Hello Fidato! :)

Fidato.  That's a word I came across in the Hindi movie Jhootha Hi Sahi.  'Fidato' is an Italian word that means "trustworthy, reliable, trusted". 

After watching the movie, I wondered who would be Fidato in my life.  I could think of a few people in different contexts and faces of life, but not one person who was "it".  With everyone, there was always that thing I refer to as a "BUT-factor".  As in, "this person is wonderful, BUT… …" or "that person is awesome, BUT… …"  After all, they are all human, like me.  And it's impossible (fine… almost impossible) for us to not automatically have expectations from others, just as they may have from us.  I have also realized something over and over again - expectations lead to disappointment; disappointment leads to (or could lead to) lack of trust. Nah!

My Fidato would be someone/something whose presence in my life is unquestionable, who's always got my back, and who I could trust blindly - so much so that I'm aware of that trust even when I'm not feeling like a believer.  It's that light at the end of the tunnel - to know that it's there even if it doesn't seem that way in the moment.  It's that voice inside me that I was always aware of, but never really paid much attention to. 

Many people call that "person" or "thing" God.  I too have used that term (albeit reluctantly) for lack of a better word.  The word "God" never really worked for me because that word instantly brings up a "visual form" of some sort.  Or it brings about a feeling of fear.. as in "fear of God".  All of these, in my opinion, limit God.  I don't believe in a God I have to be afraid of, who'll "punish" me if I don't follow a certain set of "rules"!!  That goes against what God is said/believed to be.  Or at least what I have always believed God is supposed to be for me.. a guide, a friend.

Today, I realized who/what God is to me.  It is that voice inside me that guides me when I'm lost, who I trust and listen to now.  That to me is the voice of God... of Fidato!

Stealing from Eat, Pray, Love…

"Hello Fidato!  Nice to finally meet you."

:)

~♥~

Says love...

Poems.  They always make me nervous.  I just assume I won't get the "real message".  Sometimes, I get lost in the metaphor, which in itself is ironic considering how metaphoric I often get myself.  If I read a difficult poem again and again, it may begin to speak to me.  But most times, I never give it that chance, primarily because I have already decided that I don't get poems.

Having said that, I do love good poetry.  Anyone who knows me well knows how important the lyrics of a song are to me.  I have also, a long time ago, written some Urdu couplets, known as sher or shayari in Urdu.  So it's not that I don't get poetry at all; I suppose the medium may have something to do with it.  And perhaps language.  I find I'm more comfortable with Hindi/Urdu poetry than English.  English is, after all, my second language.

Obviously then, I've never intentionally "read" poetry.  I have never bought poetry books.  Anything I may have I probably got in a garage sale back when I didn't really know what it was that I enjoyed reading most.  Even hearing someone read a poem - I capture only parts of it.  Often I'm unable to visualize or relate to what's being read.  I struggle to stay with the poem.  I forgive myself now for it, but until recently that used to frustrate me a little!

So, when a new friend from my writing workshop, The Moving Pen, told me about a German poet, Erich Fried, I didn't think much of it.  She sent me a link to the English translations of some of his poems.  She said one of them was about the expression that is also the title of my blog.  Here's the poem:

What it is

It is nonsense
says reason
it is what it is
says love

It is misfortune
says calculation
It is nothing but pain
says fear
It is hopeless
says insight
It is what it is
says love

It is ridiculous
says pride
It is careless
says caution
It is impossible
says experience
It is what it is
says love 

Sigh!!  If you know me, you'd have some idea of how that made me feel! :))  It was such a refreshing reminder that poetry doesn't have to be a play on complex, rarely used words - it can be simple, and still have depth nonetheless! 

Thanks Jess! :)

No such thing as Coincidence

Message in a bottle…

Who does one send it to?  No one in particular.  It'll get to whoever it's meant for... if it is meant for someone.  And who does one say they received it from?  "Someone out there!"  There's no way to know when it was sent, from where, or by who!  Both the sender and the receiver don't know each other... never will, but they are now connected energetically!  The sap in me would consider it a sign from the universe.  No such thing as coincidences, I say.  Coincidences are missed or misread signs the universe sends us! :)

In a digital world like today's, I find blogs and networks like Facebook, etc. have become a medium for such messages to be exchanged.  I find a lot of inspiration from things people post on their blogs and Facebook pages, etc.  In some way or another, those messages come at the most appropriate times… just when I need to and am ready to receive them.  Some are eye-openers.  Some motivate.  Some just "get" it!!  At times when I have felt most lonely, I'd just stumble into messages like these, which made me realize that there are others out there who are feeling the same things, or similar things anyway.  I wasn't alone!  Sometimes, even just that support can be the dim ray of light trickling into one's cave!  This must be the thing that they call "hope"!! 

Hope - I have had a renewed appreciation for hope recently!  Ummeed pe duniya kayam hai.   It is true!  

I received one such message today from a dear friend:

"The universe doesn't give you the people you want; it gives you the people you NEED... to help you, to hurt you, to leave you, to love you and to make you into the person you were meant to be."

Thank you, C!

To everyone out there who has given me hope whenever I have needed it the most, and has unknowingly supported and continues to support my growth… Thank You! <3