WAKING THOUGHTS

Tell me if this happens to you, too. One wakes up in the morning, and on the threshold of sleep and wakefulness some little snatch of a tune or a long forgotten melody creeps into one’s consciousness. One does not even pay heed to it, usually.

The whole day passes, as days are wont to pass. Sometimes the little wisp of song comes back to the surface; at other times it retreats to unknown depths. As night falls and bed time approaches again, one suddenly finds oneself humming the same tune again, mostly without realizing it, and often quite clearly audible atleast to oneself!

I have nothing to say about it; it happens - the first waking thought somehow springs back to the fore again before retiring.

But one thing has gradually become apparent; that with a little deliberate schooling of one’s mind, a little prayer for help, if the first thoughts can be infused with an element of Grace, Wonder, Gratitude or Love; if one can deliberately smile in those waking moments which are one’s own, the same thought or smile or lightness or glow tends to resurface at odd times during the day, and quite definitely pays a visit, albeit fleeting, before sleep descends upon closed eyes at night.

I encourage you to try it, as one of the most basic forms of what is dubbed as meditation, for want of a more eloquent word. Worship… surrender … gracefulness… oneness… harmony… contentment. Try it. Practise it. Let it become a matter of routine; to wake up in a spirit of graceful serenity, find yourself glowing for no reason at odd times in the day, and have a pleasant thought bouncing up at you as you close your eyes at night.

If you need a reason to smile, picture anything pleasant; the way the small hair curl at the nape of her neck, the smell of him drawn in in a deep breath at his cheek, the grasp of a child’s hand, the smile of a grandparent’s love, the feel of cold grass on your shoulders as your puppy plays over your chest, or simply wonder at this amazing world.

Routine, followed often enough, becomes habit. Smile.