The biggest gift on Guru Gobind Singh Ji's gurpurab for me today was to see that someone who used to cut their beard, keeping it.
While eating langar I saw up. There was a uncleji serving langar. I couldn’t recognise him first. Then I realised it’s the same uncle that always lighten up the atmosphere in every room he enters. I saw the beautiful beard and the new shine on his face. I got so happy. So happy that I felt like saying it to him, but I couldn’t see him after langar. So I approached his dear wife. I told auntyji how smart uncleji was looking with uncut beard. I could see the happiness in her face, and I can’t describe how happy I was when she said “Maharaj di Kirpa hai, hun bass Amrit chakan di dehr hai”/ “It’s God’s Grace, now the next step is to take Amrit’. Coming home, the first thing I did was to call Papa. “Papa, I have a good news to you. You just have to dial the number of that uncleji now and congratulate him”. Papa asked why. I said: “He is keeping his beard. You have to congratulate him and motivate him!”
Why does this affect me so much? Why do I feel happy and proud? On the day where we are celebrating our tenth master, who sacrificed his whole family and himself, so that we could freely follow our religion. On that day, to see someone not caring about others, deciding to be unique, to become firm in his faith, makes me feel that the sacrifice our tenth master made, didn’t go in vain. This also gives me hope – that some people come back. Those who feel a connection with our faith, come back. It also remind me that we all are students. Students of life. We may walk different paths, but we are all learning. We never know if our path is going to meet some day or depart some day.
I wish everyone a very happy gurpurab! May we get inspired by the strength our tenth master had??
