One of the usual mornings, where after packing off everyone, changed into my exercise gear and stepped out for the usual few rounds of cycling. Early morning chill was now taken over by the warmth of the sun, which gave me my dose of Vit D (much needed, my levels are alarmingly low).
Finished my rounds, and caught up with my friends who were out for their morning walk. We parked ourselves in our layout under the sun chatting away. Today the topic was "what plans for 31st"?
When one of the girls spoke very sadly, that all her friends have plans of taking a vacation/going for an NYE event/dinner and drinks at someone's place/drinking and going crazy at a pub, while she was "just going to be home". She was all the more upset, that while her friends would be going crazy posting pics all over social media, she would not have anything 'interesting' to share, and it would be embarrassing.
I walked back with my head full of thoughts, precisely why the blog ;)
What's with this celebration pressure?
I remember the time when we were all very small, we did not even understand what 'new year' meant. But life was still good. While growing up also, we would watch some programmes on DD, on 31st and sleep before the clock struck 12. Next morning, wish each other happy new year. It was still a new year, we did not miss anything by not staying awake till 12.
The fancy of staying awake struck when we reached our teens... my cousin and I were 16, and she had come over to our place for Christmas vacation like every year. That year, 4 of us - my sister, my cousins and I decided to ring in the new year and stay awake till 12. My Dad decided to fund our lil party by getting us Pepsi and Gold spot, packets of chips, pastries and snacks from Anjalika (still one of my fav spots). We convinced our Mom and aunts to cook something special for dinner. They turned it into a dinner buffet, more so because they also wanted to park themselves in front of the TV in the cold winter-y night (Delhi used to be really cold those days). DD used to air special NY programmes. The fare was shahi paneer, dal makhani, mixed vegetables, Kashmiri pulao, rotis, salad, raita, papad, chowmein, homemade manchurian gravy. It was amazing.
Post dinner, Dad took all of us to Nirula's, where I remember, my cousin and I would reach out for the hot chocolate fudge or HCF as it's popularly known, pack it to eat at midnight, Dad being the Santa Claus he was would get us nutty buddy to eat on the way. My sister and my other cousin were not icecream fans - can you believe that??? They would just settle for vanilla and strawberry respectively.
We would carry our celebration junk to the terrace, cosy ourselves in the small room converted into an office for my Dad. spread out our drinks and eatables, listen to the non-stop dance numbers on the radio. Dance and celebrate till 12, with each other and wish happy new year, go back down to our place and crash. That was the tradition we started, continued for a couple of years, then each of us started celebrating differently, there were parties at our friend's places and then life changed after we started working, formed our separate gangs, celebrated with work crowd, sometimes, and then got married and new year celebrations took a different turn since then.
Last couple of years we have been travelling during the winter vacations. Before that, it was either partying with friends or family or sometimes both. The little girl inside me still misses the innocent personal celebration that used to happen on the terrace. The ice cream walk with Dad, in the cold night, putting our fingers to the lips and blowing out the fog pretending that we are smoking. The chatter, the discussion of crushes, the plans for the future between me and my cousin. It was simplicity at it's best.
With the bombardment of pictures on social media, the pressure to cave in has increased. Why?
So what if you are not partying at a popular pub?
So what if you are not travelling to an exotic location?
So what if you are not drinking the night away?
So what if you are not invited to any party?
So what if you are not at a resort?
Celebrations are personal just like everything else.
Sitting with your loved ones is as much a celebration as going to a pub.
Covering yourself up, cosying in front of the TV, watching anything from the variety of movie domains we have these days is a celebration too. Do what you like, ring it in the way you want. Don't let anyone ruin your moment for you.
Celebrations like happiness, is a state of mind.
For some it is achieved by being with people they love, they have fun with, they vibe with.
For some, it could be sleeping by 10, and wishing everyone a happy new year the next day, because the truth is, at 12:01 it will not cease to be a new year.
For some, it's just another date on the calendar. That's it.
Just because, your friends are doing something which you aren't doing, should not dampen your spirits. Welcome the new year the way you want. Every year, millions die without seeing a new year, every year millions are born ringing in a happy new year. Choose what you want to dwell upon, they are the sides of the same coin.
Last year, I was on a boat, ashore on an Asian island. It was the first time for me. The year before that, I was on the hills, it was a different experience then too. And years before these experiences, it was a fun time with close people who mattered. How is it going to be this year? I still don't know.
All I know is that 2019, like every other new year, pictures or not, parties or not, will be welcomed with a small prayer. With white flowers on my idol, like every year.
Life by itself, is a collection of moments, and you can celebrate any moment any time, without waiting for a special occassion.
I remember this quote, which I really like,
'Some of the best moments of my life are never captured by cameras and are not posted on any social media platforms. They are cherished with the best people'.
