The Spark

by Gauri Trivedi

[box]Sources of inspiration are many. Gauri too is inspired by certain things that she sees around her. What is it that keeps the spark alive for her? Read on.[/box]

Often, I marvel at the uniqueness of a sequence as repetitive as the day and night. Announcing itself every crack of the dawn, a day begins somewhere in the world. As the seconds unfold from noon to dusk, it ends subtly with an orange-ish glow. The sun then proceeds to hide, a precursor enough for darkness to intervene.

Unsurprisingly, it feels like there is no respite from the tedium that sets in. The encase of dreariness though, is a mirage created by mottled vision. The day is not as mundane as it appears to be. In reality, one day follows another and yet, every day is a brand new day with offerings and challenges of its own.

There is a special something that wakes us up, makes us embrace each day as it comes. I believe that the zest for life, the desire to live, is

fueled by the inspirations we seek. If we have nothing to look forward to, we would no longer be alive. Sure, we would be breathing and tackling the nuisances that come along the way each day but mere breathing is not living, just as death is not disappearance. We stop living when the years pass by, tacit and hollow, never utilized for what they were meant. Just like the surrounding air, floating around but utterly futile, if never inhaled.

That special something can be anything under the sun. It can be one of those “Yes, I can!” books sitting high on the bookshelf. It can also be a person you revere and look up to or even an imaginary muse! Consciously or not, there is a catalyst which keeps the spark alive.

To me though, inspiration is less personal.  Let me explain.

The spaces around me are ubiquitously filled with ordinary people. But as I look closer, snippets of brilliance emerge, confounding me, leaving me content.

Like the renowned chef who willingly shares his bestselling recipe with a friend. Not a thought or deliberation over the non-profitability of such an act, never an ounce of distrust on the recipient of the delicacy.

Or the clerk at the counter of a superstore, who returns a wallet left behind by a hurried customer. Not a moment of regret on the honest conduct. Never worried about the minimum wages earned at the end of an arduous month.

Like the traveler in a train, weary and beat, offers his seat to an elder in need without being asked. Just half way through his journey, he knows he has a long way to go and yet there is no doubt on the impulse to help.

Or the settled native who welcomes home a far-off acquaintance eager to blend. Not because she needs any more friends, but because in the reluctant smile and the guarded stance of the new-in-town, she sees herself from a decade back.

Like the mother who loves blindly and still sees through the lies of her child. When fingers are pointed on a misdeed, she does not rush to defend. She refuses to shield the culprit from the penalty that his consequences will bear. Like every mother’s instinct, she craves from inside to protect, but deep within her heart she acknowledges the truth from the wrong.

To me, inspiration comes unearthed in minute forms like these, barely visible, effortlessly ignored. I believe it is that very ‘ordinariness’ around that makes the world a better place, motivates me, and makes me feel good about life, for it outshines rare magnitude by a million times.

Gauri Trivedi is a former business law professional who makes the law at home these days. A Mom to two lovely daughters, her days are filled with constant learning and non- stop fun. All of her “mommy time” goes into writing and finds itself on her blog pages http://messyhomelovelykids.blogspot.com/ and  http://pastaandparatha.blogspot.com/ and if she is not writing she is definitely reading something!

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