|| Memories are treasure ||

|| Memories are treasure ||

Some people like having gold, silver, or platinum treasure. Others choose to have a treasure trove of real estate, an ideal monarch from their distant ancestors, a collection of cash, or coins, among many other things. In my opinion, the biggest treasure in life is the ability to look back on memories that you will remember forever, memories that will help you cultivate good energy, memories that will make the most unforgettable moments of your life, or memories that will make the past, present, and future the best. "Life is short, so live it," they say. Feel the rarity of love. Anger is bad; dump it. Fear is awful, but face it. Memories are lovely; one should appreciate and cherish them. We sometimes overlook the importance of our memories in our daily lives. When we celebrate any significant event in our lives, such as a birthday, wedding, family reunion, social gathering, or community or country gathering, we don't talk about how much money we make as a family, how much gold we own as a family, or how much money the country has amassed; instead, we celebrate memories, such as the history of our nation, how we have changed since we were born, or how our family has bonded to cherish memories.

Lord Krishna has narrated so well in the Bhagwat Geeta that: "it is the memories of my naughty childhood that have made me smile during difficult times. My parents' memories of their dedication and upbringing have given me strength throughout my life. The memories of warmth and love shared with Radhaji have made me live life with security and passion." Milk, curd, mattha, makhan (butter), and ghee were among the foods that Lord Krishna loved. As he used to think, when you prepare milk and add a few ingredients, it seizes up like curd and lasts for one or two days before turning into mattha, which stays for three to four days before becoming sour and losing its charm. If you churn it more, it becomes makhan (butter), which may stay for a few more days before getting burned and turning into ghee, which lasts for a very long time. The same way that gold, wealth, fame, and money are transient or fleeting, our treasure of memories and experiences stays with us always.

With the children from the Josh Foundation, we celebrated 75 years of independence, Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. There were 15 dance performances and 12 schools that we sponsored. On stage, 200 children performed, and the finest part was that each group presented a distinct subject, highlighting nearly 75 years of independence. Each individual in the audience went through a process of understanding and memory lane of the struggle our leaders went through to win us independence. Given two months to prepare, schools and students did an excellent job of both performing and coordinating with one another. These special kids left the audience with many happy memories. Their self-assurance and passion for our nation gave the audience a tremendous boost. Sometimes these events make such positive impressions on our lives.

We had made the decision to contribute a specific amount to each participating school. First, second, and third place winners received trophies as awards. Individual prizes, gifts, and participation certificates were handed to each child. To instill a love for our nation in the hearts of the youngsters, we installed an LED screen on the stage. We also invited famous people who might inspire these kids. This event was held at one of the top auditoriums. Out of  200 deaf, kids some of them were performing on the stage for first time. They received a platform just like any other normal person. Both the audience members and their fellow students cheered them on. They were all so focused that none of the children made any blunders on stage. They had a smile as they performed on the stage. We made this decision for the children because we believe that giving them positive experiences of inclusion in our everyday society will greatly increase their self-confidence. They will always cherish the memory of feeling unique. They don't need anything more to live a happy life than this treasure trove of memories.

"They are not extraordinary children, but their incredible performances have made us feel special," as one of the judge celebrities mentioned. For those who occasionally consider ending their lives, they left behind positivity and a lot of energy of being competent in life. Today, we spend a lot of money on travel and social media to attract people's attention, and sometimes, after spending so much money and not receiving attention from others, we feel depressed, begin to feel insecure, lose confidence, or choose to engage in unethical or unnecessary bad habits. I do advise these people to look at these kids, who have such a strong sense of purpose in life and approach everything with such positivity. Have memories of people who are good with you who teach you right things to grow in life. Spare money or spend money to encourage such kids rather than situations where you get lost.

Like how some good songs make such a positive impression on us, how some good thoughts change the course of our lives, and how some nice acts bestow blessings upon us, so do certain happy and positive life experiences. I clearly remember attending a neighbourhood event where the president and I were talking about my publications. One of the women who joined us overheard a story that was going to be published in the newspaper she frequently reads it, the JANMABHOOMI PRAVASI NEWS PAPER, on Sunday. She purchases that newspaper only to read those articles. Our community person said she also writes (mentioning me), and then that lady asked my name. After listening to my name, she got speechless for a minute, and she said, "I was talking about your articles only. Sorry, I couldn't recognize you, and I didn't know I would be meeting you." Such unexpected praise added so much energy to my writing, and her unexpected meeting added so much happiness. At that moment, I just went down memory lane of all my articles and strongly believed "positivity works."

Blessings from the Almighty, love, education, and warmth from my parents, family, my husband, and my kids' moral support, a lot of professional friends who have helped me to be better than what I am in my profession, a lot of love and affection from all the kids whom I have had the opportunity to help or got to spend time with encouraging them—these are just a few of the things I have experienced over the past 31 years of my development. Time spent on travel, whether it be with friends, family, or coworkers, or on a pilgrimage for a spiritual journey. If I look through all the memories, I feel like I have such a rich trove of memories from the accomplishments of my children, the children I have cared for, and my own family.

We have been given a lovely life by our god; let's love it and live it to the fullest, my dear friends. Thank you for reading my blogs and articles. It always helps for me to rewind the happy memories anytime I'm feeling bad, no matter what the situation is. This stops the pain of the present moment. Keep a collection of wonderful and uplifting memories and use them as required. You'll start appreciating your life.