Real Happy Diwali ‘2020’!! :)

12 Nov Real Happy Diwali ‘2020’!! :)

Season’s Greetings!

So the Diwali is around the corner and preparations are on at full throttle.

Like every other festival this year, this Diwali is going to be different too.  While the manner might not be same but the happiness of catching up with loved ones will still be the same; the parties will not be same but the food can be same; the grandeur cannot be same but let the real significance of these auspicious days remain the same – the victory of light over darkness.

Also, the festival shopping – new clothes, sweets and delicacies, gifts for dear ones, diyas and lanterns and….crackers??? Umm…

Talking of crackers and fireworks, at least this Diwali there should be a complete ban on these pollution-enhancing packets that burn a hole in the pocket along with the atmosphere and especially this year, with all the patients who are either suffering from the COVID-19 infection or those who are at risk; the crackers burn a hole in the lungs too. So what to do with the money that was budgeted for buying crackers, loads of gifts, sweets and other things that we will not be able to actually spend on this year. While saving is obviously the best option the second-best option is Giving.

“No one has ever become poor by giving.”- Anne Frank

I think we should use that money to brighten up lives that have been in dark due to this pandemic. Street children, stray animals, underprivileged women, specially-abled, old age homes, orphanages, daily wage earners and more – we can pick a cause close to the heart and find a right way to help those in need. If nothing else, the least we can do is buy diyas, rangoli colours, decorations etc from local roadside stalls and not bargain with them for a small amount. Also, we can give generously to the staff or helpers working for us without cringing when they ask for their annual ‘Diwali Tip’.

Just blaming the system and showing helplessness in finding the correct NGO or group will not help the needy. It is their Diwali too.

Donate clothes, sweets, woollens, books, stationery, toys, small amounts of cash, basic grocery, masks, sanitizers. (read previous post- ‘JOY OF GIVING’) while keeping strict adherence to the precautions – sanitization, social distancing and masks.

Get up, figure out and give – in whatever small or big way you can because there is no joy like Giving.

We can make THEIR and OUR Diwali special this way.

Happy Giving!

Have a Happy and safe Diwali! 🙂