Reflection In Time

“Grandma, it’s your 60th birthday today! What are you doing here in the garden? Come on in, we got a surprise for you”, exclaimed Jiya in bubbly voice

“Come on here, lie down on the lawn and tell me what you see”

“Hmmm, there are birds, tree leaves, some insects, big deal come on Grandma. We are getting late”

“Late for what my dear?”

“We need to cut the cake, we got surprise gifts that you will love! Common…common…let's not waste time”

“Sit down my child, breathe it easy. Have you ever wondered if we created the time or the time created us?”

“Well, I think it’s time that created us. Hmmm, you are reflecting in time! What does your introspection say?”

“To me, it appears that we create time. Time is a relative element, everything moves from a different point of reference at the same time. Have you wondered what is the reference point of the birds, animals, insects, plants, stars & moon? Birds may have the sun as a reference point, stars & moon have another sun as a reference point. Look at you right here between us, your circumference of time involves the cake & gifts but for me, it's my reflection in time” explained grandma with a wise smile

“How can you and I create the time?”

“Let’s look at this way. Our watches show the same time 5:48 pm. However, my point of reference is right now here on this lawn but you have moved ahead into cutting the cake and opening surprise gifts. You moved ahead in comparison to me. Two different thoughts at the same time. So technically, the whole essence of where my thought moves create that space between present and future. And if the thought is all that creates this variation then where is the context of time, my dear! It’s just a reference to the number”

“Grandma, it's kind of a paradoxical statement. I create that space of reference thus creating time. But if it was created by my thoughts then who am I?”

“That’s for you to find out. No book can answer this, my child”

“Grandma, you are very successful in life. Featured in Forbes, an inspiration for many. Did such introspection take you here” giggled Jiya

“In 60 years of my life am everything that I chose to be. I was hardly 16 when my parents got me married, I protested. My family was poor financially and they considered the girl child as a liability. Could not have thought of anything different than others. Unfortunately, the person I was married to was much older than I and he died of a long ailment within six months. Life wasn’t easier. I chose to start working with skills I knew to make my living. I started stitching clothes during the day and went to night college in the evening. I chose to work hard while many I knew preferred an easy life. In few years I graduated and without realizing I had expanded my tailoring to greater business.”

On a cold evening, I was on my way back home quite elated after receiving a large sum of money from an enormous order when I heard a baby crying in the bushes. It was a baby girl, maybe few days old dumped into the bushes. I carried the girl home, despite resistance from family I raised her as her my own. I relocated to a city to give her a better life and education. As the years passed by I grew more successful in all aspects and my daughter went overseas for her studies. I had everything that one wished for and yet something was always missing and that was happiness. I had everything but not happy!

I took a break for few months from my routine and went in search of happiness somewhere in the foothills of Tibet. I lived in a monastery, spent time learning with monks. They were gender agnostic, lived a simple life. After about 6 months, I learned that happiness was not outside of me but this treasure existed right inside me! Everything that appeared to be someone else was a reflection of my own. Two months later I choose to be come back, to work not for myself but for everyone else. I learned that the true meaning of success was in making others successful. The true meaning of love was in giving, happiness increased when shared.

 You know the life is very simple, but I could not see through it as I was blinded by the need to prove to the world that I was best. I had to fight the whole world to protect my daughter, my business, but that’s when I realized my fight was only with myself, none outside me mattered. In any tough situation, I stopped, took a step back, and watched the problem standing outside of it. All I had to do was come back every time to where it begins…..the now….the now without space and time. I changed me and there was no seeing back again. I succeeded exponentially not just materialistically but as a daughter, parent, boss, and most importantly human. In a nutshell, I never created any thoughts that lead to time. My center point of circumference was always “The moment and me”. “

Jiya hugged her grandma tight “I want to be like you grandma”

“My love, begin by knowing you. Let’s go cut the cake”