04/22/2024
On my way out, a five hundred rupee note was squeezed into my hands from the trembling hands of an elderly gentleman at an old age home. Upon declining a few times, he insisted gently, saying to me, "For the petrol." I looked into his kind and grateful eyes and tried hard to control my eyes from welling up, took the boundless treasure hidden within the printed paper, and touched his feet to pay my respect. As I walked away, I felt ever so grateful for the bounty of love pouring from the hearts of the residents of Krist Raj Bhawan.
On my last day of a voluntary seven day chair yoga session at an old age home, our hearts were filled with gratitude and my eyes with tears.
The rewards I reaped from the journey outweigh everything else I did on my trip to Goa.
However, the part I struggle with the most is saying goodbye. It's when I realized the most how much I'd received in the process. The depth of gratitude is overwhelming, and I momentarily wonder, "Did I give enough?"
Although, in that moment, it becomes extremely easy to feel the Divinity residing within all present, there is also a bitter pain of parting that follows.
I still struggle with this challenge. However, in my little experience, I have also found a way to make it easier. The great Yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda, talks about sending our love from within the depths of our hearts to all those we miss or love. The pain leaves or transcends into love as we send our love and heals both the sender and the receiver. Having tried this other times, I know the great efficacy of this practice!
Service to others can open portals of joy within, and once you taste it, nothing else remains the same.
