The Little Things

I spent the afternoon watching old Tom and Jerry toons with my dad.

Real quality time with family, as they say these days. Sometimes, when all of a sudden i feel happy because mom's put a white lace tablecloth on the dinner-table, i realize distractedly, that it is the little things in life that make the real difference.

The tendrils of vapour that waft from the first cup of tea at 6:30 every morning holds as much spiritual enrichment as does the smell of incense for the pious. As the dried leaves unfurl and turn the water into a rich gold, i push open the glass windows and smell the cool morning air. A coconut tree nearby, waves. The fragrant, gold liquid flows down my throat while i'm absorbed with the orange-pink sky. When you can wake up at 6:30 after a meager three hours of sleep the night before, you have the right to feel proud of yourself.

I do not know what this year holds. I may have to start living away from home. Will i miss my family? I really don't know.

Well, even if I don't miss their constant presence, there are always the little things.

The walk through a deserted lane in Shantiniketan, as the december wind whispers sweet little nothings in my ear. The reflection of the moon in a mud puddle. That unforgettable train whistle which weaves itself beautifully in the patchwork of my mind. The 'm' key of my laptop is a little sticky. If i press it hard, no m appears. But a gentle pressure does the job.

A little bit of love goes a long way.

It is one thing to think flowers are beautiful, and another to see your garden burst into shades that would shame a rainbow. Bees buzzing, little yellow butterflies prancing about in the sun,

n acrobatic spider swinging across the fence in a perfect arc, two sparrows on the telephone line...

I found a book of mine, which i was given at the age of four. I had written in large, loving, shaky letters - O-I-S-H-A-N-I. I couldn't stop smiling.

The leaves smell so green back home.

I remember waiting expectantly by the dinner table, looking at unripe mangoes and wondering what would happen to Harry Potter in the end, as toast popped in the toaster, the lovely warm smell of fried eggs filled the room, juice gurgled into the glass tumblers, and i thought of pedaling my cycle all the way to the canal, so i could sit by the muddy yellow waters as eucalypti leaves fell onto my hair.

It is as Mr. Holmes says : the little things in life are infinitely the most important.