In this day and age where people have no time to acknowledge the role that family members play in their lives, it is quite rare to find good friends and relatives who not only play important roles in our lives, but also acknowledge the contributions that we make to their lives as well.
I remember the stories that my dad used to tell me about growing up as a joint family with six brothers, two sisters and countless cousins in small town Kerala in the 50s and 60s. Almost all these stories had at least one brother or a cousin or an elderly uncle who had helped out with something or the other that has had a lasting impact on my father’s life; it could be something as simple as developing the habit of cleanliness or something as complicated as helping out in learning and mastering the discipline of Financial Accounting. However, one thing that stood out in all these stories was the unadulterated gratitude that my father has for all the contributions that all these people have had in his life.
As for me and my generation, given that almost all my friends and me have to endure terrible commutes to office on a daily basis and have to face extreme work pressure in extremely competitive workplaces, means that we probably don’t recognize or thank all the people who have had a positive impact on our lives. And on the rare ocassions that we do, those days turn out to be celebrations, no less.
And these days are celebrations of the happiness of the good times in life that are probably a direct or an indirect result of the wonderful contributions of these people. All the contentment, laughter and banter that are part of these days end up creating memories and form the topics of conversations for future get-togethers and gatherings. And the best part is that these celebrations don’t necessarily have to be large scale parties in posh hotels or pubs. They could be something as simple as a bunch of four or five friends getting together at a common friend’s place, having some good food coupled with some awesome conversations. And add the omnipresent Coca Cola to the mix, and lo and behold, you have some memories which last for a lifetime.
I am blessed enough to have at least three good friends who have been with me through thick and thin for the last three decades of my life. And to double these blessings, the family that I married into brought some wonderful relationships in the form of my in-laws and a wonderful co-brother as well into my life. This small group of people make up my small relationship circle, and whenever I am spending any time with these people, either in groups or individually, means that I am having a really good time. In fact, this post itself is being typed out at the fag end of one such weekend where my wife and me have driven down to Hosur, just to spend some time with my sister in law and her husband. Although there was no fixed agenda to the day trip, the fact remains that we are having quite a bit of fun, and that, to me, is what true happiness is about; spending quality time in the company of people who don’t judge you, don’t make fun of you, don’t expect anything in return, and who only have unconditional love and companionship to share with you.
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This post is part of the Coca Cola campaign to celebrate the International Day of Happiness. Check out their awesome TVC below
