Yesterday my daughter turned eight months old . Given the Covid-19 situation, we are avoiding going out. There's no telling when we will feel confident enough to take our little one outside, but I hope it is soon. So the day was spent inside and we tried to make it special for our little angel. Her mother made some delicious food -- Swedish meatballs with glazed potatoes and a lovely coffee cake -- as we spent the entire day with her. And as I was sitting with my baby in my lap and watching some TV while tucking into the sumptuous lunch, I realised that this is indeed heaven. What more could I want? I have everything right here.
True, the world is not an ideal place right now. Again true that many people are really suffering as a consequence of the epidemic and attendant economic distress -- my heart really goes out to them. There is much uncertainty and tough times ahead. It is precisely in such situations that one has to count one's blessings. My daughter, my family and my simple pleasures at home are indeed privileged gifts from the universe. I am fortunate. Many are not.
It's not that I don't have dreams. In fact, it is important to have dreams no matter how tough the situation gets. Dreams propel us and give us strength to struggle and reach our full potential. But it is also important to be grateful for what we have. For, it is only when we are grateful for the things we have that we can empathise with those who aren't as lucky as us. And that empathy is what drives us to feel for others and help them overcome their challenges.
So when I say count your blessings, I don't mean showing off or basking in the glory of what we have. Rather, I mean it as recognising how lucky we are and feeling genuinely grateful. Feeling humble, not arrogant. And when we do that our hearts immediately open up to the suffering of others and we are propelled to help them. Gratefulness begets empathy. And empathy begets compassionate action. The world needs that today more than anything else.
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