Day 11: For the Peace Within

Today, I am thankful for…

1. The great start to the day that I had. It always lifts my spirits to listen to good music in the morning. And then the spirits just stay that high! It’s a gift really… And when the day starts with that one phone call, what else do you need??? It was the phone call that woke me up actually... I would’ve slept for a good three more hours at least otherwise… :P
2. The awesome food Amma made today. I tend to over eat when Amma makes certain daals and sabzis. If after all the workouts in the dance class, I happen to gain weight (forget about maintaining it… and losing weight seems like a distant possibility when I gorge on food like this) I would blame my mother… the food she makes; to be more precise. I just can’t help stop eating even after I’m full.
3. The visit to the Balaji Temple after almost two and a half months. For the last two months, I planned every week to go to the temple, but somehow I wasn’t able to. Today I decided that I would go there come what may. I usually like visiting the temple during mid-morning/ early afternoon or late evening when there are very few people around, so the temple is peaceful except for the Vaadyaars (Pundits) chanting hymns which add to the serenity of the temple’s environment; and after I’m done with offering my prayers to all the deities in the temple, I spend about fifteen minutes in front of the main deity just sitting there and trying to meditate. When I visited the temple today, I swear I could see the Balaji deity smile broader than usual. I feel that every time I go there after a long gap between visits. It’s as if He’s happy to see me there. I felt peaceful! :)
4. The Maggi recipe that I got from Tanuruh’s place (the addition of garlic and pepper to the normal tastemaker masala.) Since the time I tasted Maggi made that way, I haven’t been able to relish its taste when cooked in the old fashioned way. So when I was hungry in the evening, I had an entire packet, cooked with extra spices (I amended the recipe a little to my advantage by adding and altering a few ingredients) and I loved it! Loved it! Loved it!
5. The alone time I was able to spend at home this evening. Apart from devouring on the delicious Maggi, I spent the evening reading and listening to music, which again made me feel peaceful!!!! It was a good day indeed!!