It is true. In the process of clicking pics and sharing instantly, we have possibly forgotten to relish and soak - in the moment. The memories I created with my sister and cousins, with an indulgent father, I do not have pictures, but it's vivid in my mind like a photographic memory. :)
So, I pack up here, and will now focus on my baking marathon. Two more posts before I wind up 2018, which will happen soon. :)
Finished my rounds, and caught up with my friends who were out for their morning walk. We parked ourselves in our layout under the sun chatting away. Today the topic was "what plans for 31st"?
When one of the girls spoke very sadly, that all her friends have plans of taking a vacation/going for an NYE event/dinner and drinks at someone's place/drinking and going crazy at a pub, while she was "just going to be home". She was all the more upset, that while her friends would be going crazy posting pics all over social media, she would not have anything 'interesting' to share, and it would be embarrassing.
I walked back with my head full of thoughts, precisely why the blog ;)
What's with this celebration pressure?
I remember the time when we were all very small, we did not even understand what 'new year' meant. But life was still good. While growing up also, we would watch some programmes on DD, on 31st and sleep before the clock struck 12. Next morning, wish each other happy new year. It was still a new year, we did not miss anything by not staying awake till 12.
The fancy of staying awake struck when we reached our teens... my cousin and I were 16, and she had come over to our place for Christmas vacation like every year. That year, 4 of us - my sister, my cousins and I decided to ring in the new year and stay awake till 12. My Dad decided to fund our lil party by getting us Pepsi and Gold spot, packets of chips, pastries and snacks from Anjalika (still one of my fav spots). We convinced our Mom and aunts to cook something special for dinner. They turned it into a dinner buffet, more so because they also wanted to park themselves in front of the TV in the cold winter-y night (Delhi used to be really cold those days). DD used to air special NY programmes. The fare was shahi paneer, dal makhani, mixed vegetables, Kashmiri pulao, rotis, salad, raita, papad, chowmein, homemade manchurian gravy. It was amazing.
Post dinner, Dad took all of us to Nirula's, where I remember, my cousin and I would reach out for the hot chocolate fudge or HCF as it's popularly known, pack it to eat at midnight, Dad being the Santa Claus he was would get us nutty buddy to eat on the way. My sister and my other cousin were not icecream fans - can you believe that??? They would just settle for vanilla and strawberry respectively.
We would carry our celebration junk to the terrace, cosy ourselves in the small room converted into an office for my Dad. spread out our drinks and eatables, listen to the non-stop dance numbers on the radio. Dance and celebrate till 12, with each other and wish happy new year, go back down to our place and crash. That was the tradition we started, continued for a couple of years, then each of us started celebrating differently, there were parties at our friend's places and then life changed after we started working, formed our separate gangs, celebrated with work crowd, sometimes, and then got married and new year celebrations took a different turn since then.
Last couple of years we have been travelling during the winter vacations. Before that, it was either partying with friends or family or sometimes both. The little girl inside me still misses the innocent personal celebration that used to happen on the terrace. The ice cream walk with Dad, in the cold night, putting our fingers to the lips and blowing out the fog pretending that we are smoking. The chatter, the discussion of crushes, the plans for the future between me and my cousin. It was simplicity at it's best.
With the bombardment of pictures on social media, the pressure to cave in has increased. Why?
So what if you are not partying at a popular pub?
So what if you are not travelling to an exotic location?
So what if you are not drinking the night away?
So what if you are not invited to any party?
So what if you are not at a resort?
Celebrations are personal just like everything else.
Sitting with your loved ones is as much a celebration as going to a pub.
Covering yourself up, cosying in front of the TV, watching anything from the variety of movie domains we have these days is a celebration too. Do what you like, ring it in the way you want. Don't let anyone ruin your moment for you.
Celebrations like happiness, is a state of mind.
For some it is achieved by being with people they love, they have fun with, they vibe with.
For some, it could be sleeping by 10, and wishing everyone a happy new year the next day, because the truth is, at 12:01 it will not cease to be a new year.
For some, it's just another date on the calendar. That's it.
Just because, your friends are doing something which you aren't doing, should not dampen your spirits. Welcome the new year the way you want. Every year, millions die without seeing a new year, every year millions are born ringing in a happy new year. Choose what you want to dwell upon, they are the sides of the same coin.
Last year, I was on a boat, ashore on an Asian island. It was the first time for me. The year before that, I was on the hills, it was a different experience then too. And years before these experiences, it was a fun time with close people who mattered. How is it going to be this year? I still don't know.
All I know is that 2019, like every other new year, pictures or not, parties or not, will be welcomed with a small prayer. With white flowers on my idol, like every year.
Life by itself, is a collection of moments, and you can celebrate any moment any time, without waiting for a special occassion.
I remember this quote, which I really like,
'Some of the best moments of my life are never captured by cameras and are not posted on any social media platforms. They are cherished with the best people'.
It is true. In the process of clicking pics and sharing instantly, we have possibly forgotten to relish and soak - in the moment. The memories I created with my sister and cousins, with an indulgent father, I do not have pictures, but it's vivid in my mind like a photographic memory. :)
So, I pack up here, and will now focus on my baking marathon. Two more posts before I wind up 2018, which will happen soon. :)
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