Tara Basnyet

Ever stopped to wonder how time flies? Swift and with utmost precision, it perhaps is the most punctual “being.” And it’s funny how our lives get moulded and changed in due course of time. The nonchalant childhood and adolescence fade away to clear space for different facets the adult life brings along. All of us get so consumed in our daily ways, wearing our work schedules on sleeves, that we seldom take a moment to savour the world around us and appreciate the element of joy that little things offer us.

Waking to the sound of birds chirping, running down the stairs in your pajamas to get the morning paper, checking the horoscope predictions for the day and then the delight in finding it upbeat, running with the morning sun on your way to the college, the little puppy on the way that tries to bully people around, the smell of coffee wafting out of someone’s house, the smile of a stranger, the evening shower, hearing your favourite song on the radio, long distance phone calls, midnight calls, mails from separated friends, rainfall beating on your window pane as you slip into bed and falling sleep. It is these small things that offer the most happiness.

Each of us is here to learn, share love, appreciate and give ourselves off. You never know when this wonderful experience called life will come to a close. It may last for years to come or can be taken away at any moment. Maybe this uncertainty is God’s method of telling us that we must make the most of every single day and learn to live life to the fullest. Work hard at what you do and practice the dictum: “When you work, work. When you play, play.” But then don’t get so bogged down by the big and complicated things in life that you forget to appreciate the little things that pass along.

Always find something beautiful to notice. It doesn’t necessarily have to be something visible — it could be the scent of the freshly mowed green grass or the smell of the earth after the rain, or it could be the sound of the breeze rustling the leaves in the tree, or the way the morning light catches a leaf as it falls gently on the ground. All you need to do is look around you and once you really start looking beyond yourself you’ll start finding the simple joys of life. These things may sound trite to someone, but these are the very stuff that life is built of. The things we often take for granted. We must make it a point that we take note of such little things, for life may be taken away at anytime.