When 'Nowhere!' Became 'Now Here!'

Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in our apartment's complex ended on Sunday. It was an unforgettable week of jubilance, celebration, devotion and community gathering. 

The days passed by swiftly, too swiftly for my liking. For these seven days, I lived a different life, a life where the usual worries and anxieties that come with the package of adulthood, took a back seat. In fact, they backed away so much that I forgot them completely. For a short while, the illusion of bliss and happiness kept me floating. 

But reality returned (as it always does) and it returned hard. 

Monday, which in itself, needs therapy. 

Exams of the kid.

Morning rush and mayhem.

All the health concerns that re-emerged with the visarjan of Ganpati Bappa. 

This happens every year, every time I take a short break from daily routine. When I go on a trip, when guests and loved ones come over to stay at my home briefly, when I go for an outing - all these moments, reality took a break and I lived in bliss, only to return to the harsh earth. 

But this time it was different. This time too, reality returned, but I was better prepared for it. 

I often thought that happiness has to be forever, one never-ending state of bliss and joy. Which is why, when the vacation ended, when the trip ended, when the celebrations ended, I despaired with renewed fervor. 

Why couldn't the happy times last forever?

Why did the trip have to end?

Why did the celebrations end?

But this time I had realized something. 

Happiness is not forever. The good times won't always exist. We can never have a permanent break from reality. 

And this realisation made the fleeting moments of happiness all the more precious. I attended the daily rituals of the festival with gratitude, reminding myself to enjoy the companionship of my neighbours and friends, to savor the celebration and to live fully in the moment for it will pass soon. 

While this realisation didn't dim the sadness of a festive ending, it left no room for regrets. I had the satisfaction of having enjoyed every moment, knowing its fleeting nature. 

Perhaps the journey to happiness has one key step - identifying the transient and fleeting nature of every moment and living it fully, knowing that it won't come again. Perhaps it is difficult to always be happy. Perhaps reality will always ground and humble us in its usual harsh way. But there is the hope of that fleeting moment of joy, and that is enough to keep us going through our days, and eventually our lives too. 

May be, all we need is the transition from 'Happiness? It's nowhere!' to 'Happiness is now and here!'.

This blog is sprinting its way to the finish line with Piyush's Plotters as part of The Blogchatter Half Marathon!