This year’s Ganesh Festival may have passed, but the mind still hovers around the ten days of joy that my Bappa brought along with Him. The daily aartis, the prasad, the visitors and basically, the fact that Bappa is my distinguished guest for ten days-- it is all so special that one cant wait for Him to arrive again. To me Bappa is my strength when I feel weak, my calm when storms rage within and the light that takes me out through my darkest times. In every high and every low, He has stood with me like my closest friend.

 

His blessings for me are not just for festivals. They can be seen in unexpected solutions to complex problems, in the help that arrives at the right time and in the peace that settles in my heart when I whisper “Bappa”. Bappa teaches me patience when life tests me. He pushes me forward when I think it is impossible. Each time I fall, I feel His gentle hand lifting me up. Each success I taste, I know it is His blessing before my own effort. And with every prayer, gratitude flows not only for what He gives, but for the way He stays, silently watching, protecting and loving me without asking for anything in return. His blessings are the ground I walk on and his presence is the quiet assurance that I will never walk alone.