When there is calm within oneself, even the thorns appear harmless. ~ Hints Of Life

After a bleak rainy Saturday, the sun shone like a lady dressed in gold on Sunday morning. The Upper West Side was glowing under its golden rays depicting a beautiful Spring day.  The nature’s color added much serenity to the atmosphere. The feeling of bliss enrobed me from inside out. As much as I want to dwell on the beautiful, sunny Sunday, it would be unfair to totally forget the rain drenched Saturday.

Languorously, I starred at the rain, which was coming down in heavy sheets since early Saturday morning, and continued throughout the day. After much contemplation, I decided to stay home and enjoy the rain vicariously through the huge south-west facing  windows in my living room. It was a day to savor on a large mug of hot-chocolate and read my current favorite book, A House Somewhere: Tales of life abroad. Beautifully written the book includes original contributions by Isabel Allende, Jan Morris, and Simon Winchester (A good recommendation for readers who appreciate travel writing).

…I know well the delectable thrill of moving into a new house somewhere altogether else, in somebody else’s county, where the climate is different, where the mundane preoccupations of life at home don’t seem to apply and it is even fun to go shopping – Jan Morris.

My favorite lines from the book so far. I even went ahead and clipped it on my ‘Thoughts’ board in a colorful handwriting. I like to write down anything that inspires me or is plain beautiful. Because you never know when these words would uplift your sprits any given day, inspiring you to do something more with your life. I read and read for most of the day and the profound words transported me to many different destinations, giving my imagination wings to fly like the Blackpoll Warbler. A tiny, gorgeous bird that makes the longest overwater journey of any songbird, flying nearly 1,800 miles nonstop over the Atlantic Ocean to its wintering grounds every year. Isn’t that outstanding?

When I read such courageous stories, my belief in harmony (within oneself) and self-belief becomes stronger than ever before. As Sallust rightly said,  Harmony makes small things grow, lack of it makes great things decay.