I used to overhear this conversation between
a child all of six years of age, and her
mother every morning, when they’d come on vacation “Mummy what’s the plan for today?” The mother then rushed to her side and told her where they intended going, what they intend doing and what she could buy for herself that day.
Then and only then did the little one’s eyes light up and she got up to greet the new day. For her to look forward to the day, she needed a day full of excitement! I guess we were all like that when we were children, but are we still? Think about it; do we look forward to a day which is the same as yesterday? In medieval days physicians believed our bodies were divided into four humours or temperaments: sanguine (pleasure-seeking and sociable), choleric (ambitious and leaderlike), melancholic (depressed and quiet), and phlegmatic (relaxed and peaceful). They believed quite often that your personality was determined by these temperaments.
Today we don’t believe so, but suddenly with quarantine and lockdown, everybody seems to have become melancholic! Excitement! Pleasure! These are what takes the mind off boredom and depression, this is what will set right our melancholy, correct? Wrong!
At home, I caress the head of one of the twins and as I do, I feel a sense of quiet, I feel his joy and know he’s living in that moment. He is enjoying the touch of my hand on his head. He is enjoying the feeling of being much loved and suddenly I see his two and a half year old head, glancing up with a smile!
A smile of gratitude, for giving him such a pleasurable moment! When did we last do that? That even in the middle of a caress by a loved one, our thoughts are on a bigger excitement that tomorrow could bring? A successful business deal! A new restaurant! A new girl in town! And in craving for that new excitement we have lost the present moment!
The moment when the little child looked up and grinned! Maybe those lost moments are what we can capture now! A good book. Classical music. A tasty mango or just a comfortable bed to have a quick nap!
And as you enjoy that moment, look up, and give that grateful smile to the One above, because I believe it is He, who has pressed the Pause Button, to move us from craving tomorrow’s excitement, to enjoying the moment! Isn’t it time we moved away from our childish seeking of excitement? Moved into enjoying the now and showing it on our faces with gratitude..!
