Years back on an eve of New Year while we lived in the beautiful bays of Besant Nagar, I took a stroll to a nearby shop to buy a gift for my friend who had been too special to me in many ways. I have known her for quite some years but we never verbally talked while we have interacted tons and tons of times with just glances, smiles and actions. Yes, she was born Mute.

We lived in a quarters and during those days people who ask for alms were commonly seen everywhere and they were allowed inside our campus too.

They shout out loud asking for alms and the very sound sends alarming signals to my heart and mind. My silent friend was one of them.

I befriended her in my 2^nd grade while sitting in the balcony having a bite of an evening snack. She just stopped there and stretched her hands towards me with the saddest face that I could ever remember. I offered my snack to her and she gratefully received it and asked in action if she can have some water.

My granny being a very strict person doesn’t allow such things to happen as easily as it could, So I quickly sneaked inside to get some water in the gardening water jug, as its spout can go out of the grill to feed her water.

As I poured, she drank until the entire water jug was emptied and smiled back with the most beautiful smile ever. My love at first sight was “Her” ❤️

The loudest message that her gratified eyes conveyed for the little portion of stuff that she got is something that I decided to carry for the rest of my life.

Without saying a word she said “Gratitude has the ability to turn what we have into enough and more” – it’s a miracle that can turn a meal to a feast, a stranger to a friend.

Our silent meetings continued secretively but with longevity. In due course her body language changed, her smiles visited often than she thought it could and her emotions surprised her with some new experiences, one of which was “Never did she knew that tears can appear even in happiness”

On the eve of New Year, I decided to get a small gift for her with the little money in the study table. Our childhood wasn’t familiar with anything called as pocket money, so with the few coins and a 10 rupee note that I had, all I could fetch was a gift box which was loosely packed with a soap, a comb, a powder tin, coconut oil, few hair-clips and a mirror.

That glittering glee on her face while she opened the box was the most beautiful scene my eyes have seen far by.

A number of reasons for which I ought to be grateful flashed my mind like a cold gentle breeze on a hot sunny day, as she expressed her thankfulness. Her angelic being within her motioned to express how larger she felt in comparison with the rest of her circle.

“The Gift of Gratitude” was a priceless virtue that she gave me in return for the little that she received. It was a day that unleashed the transformation, freedom and liberty a pinch of gratitude can bring and how it can manifest in oneself.

Some of the most exemplary and precious essence of Gratitude is – It gives you a magical sense to find a way despite a closed road, hope in the midst of troubled waters, heart to love despite 100 reasons to hate, ability to think through clearly amidst clouded confusions, a heart to rejoice even when the whole world drifts apart and a great feeling of contented life despite so many valid reason to complain.

If there could be one thing that I feel no one could ever master is “Gratitude” and the one thing to which I wish forever to be a student is again “Gratitude”.

Gratitude Unlocks the fullness of Life, a thankful heart opens our eyes to a multitude of blessings that continually surround us and a Grateful heart paves innumerable ways to Serve, Love and Heal.