May 2000  

Recent thoughts:  The rose garden at the back of house is desolate ( just coming out of winter ) thoughnow cleared and prepared for expected blooming of the roses. The work that  

we need to put in for preparing the aesthetics of the garden ( for us to savour the  blooming of the roses and the joy and satisfaction we derive ) is necessary. In fact the  work in the garden do generate deep and undescribed   pleasure of doing something  meaningful for our eventual gratification and in a convoluted way for our very survival.  Life is like that.

Whenever we have to go through downs and loss of our loved ones  and friends , it is like the garden in the winter. All iced up, cold and   somewhat lonelyin spirit and left out to tend for itself. But garden teaches patience and forbearance .  

All life has cycles , ups and downs. Loss and revival. A little bit of work and help fromfriends and family, the life has to pick up growth , regenerate and bloom again in its full  splendor.  

The garden is small and not as well endowed as many in the news with glory andribbons. That is the point !   Whatever the scale of your garden or your material success,in the end it does not really matter . What is critical is your communion with the creationand your tableau of life with full and meaningful interaction with humanity and nature.I pray that I am dissecting this correctly and absorbing the ultimate truth of our existence.  

Many thanks for putting through my musings.

Pravin Shah