Things We Remember from Long Ago: Guidance from Spontaneous Thoughts

When we allow our memories and spontaneous thoughts to guide us

When We Don't 

I started this on April 24, 2020.

I spoke with Mother, as I do almost everyday.  I was tired and sad.  

She started mumbling a song. I did not understand that.  She remembers words and melody, but cannot sing it very well.  

I went quiet.  It was beautiful to be lulled into peace by her. 

Mother mumbled the song again. I had never heard it. 

After I hung up, I googled the song.  

When i looked at the date, I was surprised. On our next call, I asked her you were way too young to understand its meaning.  

"Oh i heard it much later in my teens."  We used to hum it.  India had movies, but not TVs yet. Cities started to get television from 1960s onwards.  By the time I was growing up, in the 70s and 80s I do not remember past the age of six not having television at home.  But later when I moved to the US and met people from other towns and cities they said that it arrived to them in the late 80s.  What I remember about the 80s is that I TV would need repair and those few days without it were dreadful.  Also how we ran from another room to watch a TV ad.  TV ads were 30 second stories and just brightened our day.  

Back to the song my mother is singing.  Its a pathetic song. I mean it is a sad love song.  But revelatory of the 40-50s music.  Love-lorn, but sad because of unrequited love. 

bahe na kabhi nain se neer, uthi ho chahe jitne peer, bawre yehi preet ki reet.

Never cry, never let it (water) flow from your eyes, no matter how much pain is in your heart, such are the ways of love, O'Silly One, such are the ways of life.  You can watch it here. 

We can talk about the pointlessness of this pain in another post.  But here, what I wanted to share was that there are things we remember from the past and they just pop up into our heads, songs, poems, stories.  They are all there to give us a direction. 

I also think that when these things pop into our minds, they are there to guide us.  So yes the song was pathetic, but the way my mind reminded me, was actually her way of saying, crying is no use, count your blessings and be happy. 

These reminders are like light filtering through a forest and fog of thoughts, to show us the path. 

May you use guidance from things long before that pop into your mind as an inspiration to continue the path of light, smile and be grateful.