How are you?

It is amazing how the most mundane of things present themselves in new light when we stop to notice all the lessons the cosmos is trying to unfold before us. We make insurance policies for our lives and vehicles, we save for a rainy day and we create trusts on the name of our children, subconsciously acknowledging that we might not be here to stay in the next moment. But more often than not, we fail to apply that knowledge to the smaller, more important aspects of our lives. We let the wisdom of our being mortal fall through the cracks and haggle for the pettiest of things in life. The other day, I was talking to a fellow spiritual seeker and told her that it is like we are in an exam hall, the answers are being dictated to us...all the wisdom we ever need to live a fulfilling life is right there, but we turn a deaf ear. 

Ironical. True. Sad.

But then, the persistent teacher that the cosmic plan is, it doesn't give up on us. It keeps sending us the right insights and inputs all over. All we need to do is blindly trust the institution and unblind ourselves beyond the trust, to see, to seek, to apply and stream through this divine illusion called life.

The lady was probably my mom's age, her tightly cropped curls shining in their silver glory. She was at the cash register where I went to pay for some goods. "How are you?" I always like beating the other person to that question. "Blessed. and you?" came the beaming, joyous answer.

It took me a few seconds to process that unusual reply. I usually say "Not bad at all" - the wordy, self proclaimed 'show not tell' prude that I am. I was wondering if she said "A blast" Instead of blessed and just at that very moment, her colleague at the next register asked her the same question. I listened with the concentration of a samurai ready to charge.

"Blessed. and you?" came the answer. I had no doubts this time but was not really over the joy this lady emitted when she said what she said. "Did you say Blessed?" I had to confirm. She looked at me kindly and smiled a cryptic smile, like she was conspiring with the universe to deliver to me the dose of wisdom I needed to cruise through my first world cares. "I am profusely blessed and I like telling it out loud so HE listens how grateful I am" She paused and leaned over the counter as if she were about to whisper a top secret. "Now" She paused. "It isn't that there are no challenges" (I was loving the choice of words here. Challenges, not troubles, mind you) "It is that they are there to make us more blessed"

I let out an inadvertent sigh. What a twist on a seemingly generic "How are you?" A question that we all probably ask, but never pause to think through to answer, or listen to an answer.

"Have a blessed day" She said as she handed over the shopping bag to me.

"Stay blessed" I smiled and walked out, with a spring in my step.