My son is 15 months old.
I tickle him. He smiles. The smile resonates so much radiance. It is innocent, it is pure, it is whole hearted. I tickle him again. He smiles that beautiful smile again and this goes on.
It is kind of sad that only small children can produce these smiles. Perhaps my son is in a cocoon at the moment. He hasn't yet seen the real world, the evil and corruptive ways of society, the misery of the poor people all around, the wounds of terrorism and war, love and relationships driven by greed and power and of course the never ending rat race of money earning, promotions, new gadgets and pay hikes. And when he grows up to see all these things, perhaps his smile will change just like anyone else.
And more importantly at the moment my son has enough time in the day so that he can enjoy life's little pleasures like a tickle from his father or a tasty drink more leisurely. This is something we adults are missing in our daily life.
The boundless joy I experience and see in my son as an outcome of his beautiful smile makes me think everyday of the life's little pleasures in daily life of grown ups that should not be left behind for later mainly because you can never have them again. It is nice that you want to work hard, earn a quick promotion or grow your business which makes you secure your future, but it should not mean that you have to skip these little pleasures on a day to day basis because you are so much engrossed in securing that future of you and your family members.
And these little pleasures I am speaking about are very specific to the individual and every one has his/her own list. Here is some of my list, not necessarily in the order of preference.
- Playing with my son
- Watching a close cricket game early morning with a hot cup of tea in my hands (the best is when it happens down under in
Australia - Reading a historical fiction novel during bed time (A good example is Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth)
- Watching a nice comedy movie together with my wife
- A relaxed Sight seeing trip (could be anything which is pleasant to your heart and you feel refreshed. My memory takes me to one of the typical boat trips on any of the swiss lakes or having a look at Vatican city/Rome from the top of St.Peter's church etc.)
- Eating Spicy fish curry served with rice and butter.
- Playing a good game of table tennis/shuttle badminton (specially when it is with beloved Siva)
and the list never ends..
And I am sure you have your own list. Well, my point is that your life's progress should not be at the expense of these little pleasures which are easily possible on a daily basis with a little bit of planning and efforts from your end. Ideally it should be life's progress in harmony with these little pleasures. And if you can find a good balance, you are a lucky person and you end up with an enlivened, colorful and fulfilling life. Remember enjoying the journey is as important as savoring the destination, especially when it is the long journey of ones own life.
