THE BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE THIS MILLENIUM.
(enjoy our youtube offering below)
Forgive me
for some self-indulgence …
2020 Vision has taken on a new meaning in my life and in ‘our’ lives really. The world suffered from Covid-19 pandemic and we do not know how much more it is going to last or if one pandemic is going to lead into another. Only Waheguru knows or as the conspiracy theorists will say –
The Big Brother has planned all this and knows what He wants to do.
Maybe it is a means of reducing world population and shifting the balance of power into Big Brother’s hands, whoever Big Brother is and Governments become puppets in the hands of Big Brother!
Previously, we had a saying – Fact or Fiction. Today it is – Fact or Fake. And the line between Fact and Fake is very blurred. Even any ‘Factchecks’ today are dodgy!
Personally, I was mostly sick this year – drained of all energy, spending a great deal of my time half asleep in my favourite armchair, not able to read, get on my lap-top or even watch television properly. I was not able to go for my ‘walks’ simply because I did not have the energy and because I hated wearing the mask to step out – an emergency law in my state Victoria in Australia for the best part of the year.
The threat of Covid hung over my head. Had I contracted it and that was making me so tired? I also turned 70 this year. The good doctor did all kinds of tests – physical, blood, feces, heart and any other the doctor could think of tests were carried out. She declared me fit.
That made me even more despondent. Was the reason old age slowing me down? Was this the end for me? All sorts of negative thoughts flooded my mind for months as the world slowly shut down including our state and my body experiencing chronic fatigue, shutting down.
Sikhi, my family (my daughters), my close friends (who I shall not name, not wanting to embarrass them) played a great part in keeping me going and believing – “Dukh dharu such roag bheya…” I used to recite every evening at the start of Rehras Sahib. Jamel my dear eldest girl kept encouraging me to record my thoughts, more shabads and more bani.
(She self-learned how to video/audio record. She learned about youtube and the cyber market. She discovered that other major internet companies especially of Indian music had been fleecing us off, using our recordings to make money without any royalties to us!)
She kept me going, on the strength of Gurbani. I developed further insights into Sikhi – creating new ideas about making Sikh philosophy more relevant in the lives of modern-day Sikh youth especially. I did some writing and plenty of recording. Within all that Jamel and I produced a ‘mosaic’ shabad with members of SYA (Sikh Youth Australia) – “Mere Naal Hai”. Most enjoyable and fruitful.
There were days when my only spiritual discipline routine was to do parkash of Guru Ji, recite JapJi Sahib and Rehras Sahib in the evening. My good wife even did the Samapti.
Days stretched to weeks, to months! The news got gloomier and Trump, my main entertainment became more obnoxious!
Luckily, the family held good. All kept well except life partner Jessiee who also has not been well. Bless my daughters and grandchildren who have kept us going and kept going themselves. They are all in Chardhi Kala.
Last month (November 2020) I had a breakdown. A blackout in the morning and chest pains. Jamel rushed me to hospital where I was tubed up for a suspect heart attack. Further tests including a Covid and sleep apnoea were carried out.
I was suffering from severe sleep apnoea resulting in lack of oxygen in my blood. The Covid test showed that I had something called the rhino-flu and coupled with a very high pollen count leading to hay fever and acute asthma. Sitting around and eating well, I had also put on about 10 kgs more!
I was…EXHILARATED!
NOW I KNEW WHAT WAS WRONG! I am now armed with a sleep disorder machine (A Cpap machine?). A friend managed to extract the information of what was wrong with me and without my asking bought me a brand spanking new, top of the range cycling machine! Another acquaintance of Jamel gave us their late patriach’s old exercise machine! I wear this cpap machine mask every night and get a good sleep. I get on both cycling machines (they have different exercises) a few minutes a few times a day. And most importantly, still no daily doses of medication! Now if that is not a blessing and a wake-up call, what is?
There have been dark days, but for me, as far as I am concerned – 2020 HAS BEEN A GREAT YEAR!
WHY HAVE I WRITTEN ABOUT MYSELF? As a year-end reflection, I ask you, truly, to look at the year again from your perspective. Has it not been a great year for you? If nothing else has it not made you appreciate life more? That itself is a spiritual awakening.
There is a saying –
One has two lives in this lifetime as a human. The second life starts when you fully realise that you only have one! The second life is Chardhi Kala.
I wish you a very happy end-of-year for a great year. A year of self-reflection. So, what if you have been set back financially or maybe even lost your job. But did you not get the chance of spending more time with the family; did the jobs around the house too, which you had already been putting off because you were too busy?
And has it not helped you to realise how precious this life is, and we fritter it away chasing the mighty dollar (which no doubt is important) and not really getting your priorities right?
It is December 2020. Look for the bright side of the year gone so that you can build on that, and reassess, for 2021.
If not, reflect on the December of 1704 starting with the ending of the siege of Anandpur Sahib; the leaving of Anandpur Sahib in the middle of winter; perivar vishoda (separation of the family of Guru Gobind Singh Ji) at Sirsa River; the poignant martyrdoms of the Char Sahibzadays and martyrdom of Mata Gujri… and Guru Ji left alone, family-less and a fugitive. Was your 2020 any worse than what Guru Ji and his family went through? Reflect on all those events and say a prayer of thanksgiving for yourself and your family.
Tell your children that epic story of December 1704. THEN ON 5TH. JANUARY 2021 CELEBRATE THE GURPURB OF GURU GOBIND SINGH JI and a new beginning for you and your family.
Happy end-of-year festivities and a bright and new, with changed perspectives, 2021.
Enjoy our offering as below…
DO NOT
FORGET TO SAY A PRAYER FOR THOSE KISAN (FARMERS) MARCHING TO DELHI FOR THEIR RIGHTS WHICH THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT APPEARS TO WANT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THEM. WE PRAY FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE.
Guru Dhi Meher all.
Dya Singh
