The Perfect Balance

Every time I cook these days, my mother's words come to my mind that she had told me, during my adolescent days. It was during those days that I had stepped into her kingdom of kitchen. She used to teach me cooking as a part of preparing me for the inevitable future of every girl that was to be packed off to her in-laws place after marriage.

"The success of every dish you make depends on the perfect balance of the spices you put in them." My mother used to say as she stirred the spoon in the curry while I looked on.

"If you put any one among them in excess, it will burn your taste buds and ruin the taste of your dish. And in the same way, if you put anything less, your taste buds would not be able to perceive it and your dish would turn bland. If the balance is perfect," she took a little curry in the spoon, spread it on her palm, then tasted it and said, "the taste will also be perfect."

Then she turned the knob of the gas stove and taught me one of the most important lessons of life.

"Our life also depends on the minute balance of different human emotions like love, hatred, anger, dejection. You should when and how much of these to express and repress otherwise your life would turn into a mess. And its their perfect balance that keeps the bonds of relationship with our loved ones intact. The act of achieving the perfect balance is an art that you must master." Mom said.

"And how am I going to learn it?" I asked.

"By practice," Mom smiled, "by practising regularly you will learn how to balance the spices and your bonding with the people around. And one day, you will achieve the perfect balance."

I am not sure whether I have mastered the art of balancing but I must say that I am trying my best, even to this day.