A Reason to Smile

“I held on tight. The horse swayed its head to and fro, and neighed aloud. Slowly, it started moving. I felt like a king. Then suddenly, I burst out laughing…”

Reminds me of those good old days. Of someone so very near. So very dear. Someone who held my tender fingers when I took my first steps, churned words out of my meaningless babble, and when I became weary and exhausted, he used to tell tales and caress me to sleep. I still have fond memories of my favourite horse, my own father.

Many a times, he used to come up to me, with that huge, warm smile on his weather-beaten face. And at times, he gives his affectionate hug whenever I was down.

Those were the times…over the years though, times have changed. And fortunately or unfortunately, so have my commitments. Being a grown up indeed is difficult. Tiresome schedules, persistent students, cut-throat deadlines, endless friends, incessant trickle of colleagues and irksome bosses. And now, how can I leave out a family of my own. No wonder, I am so tied up…

Amongst all this rush and din, I lost out on the simple pleasures of life. In the pursuit of my dreams, I left behind those who mattered to me the most. So much so that today, the one who taught me to walk, walks no more; the one who taught me to talk, has gone to talk to the gods. But then, is everything lost?

I believe not. For all it takes to make him feel special all over again, is a bit of my time to bring up a family of my own. And of course, my love and prayers for him. I just need to do what he did to me. And even before he, I know, I would have made a whole world of difference to his life. If only, if he is here to witness after all, what a better way to cherish those good old moments in order to relieve him of the weary load of a being.

And I know there are many persons like me, who missed this yet a simple opportunity to give back what we have for our aged parents. I am just an unfortunate person amongst the millions. There are many, who wants us. Needs us. Those who still long for a reason to smile. Those slowly fading amidst the dark clouds of anonymity. We could make a difference to their lives as well. Simply by spending some of our precious time with them. Sparing an amount of our time from our busy schedules will definitely achieve a lasting improvement in the quality of their lives, thereby rekindling their lost memories with a bright smile.

A smile on their face and in their heart will be as welcome as a hearty hug. It brings back a lot more. And you wouldn’t just lend a smile to them, but also to the many other souls, longing for a reason to smile…!