is enough to make us forget to enjoy the food.

We often go for the best valuation without looking at the other aspects like time, relationships, joy, contentment, convenience, relaxation etc. and run after the best pay, highest position, better model of car, the premium cosmetics, the exquisite jewelry and life befitting the status of the family. This proves to be a Faustian bargain earning us what we want, but ultimately draining us and depriving us of the ultimate goal of a wholesome, comfortable and content life. In our yearning for these, we forget that that these luxuries are means to a comfortable life. We tend to connect the luxuries to our identity and the Means ultimately become the End. 

I remember one story I read in this context. I do not remember the details correctly, but it goes somewhat like this. There was this particular place where the public could also take rides on the carrier which took people from the terminal building to the private aircraft, if they had a valid pass and ID. The author noticed a father and young son who were particularly enjoying the ride among the others who were all serious and sophisticated. The son was enthusiastically looking out of the widow while his father explained the little things that they saw. About the plane, how it flew, how they got the ticket and with each detail, the boy would laugh out loud with delight and ask more questions. The carrier reached the aircraft and the boy watched the people as they got down. The author asked the father whether he was not going to board the plane, to which the father replied:

“No, we are not. Ronny (I don’t remember the name in the story) loves to ride in this carrier. So we take this ride once in a while. He knows that I cannot afford to take him in the plane. We see almost the same things every time and I tell him little things. He just loves this and I love to see his joy.”

The father asked the son whether he wanted to go back to the terminal or wanted to take one more ride. The boy asked for one more round jumping with delight. The author was rather touched by the joy of the father and son and he bid farewell and walked to the plane.

One particular episode of the cartoon Phineas and Ferb- one of my favourite cartoons - gave a particularly touching message based on the experience of Candice- one of the main characters in the cartoon. It ends with note to the effect:  “The End definitely matters; but it is the Journey that matters at the End”.

This realization liberates us from a lot of stress and also helps us slow down in a lot of matters. It helps us fix our priorities and to look around and enjoy the little things around you. Then, the shopping before the picnic become a source of enjoyment and not a chore; the check in and clearance at the airport become a whole new experience and not the tiring procedure when you see the excitement and curiosity of your kids.

Each moment you have today counts

‘Cause “It’s the journey which matters”

Present is your Friend on whom you count;

Future is a Stranger; too far away to matter. 
- L. Joseph, June 2013

The way up the Hill

I finally made up my mind to join the way of the cross - It’s not during the Holy Week that I should go for easy choices. The prayer started and I could hear the song ‘Oh! The one who brought victory by dying on the cross’ and I started walking towards the group.

We progressed slowly, singing to the next station. The song was sung at least three to four times before we reached the next station since each station was arranged at least a quarter kilometer apart. By the time we reached the seventh station, my legs had started aching. This was not easy - I began doubting whether I made a wise decision to go for a long way of the cross on the day of fasting. We reached the tenth station and the road was still level. The way of the cross was supposed to be up a hill. I was starting to feel a bit cheated since I could not see any hill nearby.

The road soon reached a steep climb uphill. The climb was so steep that I had to support myself by pushing against my knees with my palm. The steeper the road became, the lower went my confidence. Soon the road ended. I looked up and saw a very steep climb covered with big rocks and loose debris. The main singers were progressing forward singing as energetically as before, but I gasped for breath. I brought my gaze down from the steep hill to my feet and took my first step to climb. After that I never looked up. But just kept climbing up, searching for the next best rock to place my foot. Gasping and panting I reached the top of the hill and there, stood the big Cross - The sign of the greatest victory ever. The cool breeze brushed past soothing me and I felt a sense of quite and peace. After the final blessing we began the climb downhill. I was quiet worried about the steep hill as the climb down could be very tricky and dangerous especially for an amateur trekker like me. Again, I proceeded –one step at a time.

Within no time I reached the road and I was amazed that I made it without much problem and slowly began trotting down the steep road. Suddenly it occurred, life’s problems too had seemed overwhelming to me. I had stood frozen at the foothill of problems seeing the big hard climb. But I also remembered with gratitude the first step I took in faith with grace of God and people who lend a helping hand wherever I stumbled - Friends, well -wishers, men of prayer and everybody who was there to ensure that I completed the climb. Time quickly passed and I never realized that I had already started the journey downhill. The journey was still hard but the gentle helping hands were still there to guide me.

I woke up from my thoughts with a soothing thought that, I am on my journey downhill – not just literally but I believed it by faith since I knew that the ‘Journey’ was not yet over. My slow steps gently gathered momentum and I began to run. Yes, I am on my journey downhill. I pressed my eyes hard since I did not want anyone to see my tears - I have left the ‘Hill’ behind and will soon reach the quite road Home.

The hot dry evening was coming to an end and the sky prepared for the soothing Good Friday drizzle. 

Gift

A gift is a wonderful part of sharing love and appreciation. The gift itself is special and it is mostly enough to convey the message of appreciation intended. But then why are the gifts wrapped in beautiful papers with pretty ribbons on it?  A pretty frock given as such and given with a good wrap does make a difference. The wrapping makes it explicit that it is a gift given as a token of appreciation. It also ensures that the gift is not taken for granted and is noticed.

All the gifts in life do not often come with the glitter paper wrap around it. May be this is the reason why many of the little gifts that we get in life are taken for granted and why many of the gifts are not appreciated to the extent it should be. It takes conscious effort to appreciate such gifts and utilize it.

I used to be quite excited to visit the small piece of land that my parents had bought. It was sheer joy to see our house come up in this plot. By the time the structure was completed, I had completed my pre graduation and somehow lost the full excitement. I visited the house the day before the blessing. The painting was not complete. The exterior was painted fully white, including the roof. The hall was painted with a good shade as suggested by the architect. The doors and windows were also done. The wardrobes were yet to be completed. But the house had just enough for us to start living there. I took a look at the house again before I left for our rented house that day with no great feeling of excitement. All arrangements for the blessing had been done and we all had to just reach the house on time the next day.

I got ready and drove with family to the house the next day. The house faced southwest. So when we approached the house, I could see the morning sun slowly coming up from behind the trees near the house. The sight of the house caught my attention. I noticed that the rays of the sun rising up from behind the house added to the beauty of the freshly painted walls of the house. The thick rows of Lindana on the topmost terrace and the table rose on the terrace just below were in full bloom. I had never seen the house so beautiful before. The blessing ceremony began soon. I moved further to the front of the picture of the Sacred Heart adorned with Jasmine flowers. I had seen that picture the day before too. But on that day the picture had a special glow around it. Never again in all these years have I seen that glow in that picture when I sat down before it to pray. I felt a sense of peace within me.

The gift! It suddenly occurred to me. The beautifully packed gift! I thanked God for the wonderful gift he had given our family. I felt special that day. HE had arranged things so beautifully, the glitter wrapping of the sun rays and rows of thickly blooming flowers as the pretty ribbons to remind me that I received a wonderful gift that day.