The cute little girl was probably 3 or 4 years old. She was wearing light blue jeans and a white top. Her hair tied up into two little ponytails, was swinging with her still unsteady steps as she ran here and there. Her innocence radiated through her irresistible, wide smile that she offered to everyone upon whom her eyes rested. She neither waited for them to give her a smile first nor did she wait for them to smile back. She smiled purely out of joy, shared her joy and then simply got back to her play. Prompted by her parents she was saying a hello or a good bye as required, whenever she could respond to them and when her attention was not distracted by a pebble or a leaf that she discovered. The weather was balmy with a light cool breeze soothing people from the hot day. The evening was bright and the garden was full of people. Some were busy walking on the walking paths and some were busy on their phones with their eyebrows knitted tight while some others were visibly upset with the conversations they were having. Few elderly people sat on a bench and were discussing life and politics. Not everyone was melting into the beauty of the evening sky getting ready for the dusk, breaking into vivid colours or the cool breeze that was soothing the skin or the flowers that were blooming in the garden. People were generally preoccupied with the happenings in their lives or were planning for a better tomorrow.
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The child however, was playing with abandon. She was not bothered about what was happening around. She was running as if she was playing with the breeze. I was on my evening walk when I saw this cute little girl. I stopped walking and tried talking to the child who was playing, trying to be a part of her joy. Suddenly a small, very small white feather landed softly infront of her. She paused, stood still and watched the feather that appeared so suddenly. Her face broke into a huge smile and she took few steps to take it. The feather rose with the breeze and landed a few steps away. The child was intrigued, but she laughed and ran to catch it. The moment she bent down to pick it, again the feather lifted itself up and landed to her side. The child gave a delighted scream as if the feather was playing with her and turned to her right to pick it up. The feather flew again as if it indeed was playing with the little girl. For about ten minutes the game continued, the girls parents joining her and cheering her on. Her laughter filled the air, the brightness in her eyes filled my heart. The girl was lost to the petty and peevish grievances or the huge turmoils that bothered the elders around her. She was alive to the moment and was rapturously delighted with her game with the feather. Elders around her did not notice the life happening at that moment around them.
I was taken in by the little girl’s joy, her pleasure and playfulness and by her being present to the moment so naturally and effortlessly. Bless the heart that rejoices in the given moment and radiates that joy all around. My heart was filled with special warmth, and I felt expansive as if the child in my heart woke up and rejoiced the blessed moment showered upon me – the ‘feather moment’ I called it. Blessings are always showered upon us, only waiting for us to notice them.
