Coronavirus Lock down Weekend 1: Swami and I are on a dish washing, house cleaning spree! Believe it or not, I am not kidding because whenever I wash dishes, I am singing His songs and I know He is listening especially when I go 'out of tune'. The first thing people tend to notice in my kitchen is a photo of Swami enjoying Bhajans. What they don't know is that this is the picture that fills me with joy so that I start singing when I do my kitchen chores and cleaning.
[Image: Radio Sai Facebook page]
If anyone had told me that my life would change the way it has in the last ten days, I would have thought they are joking or playing a prank. My day begins and ends differently now. Never before has change swept over my life like this.
Since I am working from home, I found myself finishing home chores early morning itself. Cleaning the kitchen every morning itself is quite a task. While I do not lead the kind of privileged life that some friends believe I do, I always had my domestic help pitching in the mornings to keep everything clean and sparkling, especially the kitchen. But now they are no longer coming to work. I have assured them that they will be paid their salaries in full no matter how long they are forced to stay at home.
Coming back to my kitchen, that's where my day begins.
Life has so much to teach us if we can pause the 'Rush' button in our hectic life.
I learned this precious lesson from Swami in Prashanti Nilayam. Another beautiful lesson Swami taught me is that 'no task is beneath you' and 'every task is divine'.
When my 'Seva' used to get over in Sai Kulwant Hall, I used to volunteer for extra tasks like taking care of the elderly devotees or heading out to the North Indian canteen for cleaning dishes. Never did I feel a sense of "Ugh" because Swami taught us to love the smallest tasks as an offering of love.
The most boring tasks aren't as silly as we think.
I have never lived a privileged life. I remember meeting a senior retired editor of a prominent newspaper and he was absolutely shocked to know that I do most home chores including washing the clothes on my own. Also, I don't have the kind of family support that most working folks have or can back on in case of an emergency - so that makes it doubly tougher.
So yes, I should thank Swami for teaching me how to juggle many tasks at one go - it is called Prashanti Nilayam 'Seva' training!
Cleaning the floor in Sai Kulwant hall till it shone or doing the stacks of hundreds of dirty plates and dishes of hundreds of devotees became an opportunity to sing! That's what Swami taught us about every task being made divine.
Running up to do tasks like fetching water for swabbing the huge area of the magnificent Sai Kulwant Hall became acts of love to connect myself with Swami.
If there is one thing you can do as a parent for your child, I strongly recommend that you send them to do Seva at Prashanti Nilayam.
They will learn to make the world a better, gentler and a more loving place.
They will learn to do good at all times even when confronted with hate and doubt and all the negativity that is out there in the world.
COVID-19 Lockdown: Banking on Golden Memories
During this lock down when we are forced to stay at home, I keep my memories of Prashanti Nilayam close to my heart and it continues to help me even today.
I think of my days in Prashanti Nilayam with Swami watching over and every 'boring task' at home becomes a precious offering.
Life has never been more meaningful and precious to me as it is right now.
Yes, worries and depressing thoughts do come and go, more often than clouds in the sky.
When milk supplies don't reach the gate on time, when something looks difficult to procure, I feel worried and responsible for my family. There is a gut feeling that the lock down will continue up to forty days or more but let's hope I got it wrong.
As I head to the first weekend of the 21 day lock down, I recognize that life isn't easy at all.
I am juggling tasks like I never have before.
But I learned something about myself too.
I have found a resilience within.
I am not letting this go without learning some important lessons that the Universe is set to teach me.
This is not about others. [READ: Love's Journey, Swami's Blessings]
This is about examining myself as a seeker and broadening my inner and outer worlds.
How I survive this and what I learn from embracing these daily struggles as lessons.
This becomes my offering of love to Swami.
Comments
I have learnt an important lesson from this post.To sing praising the glories of God lightens the burden and makes it enjoyable. Very nicely written.