In the early days of our journey, Tarun and I used to indulge in the simple things. That was in the early 80s BC (Before Children). Then life got complicated. The children arrived, work got busy, our desires elevated, time was constrained. We rushed from one commitment to the next, sometimes eating on the run, always behind. The back creaked, the neck whined. We were caught in the vortex of life, with an invisible force propelling us from one day to the next.
Then, Mother Nature put us in time-out and we retreated into a fetal position. How will the kids manage? Will we lose our livelihoods? How will the business survive? What will happen to the folks at the company? Many questions and few answers.
Tarun and I retreated into different corners of the house to become productive at work in new ways. And then the strangest things started to happen. We cooked more. We had time to workout. We didn't have to rush here and there. We could order everything online - from lemons to lawn chairs, the world was at our fingertips. We had time for long walks and bike rides, multiple times in a day even. We checked in on friends we haven't been in touch with.
A beautiful life emerged amidst a microbial attack.
With no eating out, no malls for shopping, no friends to visit, Tarun and I remembered the picnics we used to do many moons ago. So, we packed a blanket, water, food and coffee and headed off to sit by the Potomac. We lingered in the shade of a tree, hearing the birds, watching the water splash on the rocks, observing the planes land, wondering how sails work on boats, and keeping our distance. We lay in the sun and felt more refreshed than we have in many years.
This special weekend, we will miss the Dads we have lost. May we feel their presence and blessings in the brilliant summer kaleidoscope around us. And to the Dads we celebrate on Sunday - thank you for your special brand of umpteen parts affection and a dash of crazy. You spice up life in ways we couldn't have imagined.
I am sure we will be scurrying again soon...but, right now all I want to say in a super annoying, whiny tone is....do we havvvve to??
