One recent evening, I was waiting outside a friend’s apartment while she was on her way down to receive me. The garden below was decorated with strings of warm fairy lights for Diwali.
I have always been drawn to warm white lights. So, while taking in the beauty of the place around me, my attention gradually wandered towards the garden.
A Garden in Warm Light
The flowers seemed gentler. The leaves revealed delicate textures and veins that might otherwise have remained unnoticed. The warm glow had not changed the flowers or the plants themselves, yet it had given them a quiet presence that invited a second look.
As often happens, I found myself reaching for my phone, trying to preserve what I was seeing.
The entire experience lasted no more than ten minutes.
A Realisation Beyond the Garden
Yet it left me with a realization that felt deeply connected to the spirit of Diwali.
Perhaps Diwali is not only about the lights we decorate our homes with. Perhaps it is also about the warmth we bring into the lives of those around us, throughout the year.
Illuminating One Another with Warmth
The fairy lights simply illuminated the petals and leaves, allowing their beauty to become more noticeable.
Humans can do something similar.
Through our thoughts, words, actions, and presence, we have the ability to bring warmth into another person’s life. Not only through grand gestures, but through small and consistent acts that help others feel seen, valued, and appreciated.
Like the fairy lights in the garden, warmth may appear subtle, yet its impact can be enduring.
We do not always change people. Sometimes we simply create the conditions for qualities that were already within them to shine.
The lights of Diwali are transient.
The warmth they inspire within us can remain for a lifetime.
Shubho Deepaboli!
Serenity begins within us.
– Ambalika Dey
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