My very first blog post from way back in 2012 was Experimenting with Miracles and I feel like this is a good year to revisit magic and miracles. I don’t pretend to be an authority on this subject but I’ve had my fair share of poor fortunes and testing times. When you are in the thick of it, all seems bleak and gloomy. It feels like the last drop of hope you managed to squeeze out of yourself has dried out or in no match for the latest adversity that has fallen on you. Basically you feel like you may NEVER be able to get out of the funk you find yourself in. But nothing is further from the truth.
In a year where so many of us have lost loved ones, jobs, our sanity, precious businesses built from life savings and our health, it is hard to be hopeful. It seems foolish to believe that we will be miraculously saved. I for one could not find a job during the pandemic but a freelance writing opportunity showed up and that kept me busy through the months I was separated from my family in the U.S. That to me was a small miracle.
Getting out of Kerala and back to Chennai where my dad was all by himself seemed like a miracle. It took three attempts to get out, thanks to e-pass requirements to travel between states. So when I actually got on the plane and it took off (planes could get cancelled in the last minute) I teared up. I couldn’t believe that I was finally on my way back to Chennai.
Now getting back to the U.S. was another story. After months of waiting for flight options other than Air India, I finally had to relent. Although I put on a brave face and boarded a non-stop flight from India to the U.S., the enormity of the risk I was taking was not lost on me. But on the wings of an angel, I made it to Raleigh. A cousin I had never met was also on the flight with me and somehow that was comforting. The day I arrived was a gorgeous sunny day with white fluffy clouds and clear skies.
I quarantined for 14 days and every day I did not develop symptoms was a miracle to me. The day I got out of quarantine was Christmas day. A day known for miracles and magic because on this day one of the greatest men earth has ever known was born. And on this year more than any year, I could feel a miracle waiting to happen. Not just for me but for the entire planet and all of humanity.
I witnessed miracles in other people’s lives as well, in case you think I’m just fibbing about miracles. A close family friend was scheduled to have a major surgery during the pandemic but it got cancelled eventually and that was nothing short of a miracle. Another friend moved to her dream home and also found another job. It was something that had seemed impossible to her a year ago.
The biggest miracle of this year has been all the love I have received from so many souls, near and far, who have prayed for me, listened to me when I needed a ear, and showered me with innumerable gifts. So much so that what could have been the worst year of my life, somehow did not feel that way. It truly felt like I was carried through this year by the divine.
So I urge you to look back on your year and find those small miracles that helped you through. I believe that bigger miracles are waiting for you. Use the next couple of days to envision a miraculous year for you, your loved ones, and the world. We are so much more powerful when we channel all our energy, prayers, and visions towards one common goal. I’m envisioning everyone healthy, with clean air, water, and nourishing food for all, abundance and joy all around, and so much love that every heart is full and overflowing. Here’s wishing you a miraculous 2021!
Punctuate Life 