42 Rupees!

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Thanks to the lockdown, to break monotony Ved, Vaishali and I decided to celebrate Diwali and Christmas. This not only gave us a much needed reprieve but also helped us learn more about the festivals. Being the LMS* that I am, it wasn't until December 23rd that I brought the Christmas Tree and some decorations. The advantage of being an LMS is that you spend less time than needed on "aur dikhaoo, aur dikhaoo" (show me more).  LMS = Last Minute Shopper 😅

Beaming with pride on my achievement, I walked into a barrage of questions. "Where is the Candy Cane? Where is the Angel? Where is the Mistletoe?"

"What are you talking about? I got the tree and the ornaments" I blurted. It was then that I realised that there are so many elements that goes into decorating the Christmas Tree. Sheepishly I had to concede defeat and promise to take them shopping for the many missing items.

After the second run at shopping (this time at leisure), it was good to see the fully decorated tree with gift boxes alongside in the evening. Gifts apparently form a critical element in the decorations, the real gifts. There were three big boxes marked with names near the tree. Arrghh! How could I miss that? I was curious to know what's inside the box, but Ved was clear no gift opening till Christmas. 

Realising the blunder, I went out to buy some gifts so that I am not embarrassed by being the one who is not giving. After a few options I finally settled for something that Ved was eyeing a few months ago. Late at night on Christmas Eve, I placed it alongside the sock.

During a casual conversation with Vaishali I was informed that Ved has made three big gift boxes one for all. Ved had pooled money from his Piggy Bank and a royal sum of Rs. 42/- (less than a dollar) was put in each of the boxes making sure that everyone gets an equal share. Ved in his innocence equally distributed what he had, thereby making sure it was fair for all. No one gets less, no one gets more. Size didn't matter, its about giving from what you have. This truly was an act of fairness, a quality that we all tend to overlook. This is also in essence the true spirit of Christmas, the 3G's - Giving, Good Hope and Goodwill towards all. A simple act made me realise sometimes we get carried away by what to do, what to gift and forget about how we make people feel. It is not about the size or the monetary value, but the sense of fairness and giving in the right spirit that matters. A gift is not about the size but about the thought. As I begin the new year this gift box filled with coins worth Rs. 42 will always remind me to be fair, equitable and just in all my dealings. 

PS: I was growing my hair since 2018 so that I could donate it for a noble cause. This journey of growing my hair, getting scolded for all the mess made by the fallen strands, to finally achieving the desired length and giving it away is truly an experience. Knowing that someone somewhere will be smiling is my gift box worth 42 Rupees. What is yours?

Wishing you a Very Prosperous and Happy New Year filled with giving.

You too could donate your hair and help someone, somewhere, know more connect with me.

Comments

Top Gun said…
Thank you Suezy. Too many thoughts and one outcome - give without worrying about other details. May positivity be the driving force for all in 2021. More power to you :) thank you again for the candid share :)
7:13 AM
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