There is a moment I once experienced.
A scene in which I saw.
That stands prominent in my memory.
At that moment, I was in awe.
I recall the scene as precious.
Genuine.
Serene.
It is stored away in my mind
As a reminder
Of the beauty in the small things.
I did not take a photo.
I did not even think to touch my phone.
I was captivated by the moment
That felt to be the purest of them all.
I was in the village in which I had been living.
In India itself.
Surrounded by palm trees and luscious greenery
A scene impeccable in and of itself.
It was a day like any other.
An auto-rickshaw ride home from a day spent training.
A friend asked me if I had seen the place
Where the water flows to from the streams.
He asked if I was interested.
Of course, I was eager to see.
We pulled off onto a road
Situated to the right.
We had driven past it every day.
Though it was never in my sight.
After a few bumps, twists and turns
In front of me stood a vision
Like nothing I had ever seen.
The streams flowed into a waterfall
That would then collect to form a pond.
But it was not this natural formation
That took my breath away from what I saw.
There were women in the water.
Some knee or hip deep.
They wore saris of saturated color
That glistened in the sun's beam.
They washed their belongings in the water
As they talked amongst themselves.
Some began to sing.
There was laughter and community.
Love for one another
In that moment could be seen.
If you can imagine in your mind
As I continue to write these words out.
The sound of flowing water
Mixed with the sounds created by this scene throughout.
They used the stones within the water
As washboards to clean their clothes.
They would smack the clothes against those formations
To ensure the cleanliness would impose.
They would talk amongst themselves.
They would chatter and sing.
The birds that would surround
Were also heard throughout this scene.
I sat on a rock
That stood near the water's edge.
Speechless at the moment
Even more grateful for this life journey
Onto which I had been led.
Tears formed in my eyes.
One scurried down my cheek.
As I strove to take in this precious moment
So in my mind,
Forever it could keep.
It has been challenging to find words
To describe my time in India.
For in my soul, the memories are precious.
Words never seem to be enough.
How can I articulate the deep connection
That I feel to this place within my soul?
How can I find words to justify
The heartfelt sense of gratitude that I hold?
It is moments like this
And many, many more
That I pray I can articulate
So others can see a glimpse into the precious memories that I hold.
It was a profound etching of culture.
A grand depiction of life.
A deep privilege to experience
And come to understand in my life.
Women laughing and singing
Embracing this moment that, for some, may seem mundane.
Finding joy in the small things that, in this life,
We live along our way.
Another piece that felt so pure
So refreshing and grand;
The fact that this moment was the ordinary.
Nothing special in this land.
To immerse themselves in the water
To carry out this part of their day.
Happiness in the small things.
Happiness, as they live along their way.
What if we grasped the small things
The duties and tasks that we take on throughout our days
Accomplished them with grace
Chose to laugh along our way?
I did not ponder much of anything
In that moment in which I was there.
I was captivated by my eye's vision.
Nothing would break my stare.
As I have continued on in life.
As this moment lives as a memory.
It continues to be deeply profound
And meaningful to me.
I am aware that doing laundry
Is not a scene that may seem grand.
But that is not what I focus on from this moment
That is not what makes this memory stand.
I focus on the beauty
That I saw on that day.
The once inexistent portrait
That I experienced along the way.
The sense of community.
The joy and laughter that was there.
The embrace of the normal.
The tactical pieces of life that we all share.
The reminder that we can create beauty
In any part of this journey that we call life.
The reminder that we can cultivate community.
That we can enjoy the small things.
Find laughter in the grand gestures
And even in the small moments in between.
A note from Melanie Jane
Thank you for taking a moment of your time to visualize this precious scene with me. ✧
The sketch above depicts the natural formation created by the waterfall and pond. I left the women out of the sketch so that your mind could envision the scene as you read or listen to my words. It is my hope that others may find their own meaning from this scene that I experienced along my way.
