Gracias

How do you thank your safety net? Those who are always there for you. On short notice, at anytime, for anything. We are incredibly blessed to have several such friends. I like to think that they represent good karma from our previous lives spilling into this one.

One of these stars is “PS”.

We can wake up PS with the most bizarre request in the middle of the night and he will sweetly say - “Sure, I will be there right away!” He never grumbles or sighs to us. Never punts either. We reach out to him only in dire emergencies for fear of running out of goodwill. He has been our safety net on too many occasions to recount individually. Recently, he stepped in to help us on a time-sensitive need right as we needed to catch a flight. This cost him an hour on a relaxed Saturday morning. “Don’t worry” he said and I didn’t. I feel badly that we had to bother him but so thankful that he allowed us to bother him!

Question is why are some people so reliable and consistent? How do they make it easy to reach out to them? How do they deliver without fail?

I am no psychologist or social scientist but I am fascinated by what makes them this way. My observation is that they can handle flux in their lives with more ease than the rest of us. They can shift their plans without tripping. They can re-prioritize faster. They genuinely like to be helpful. And because they are wired like this at birth.

Beyond PS we have a diverse list of initials who check on us even when we don't. They send us cards and flowers on special days and for no reason at all. They text when they know we aren't feeling up to the mark and unhesitatingly call us when they are in need. We can pick up with them without apologies for being absent. We land in their homes unannounced and they do the same to us. They've stashed our fridge with food before we returned from a long trip and driven to be with us when we were not well. Each one has celebrated our highs, mourned with us, and made sure we are thankful in the end.

To the angels who form the fabric of our safety net, may the universe bless you. Please add surrogate parent, elder carer, nurse, therapist, adviser, tension-reducer, dog-finder, and driver to your CV. Or simply say “Star Friend” and know that we couldn't do life without you.

You complete our circle and tie a bow on it much like Josh envisioned when he was six years old. Gracias for your genes and generosity! Happy Diwali to you and yours. Cheers!