This pandemic gave me eyes to find beauty in everything and also helped me to bring out my hidden potential. My love for gardening, photography and closeness to nature have blossomed during this time. This was a blessing in disguise for me. Besides a good diet and lifestyle, happiness is a vital part of being healthy. Having a hobby gives you happiness and adds quality to your life.
By Durga Mukhia
As I open my window to enjoy the morning sunrise, my thoughts reach out far away to my childhood days. It starts reflecting on the long-lost memories that flood in wave after wave. I can remember our house with the bedroom windows being opened to let the fresh air from where one can enjoy the splendor of morning sunrise. The golden touch of the sun rays on every flower seemed so heavenly which has left an indelible impression on my mind.
The sweet and warm smell of sweet peas, carnation, freesia, magnolia, and jasmine will never part from me. They are still lingering around me with everlasting freshness. I remember the soft whistling of the breeze with the sweet smell of flowers and fruits. I still remember vividly how I would help my mother and sisters to fill the vases with aromatic flowers in the house. My childhood revolved around flowers like a garland of memories. There is beauty in the memories of warm spring days and it reminds me of my family growing up together, playing together in the field covered with daisies and lilies. I grew up in Kalimpong, a beautiful town which is situated in the eastern Himalayas in the altitude of 1300-1500 m above sea level. Kalimpong is also known as second Holland. The influence of climatic conditions for growth and flowering is best experienced here. Unless one can visit and stay there, they will not understand the meaning of the town’s peace and tranquillity. It is Home to flowers and similarly my heart became home to flowers.
I regard myself lucky to be in Tea as a Planter’s wife where I could connect myself with gardening. I got ample time to grow, care, nurture and look after flowers that allowed me to express and bring out the beauty in front of me. I took every opportunity to make my garden look absolutely fabulous with its profusion of flowers, herbs, shrubs and trees which beautify the surroundings and infuse health in the body and mind by their cheerful effect. My heart bloomed with happiness during the flowering season.
The last one and a half years have been difficult for all the people in the world. We all are cooped up with families for a long period of time within four walls. I tried to make best use of this adverse time in immersing myself in hobbies like gardening and photography which gave me profound happiness. Flower was an inspiration for me to embrace photography as a new hobby. I produced plenty of photos in a very artistic, visual, and creative way and started sharing with friends and loved ones. I received appreciation which boosted my inner strength. Then I realized there were no boundaries on the direct path of doing what you love to do, and sooner or later your talent will see the world. In this era of internet, posting and sharing of photos have become a great source of recreation. Everyone likes to take pride of their photography.
The smallest lens acts as a portal which can show us the images of the whole world. Holding a powerful smartphone in my hand, I unlocked the ability to capture stunning photos wherever I go. Anyone with a camera can be called a photographer but it takes persistent practice and interest to acquire skill in any field. My passion for skill in producing high quality photographs grew. Snapping each different flower in the morning had become a ritual. I found photography to be very inspiring which prompted me to go outdoors more often that helped me to explore and connect with nature, my New World. My family accompanied me for morning and evening walks with great enthusiasm. It made them sensitive to our nature and environment. It’s important to teach our children to see and love the flowers, the trees, the birds, the butterflies, yes, Nature. It helps in restoring balance to save the mankind from the impending catastrophe.
A charming atmosphere elevates the human soul above the daily drudgery of this world, guides it towards the pleasant unknown.
Spending time with nature in capturing outdoor shots of widespread paddy fields, rolling hills of luscious greenery to acres of beautifully manicured tea bushes spreading over the countryside was so delightful. I found so much peace in my new world. I experienced abundance of knowledge and endless teachings. I learned that every aspect of nature has something worth learning for everyone.
Even a small creature like butterfly taught me valuable lessons. The butterfly is a fragile creature which has a long journey of struggles which starts from it coming out of it’s cocoon till turning into a beautiful life, filling the world with colours. It taught me that within you is the power to rise above any situation or struggle and transform into the Brightest and Strongest version of You Ever. I got the opportunity to learn from nature through its various forms. Each season has its own message for us, and that change is the only constant in life. I enjoy sunny summer with the warmth and liveliness, the monsoon with it’s natural spring, water bodies and waterfalls, the chillness of winter, blossoms of spring and nostalgic feeling of the autumn.
This pandemic gave me eyes to find beauty in everything and also helped me to bring out my hidden potential. My love for gardening, photography and closeness to nature have blossomed during this time. This was a blessing in disguise for me. Besides a good diet and lifestyle, happiness is a vital part of being healthy. Having a hobby gives you happiness and adds quality to your life.
Every photo that I have captured through the lens has an emotion attached which I wish to treasure and recall in later part of my life. It has brought a transformation in my life, my thoughts and actions and filled my heart with purity. The joy of spending morning time in taking photos of nature is a blissful experience. During this time of dawn, the body is refreshed after sleep and the peregrinations of daytime will not yet have been imprinted on you. Flowers seem to be meditating to welcome the gracious emergence of glowing sun, the light of all life. The early morning silence punctuated by the shrill notes of various creatures and melody of birds are glorious. Those who follow the law of nature enjoys the real essence of life, which illumines all the senses, thereby adding more quality and age to your life. My passion and love for flowers led me to healthy and life-long hobbies like gardening and photography which eventually introduced me to Nature, a wonderful gift from GOD.
(Durga Mukhia was Born and brought up in Kalimpong but now residing in Silchar, Assam. She loves nature and literature. Respects philosophy of all religions.)