A Walk In The Garden

 

One fine morning, while having a morning walk in the garden, nearby my house, as I was strolling on the grass near the rose shrubs, my dupatta was stuck up in something which I thought someone was drawing me behind when I looked back to see what was the matter, I saw the thorns in the rose shrubs were holding my dupattas. I smiled at it and gently started to remove my dupatta, but to my surprise, the roses smiled back to me and said, “hello there…just smile every day, it will keep you healthy and strong. You have a long way to go.” I, in astonishment, gazed at those flowers and asked how they could talk. 

“Oh we are also a living creature just as you are and moreover, you are a woman, a creature of God as beautiful as we flowers…how could we not talk to you,” said a crimson one with a bow. 

I thanked the flowers and moved further. I stopped a while under a large Banyan tree, for some rest. 

Suddenly I heard a voice,” Welcome my child, you can take rest in my lap”. Amazed again, I asked the banyan tree the same question,” how could you talk?” 

“Well dear child, you are a woman, who also has so many roots coming out from your existence. 

You are a loving wife, a caring mother, a responsible daughter- in- law, a good daughter. You have a place for everybody in your big heart, just like me. I also have so many roots which are holding me upright, no matter, what the weather is and making me strong, so as your roots, how can I not talk to a lovely creation that is similar to me?”

 I thanked the banyan tree for shelter and the praise for womanhood. Moving ahead, I saw a bird trying to feed her Lil ones, but with some difficulty. I just came forward and helped her in feeding the lil ones. Adjusted her nest properly and covered the Lil ones with my scarf.

 “Oh is that you ...a mother? Chirped the Lil bird, with her small beak. Yes, I am there, a mother of two, I replied. “No wonder why I was thinking someone would take care of my children so well…. a mother can do it so well. It’s the mother’s love, that a woman loves any child and can comprehend the language of a child just by looking at him”, said the bird, swaying her wings in respect of motherhood.

 I kissed the Lil bird and moved to carry on my walk.

 I stopped beside a small waterfall, dipping my toes in the shallow water, on the rocks, just enjoying the beauty of the trees, flowing water, flowers…. suddenly a splash of water caught my sight. In the falling water, I could hear a voice. I held my ears close to the water and heard it say, “good morning lady, welcome to your reflection”. Surprised and rather confused, I asked,” reflection?” with a frown on my bows.” Yes indeed, just like me, my lady, you also fall in the love of your relations and then this love of yours, flows in the whole family, just like the water which falls from height and flows down to form a river or maybe ocean sometimes. You are as pure as water flowing here, as soft as a droplet, as deep as a sea, encompassing everything within you……you are a woman”.

 Stunningly listening to the waterfall, I just felt droplets on my face, the alarm banging on my head and my daughters holding a glass of the water beside me, trying to wake me up…..oh was I dreaming?…yes but a no…I got up from the bed smiled and kissed my angels. I was feeling more confident, realizing that yes I am a WOMAN……A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE and that’s not a dream.