To begin is the toughest part!
August 2018 was the beginning of this beautiful new journey of my life. Moreover a much needed fresh chapter. Never knew it would become my ‘Ikigai’.
With a handful of students under a banyan tree, I embarked on this adventurous journey, which took my life off like a jet plane or something. One would wonder how? Banyan tree and jet plane certainly don’t add up. They multiplied actually!
Each leaf of that banyan tree conspired to bring my dreams to life by giving the oxygen and shade to those little souls. They were not merely kids but they were my wings. They helped me believe I could fly. They could fly too, all they needed was a little push to dream and believe in the power of dreams.
Once we were onboard these flying lessons, teaching each other became a daily affair. For every lesson I taught I learnt many more for myself. I was exploring a whole new side of myself. One could only imagine such a thing but I was living it. It became the most genuine part of my life.
So to begin with, we just had to battle with a few dozens of ants and the scorching sun on a daily basis. The day used to begin with a hearty ‘Good morning’ accompanied with those beautiful smiles. There were twelve kids and I was the thirteenth, not an auspicious number but obviously worked for me.
Once it started, there were no stop signs or U turns. One could only look forward, move forward, sometimes in the first gear or maybe second but there wasn’t any chance of applying the brakes. {06.12.20}
What started as casual activity in the forenoon became a whole new world for me. I never knew it could bring out such lovely shades of me. The days flew by and their smiles and laughter filled my heart everyday. Their love and happiness gave me a new purpose. It was my duty to follow through and take them forward with me. If not me then who? Someone had to start the fire! There’s always a fire within us that needs to be rekindled. Sometimes you do it or someone else does it for you. These kids were the reason for this fire burning within me to make a change. The flames were so powerful that they steered me towards a path of self-discovery. On this path, the people I met, the things I did and learnt, are going to stay with me forever. Those memories, those moments of happiness and love, still bring tears of pure joy in my eyes. It is a lifetime of happiness that these kids have given me in the past couple of years. They have added so many beautiful colours to my life.
