With God in sight

Have you ever wished for something so much that you are even willing to pray for it, which is a radical departure for you since you do not normally wish, pray or compromise? I have been for a while now and just ramped up my efforts, just to keep the proverbial wolf at bay. What is the wolf and which bay and what is this all about? I cannot tell at this time, sorry, but ask that you join me in the wishing, praying and willing whatever it is to be the way I want it to be. They say that the best prayers are for strength; that is what I want most of all, to deal with whatever happens...or I pray does not. The rest is a bonus.

All that apart, I was watching from my living room window as a young couple who live in the building stoof in front of their car parked downstairs, lit a few agarbattis and said prayers, eyes closed, with some to-me-unknown ritual in progress. They had the hood of the vehicle open, had placed a vivid marigold on the edge of the engine and went through the puja with obvious reverence. Today is Dassehra, also Ayudha puja, when all things mechanical are worshipped, in order to make sure that they work well for you and as whatever they have been created to be. When my mother was alive, she would put a tiny dot of kumkum on all the household gadgets, from the computer to the fridge, and then say various prayers for all that we used, from the car to the food processor. I am not especially clued in to all this formal ritual, but I do make that silent wish and a quiet thank you to the powers that be for keeping us going with all the help that we have acquired in the form of machines that do whatever they do to make life easier.

For me, a special occasion is about family. As long as mine is safe with me, I really don't care about the rites that I should observe as a Tamilian Brahmin, but make sure that at least some of the prescribed food is served up and the house and its inhabitants are clean, neat and feeling a little virtuous, if not embodying the qualities of a pious being. Small Cat usually participates in all that goes on, from watching me cook from her perch on the microwave oven to warily peeking at the new washing machine spinning with the shrill whirr characteristic of a plane taking of, to licking a little fresh-made kheer off my finger when I hold it under her nose. If there is a small puja to be done - as we try and manage on Ganesh Chaturthi and Deepavali day - she is held and made part of the general blessing process. And even as she squirms and squeaks and demands her freedom, she seems to know that there is something important going on and she needs to be part of it.

As for Father and me, we have developed our own version of whatever the occasion demands. So far, it seems to be working. Whoever there is up there is still watching over us. Part of my wish and prayer is for that power to keep doing so....