Today is November 14th, 2020, which in the Hindu culture is the day of Diwali, or “the festival of lights”. Growing up, Diwali has always meant fireworks, good food, and celebration. However, it mainly serves as festival of new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil, and light over darkness.
This year, Diwali has been much diluted without any of the get-togethers and fun that it usually brings. This doesn’t mean that it should go completely forgotten though. When I look at the main purpose of Diwali (finding the light over darkness), I realized that there is still a way to acknowledge the festival without the usual festivity.
Using this holiday from my culture, my hope is to inspire you to look for the good over the evil in life, especially this holiday season. Whether you are a Hindu, Christian, or an Atheist, we can all take something from Diwali. It’s times like this, that the bad can really seem to outweigh the good. With almost nine months of isolation due to COVID-19, and the colder, darker months beginning, things may seem bleak. Yet, looking for the light amidst the darkness is what can really make life seem much fuller.
I was thinking about this concept today as I was sitting in the car. With a furry little dog on my lap, and the fact that it is only a fifteen minute drive to the beach, It dawned on me that there is so much to be grateful for. Sure, Diwali may be “cancelled”, but it doesn’t mean I have to be upset.
Mainly, this post serves as a reminder. If you have been feeling down recently, or like everything seems to be going wrong, take time to write out three things everyday that “didn’t totally suck”. You’ll probably find that there is so much more than just three things, and maybe, you will begin to view life in a much brighter way.
“Gratitude turns what we have into enough” -Aesop
Happy Diwali 🙂
Featured image by @@hari1234567 on Unsplash.com
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