Journey Of Kindness

The sweet earthy fragrance, the tiny droplets of pearls on mist leaves, the tranquil sound of the rain, and the soft breeze, everything about the monsoon is love at first sight.

The season, when the kids could be seen floating their paper boats and jumping out of joy, there was a little girl, Naina for whom the rainy season was like a dime, a dozen.

Naina, an eight-year-old lovely girl was like a chirpy bird, who unfurl contagious smiles through her naughty giggle. She used to live in a small town with her family. Her parents were working, so she used to spend maximum time with her grandparents. She had immense respect in her heart for her grandparents. Her grandpa was a well-disciplined army chief and on the other hand, her grandma was like an angel who can magically fulfill Naina’s wishes with her magic wand.

For Naina, the rain was like a hot potato that arises mud puddles, gives birth to a surfeit of insects, and most importantly refrains her from playing outside.

One evening, when it was drizzling, Naina’s grandma saw her sitting quietly beside a window and gazing outside quietly. The mischievous girl, one who could be seen hopping here and there, was suddenly halted by the usher sound of rain.

The grandma understood the reason behind Naina’s lost smile. She calmly held her hand and took her towards the balcony.

She pointed her hand towards a garden. She asked Naina to breath-in the fresh air and have a look at the grove of trees amidst by flowers blooming with joy and colors of hope. She also drew Naina’s attention towards the cloudy mist showers, the spectrum glow, and the sugar-frosted coating of raindrops melted into the leaves.

Also, there were little squirrels who ran up and down the trees, swishing their bushy tails. Grandmother gave some nuts to Naina and asked her to sprinkle them like confetti on the lawn. Then she asked to recite a few lines for inviting squirrels to eat the nuts.

“ Hey fur-fur furry squirrel

with a bush-bush bushy tail,

Run here and there

Nuts in jaws, nuts in paws,

Nuts everywhere,

Just Crack it, Just Pop it”

Naina recited these lines with her grandma and the squirrels scampered and ate all the nuts. It was an adorable sight to see squirrels wrinkle their nose and eat nuts clenched between their toes.

This adorable sight was mesmerizing for Naina as she never had such an overwhelming experience earlier. An ecstatic feeling of satisfaction and pious love. This feeling created a jovial spiral all over her and she glittered with a colorful spectrum of merriness. The jovial waves vanished the despair look from Naina’s face.

This little act of kindness not only brought immense bliss in Naina’s life but also taught her the importance of selfless love.

Now the monsoon was also not an enemy anymore.

Clouds come floating into life, no longer to carry rain or usher storms, but to add color to the sunset sky.” “Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating.

Her grandmother also taught her that bad weather is just a state of mind. It depends on us whether we feel crippled in despair or hop and play like squirrels in every situation.

These were the preachings of the grandma which showered the importance of kindness and explained the meaning of ‘opportunity in every difficulty’ in a beautiful manner.

Naina still follows those preachings and gives nuts to her best friends-squirrels every day.

This is a never-ending journey of kindness as Naina now believes that it’s her fortune that she could offer something to the little friends. Her cute acts of kindness are not only restricted to animals, but she also makes sure that she struck the good chords of the hearts of the people around her.

She has imbibed this glorified feeling that being kind is the best feeling in the world.

There is a famous quote by ‘Hada Bejar’-” The fragrance always stays in the hand that gives the rose.”

Kindness is free, just sprinkle it like confetti everywhere. Even the smallest gesture can mean a great deal to someone in need. Let's try and do our part and help make the world a kinder orchard blooming with smiles all over.