Sutapa welcomes the Spring. She reminds us that Nature never thinks twice about reinventing herself. She obeys the cycle of life: discard the old, embrace the new, for Different Truths.

February winds have blown away all the dead, dry, black-brown leaves along with the winter freeze. March ushers Spring in all her warmth, colours, perfumes and hope. The bare branches and dry twigs have sprouted tiny buds and even a few tender orange-green leaves. All the blossoms that had tightly curled their petals against the chill are shyly, slowly unfurling. The braver ones have already bloomed; orange, turquoise, fuchsia, carnation, amber, saffron and gold are a riot of hues around us.

All the blossoms that had tightly curled their petals against the chill are shyly, slowly unfurling. The braver ones have already bloomed; orange, turquoise, fuchsia, carnation, amber, saffron and gold are a riot of hues around us.

You see, Nature never thinks twice about reinventing herself. She obeys the cycle of life: discard the old, embrace the new.

But when it comes to us, humans, we cannot even wear a colour that we have not worn before. What stops us? Leaving our comfort zone, fear of failure, criticism by others, becoming a butt of jokes? Whatever it is, very few people want to try out anything new or unfamiliar. It is like when my husband and I go out for a meal and I pick a dish on the menu that we have never eaten before. He will never join me, and if the dish turns out to be inedible, he will comment with a smug smile,  ‘I told you so!’

Not to Worry…

I sweep out a new dish from my kitchen at dinner, next night, saying with a flourish, ‘Gombos magnifique!’ And serve him fried bhindi!

Somehow, I walk through life constantly looking for new avenues, another way of doing daily chores, different styles of dressing, cooking, entertaining and writing. In fact, I love it when some doors close and new windows open in my life.

Somehow, I walk through life constantly looking for new avenues, another way of doing daily chores, different styles of dressing, cooking, entertaining and writing. In fact, I love it when some doors close and new windows open in my life. I delight in taking a chance for it is adventure, the spice of life, a thrill.

Predictability is comfortable, stable, fail-safe, but so boriiiing! Besides, is anything in life really predictable?

Here is How I See it

If we attune ourselves to trying out new ideas, we create an armour against the unpleasant surprises that Life springs on us just when we become complacent. In situations like that, it is much easier to bounce back because… Hey! Maybe something new is around the corner.

Without diffidence, if we could walk up a new path, slip on a new role, make new relationships, see a rainbow in the gloom, we would be insured against depression, insecurity, negativity, ill health and even sorrow.

It is essential that we consciously endeavour to build inside us this ability to accept change. Without diffidence, if we could walk up a new path, slip on a new role, make new relationships, see a rainbow in the gloom, we would be insured against depression, insecurity, negativity, ill health and even sorrow.

I suggest we take a deep breath of this warm, scented spring air and breathe out a dedication to ourselves to accept the only constancy of Life: Change

One more consideration: there is one more dimension to this competency that goes beyond conserving our physical and mental health, Embracing the novel, the untried and untrodden transforms us. We renew ourselves; we rejuvenate ourselves; we find other worlds within us; we identify our real potential. Eventually, the small world rotating around us takes larger and larger circles till it merges into the limitless universe.

Our Consciousness reaches out to fuse into the great Unconsciousness. No longer limited to narrow, narcissistic, self-seeking worlds, we become part of the ocean of humanity; endless, eternal, immortal.

Our Consciousness reaches out to fuse into the great Unconsciousness. No longer limited to narrow, narcissistic, self-seeking worlds, we become part of the ocean of humanity; endless, eternal, immortal.

Gurudev Tagore’s ode to this great truth seeks me out and I translate his lyrics.

You have made me endless
Such is your play.
You have emptied me repeatedly
To fill with new life over and over again.

You have roamed hills and dales
With me as your little flute.
Playing eternally new melodies on it
How can I ever describe that ecstasy?

My heart brims over with boundless joy
At your one immortal touch.
I have no words to express my elation.

Just one fistful of your gifts
Lasts me for infinite days and nights.
Ages go by as you keep pouring
your benevolence unto me.
Still I remain unfulfilled
and there is room for more and more.

More chats in my next epistle and all the best going forward.

Photos sourced from the Internet by the author