Today I came across this video on Facebook. Do have a look
here. The reason I liked the video is because it is something I have thought about quite often.
What is that makes us look radiant? Some people say prosperity brings radiance. Some swear by Oh-the-awesome night cream. Oh ya, also the Happiness Sale in Central! If you like to read self help books (I am not much of a fan,, but yes there are a few books which helped me think differently), do read up
Happy for no reason - Marci Shimoff. It's a lovely book that I came across when I was going through a rough patch a few years back. It speaks about how one must learn to be happy without looking for reasons.
Women, in particular are taught to take care of themselves. Ever wondered how men can be so callous about their looks...and ever thought how sometimes the gorgeous looking men are unshaved and oh-so-casually dressed. From the time a girl is born, her physical attributes are spoken about and taken care of. I remember one of the incidents shared by a friend of mine. She was coming back from her mother's house, after delivering her daughter. In the flight, she met Shahnaz Hussain. She went over to the 'beauty diva' and asked her just one question: "How do I remove the excess hair on my daughter's body and face?" She was told to massage her baby with ta-da-dum-dum.... and so on.
Have you noticed how some days we look particularly good. The hair is behaving itself, the skin is soft and supple, the abs looks tucked in and the lipstick stays on. And then there are those days, when well, we could just go back right away to sleep and get up the next day. I have had many such days. If I look back and observe, all those days have one thing is common. I have been happy, very happy from within.
Being a single child, I have grown up on a steady diet of friends. They make me happy, and let me be. I guess the worst period of my life was when I had just had my son (first born) and I had lost touch with my social life. I literally had switched off myself and I was at my lowest. Then friends came back, I made new ones, I left behind a few, I let go of a few. Today, I have a good bunch who I know will pick up my calls when I want them to, will hear me banter or bitch when I have got up from the wrong side of the bed. Go ahead... have some of your own. There is never an age for having friends.
Ever had that moment when you had that bite of chocolate or cake or imli and felt utter bliss. That moment when saliva comes oozing out of all the insides of your mouth, and your eyes gets closed as you swallow the food. Go ahead... have those moments more often.
Don't ask a lady her age. And may I ask why?? Age is just a number right? When people shy away from telling their age, I want to shout out loud: Grow up!
Age has got nothing to do with anything in our life which truly makes us happy. My grandmother (you can read about her
here) is in her 80s is a mixed bag. On one hand she loves to pray and spend her quite moments with God, and on the other hand she still shops for gold, changes her jewellery often, can make a salesman go crazy while choosing footwear and sarees, eats her chaat-papdi with relish, and loves tandoori chicken. She still massages her face religiously with Vitamin E cream and advises me to do so too. Did I tell you, she looks yummmmm. So go ahead... get old, but stay young. (If you know what I mean) And if someone asks your age, shout it out loud and clear.
Times are stressful, kids are a handful, newspaper is full of news you rather don't read, pollution is on its rise and so is inflation. Back home, that weighing scale just doesn't seem to incline towards the left, the local cake shop continues to make sinful chocolate cakes, children start to fight the moment you pick up the phone, the power goes the moment you decided to make the chutney. But trust me, you will always end up finding something or someone you see and feel: Thank God, I am ME. And that is the moment, my friend... when you look beautiful.