Kada...

I got this Kada (bangle) in Uttarakhand, on my way to Hem Kund Saheb the Sikh pilgrimage place. I was there on a trekking trip and bought it because it looked beautiful. It happened to my birthday that day(actually I planned to attend the trip as I wanted to be close to the Himalayas on my birthday and had heard a lot about the valley flowers, which I had been wanting to do for quite sometime). It was a very difficult trek, but I got a lot of encouragement from the pilgrims. One old man told me "Beta, take small steps and keep going, do not stop, the lord will take care of the rest". There were people offering glucose powder to other people and initially I was surprised and politely declined the offer, then I realised we all had a goal and that was to reach the top of the hill - such things only made one realise that it may be totally upto each of us to climb, but knowing that there are other people doing the same, smiling and sharing equips us emotionally. Doing arduous physical tasks needs as much of a strong mind and right attitude. It was a wonderful feeling to realise and reaching the beautiful top of Hemkund Saheb is a very fond memory and gave me a sense of accomplishment. The serene pond at the top of the hill is breathtakingly beautiful.

This Kada reminds me of the spirit of that day. I feel "I can" when I see it.