Category: 30 Day Open Letter Challenge

<Disclaimer: I love and respect each one of those who read my blogs 🙂 >

Cherished Readers,

This one is for you all, who read me for 30 days, supported me through my challenge and became my critics at times. Some of you became a part of this journey, some of you brought that proud moment to my life and I received priceless words of encouragement from many of you. In all honesty, when I began this challenge, I was apprehensive about the way it will turn out to be. I didn’t know whether I’d be able to do justice to it. I didn’t know whether I’d be accepted. But, you all made it possible for me. I am appreciable of those who read my thoughts, I am thankful to those who shared their feedback after almost every letter and I am grateful to those who acknowledged my write-ups. Each day, someone amongst you impelled the laziness out of me to write. Your comments and suggestions were like fuel to a vehicle – very much needed!

Last month was so much amusing and it’s kind of nostalgia settling in as I write my last letter of this phase. I would keep this one short and crisp, for I don’t have anything to express other than my heart felt gratitude. Thank you all, dear friends, for being there. I could dare to complete this challenge only because I had the best of people around to stimulate me until I reached the end of the tunnel. I don’t know if I was good or bad, sensible or irrational, interesting or dull, understandable or vague, waffling or clear, all I know is that any kind of acknowledgement from you all enthused me. I tried to keep my letters as distinctive as possible with the sole intention of retaining your interests. Today, before posting this letter, I went through all the comments I received from you and reading them was truly a treat to the eyes, mind and heart. I was a happy girl. Thank you, dear friends!

You all are truly valued and even though I am not taking any names here, I am sure you know that this one is for you. Love you.

Yours dearly,

Akshi

<Disclaimer: I did learn a lesson from this person and I try to follow it in my daily routine>

Unforgettable Ms.XYZ,

First things first, Thank you!

Pardon me, but I can’t recollect your name clearly, though the impact you had on me is truly marvelous. I have an immaculate remembrance of how we met, without a slightest hint that your philosophy could touch someone’s life. It was a sunny afternoon of Oxford in 2013 when my husband and I waited outside your small cozy family run departmental store for the next bus to Enstone. We reached well on time, had all necessary information but since it was a route less traveled or we had stringent time restrictions, the bus, I am sure particularly on that day was delayed. We dropped into your store to inquire about the alternatives to reach Enstone as we had a scheduled flying lesson for my husband and we were, in true sense running out of time. Even though there weren’t many signs of population in and around that village, your store contained a few existent souls. It was such a lovely sight to see your two daughters helping you manage the store and other areas of work.

You greeted us with a warm smile and welcomed us in. When we queried about the place we wanted to go to, you tried to be as gracious as you could to convey that there were no alternatives that could take us there in less than a quarter of an hour, as even the cabs, if called then would have taken longer. I must thank you for the way you stepped into the situation like an angel to help us get rid of the disappointment that had settled into our minds and reflected on our tensed faces. May I ask you dear stranger, how could you be so nice to us to offer a lift to that airfield? We barely knew each other and you were more than willing to drop us to the place we wanted to go to. I will be honest that by the time our minds could process your proposal, we heard you instructing your daughters to take care of everything until you were back in thirty minutes. You were definitely kinder than necessary and helped us reach the airfield just on time. You had a look of satisfaction and your face beamed with an accomplished smile. I can never forget what you said when we expressed our heartfelt thanks. It was so smooth, so easy and so effortless for you to say that it was your good deed for that day. Few words, big meaning and an everlasting impact. You were kind enough to leave your contact number so that we could call you again in case we don’t get any conveyance back to the place we started from.

Were you God’s archangel or a messenger sent only to influence us? Or were you that Omen who took us where we wished to go? Who were you? Ever since that day, I have made ‘good deed a day’ my mantra of life. From small to big and insignificant to substantial, whatever it is, I try to do my bit as a noble deed of the day. Your greatness became my learning and my learning became a habit and this habit has so far brought numerous smiles on many faces, in the same way as it found a way to ours on that afternoon. Your warmth and compassion can never be forgotten, for you were a stranger on a strange land who did what many friends and acquaintances would also have avoided. Thank you, not only for your help but also for enlightening us with your thoughts. I hope you are doing well and spreading many joys around you. This world undeniably needs more people like you.

Yours thankfully,

Akshi Agrawal

<Disclaimer: I value my days>

Dear Day,

It goes out to nearly 11000 of you already spent. You are nothing but a blessing that I cherish every morning when I wake up, for I find myself healthy and happy to add another you to my life. You bring an unseen joy, an emotion less expressed. It’s like that ecstasy on a child’s face. You are the most essential part of my life and with every ticking of the clock, you transform into weeks, months, years, decades and so on. These words are nothing but a cumulative count of how much one has lived, with you.

You bring all sorts of emotions from inside that vary with each hour. I sleep with a plan of how I would spend you the next day, but you have your own arrangement that out shadows everyone’s. You are so unpredictable. I personally believe that the only difference between a good day and a bad day is one’s attitude. There is nothing like a bad you, it’s always an unfulfilled moment. You give everyone a reason to celebrate and grieve. Every new you brings new strength and hopes. You are made up of 24 hours and it’s a pity to see myself waste some of that time on absolutely unnecessary matters. Dear day, you are what shapes me as a person, for you lay thousands of challenges for me to go through and the way I deal with them molds me into someone who I become.

You define my daily routine and sometimes are hectic, relaxed, merry and sad. I try to add meaning to your existence and it’s also true that I fail at many instances. Dear day, you are the same for everyone; it’s just the way people choose to live with you that varies. I request you to be kind with my loved ones and take care of them in all possible ways. Please don’t ever be harsh by giving them a test that they can’t tread easily. Every yesterday is a sign of walking closer towards the last you and so every today should be lived the way one would want to live the last.

.. And one fine moment, it’s not the breaths that will be taken away; it’s you who will cease to exist for me. I am sure that moment I will have the peace to talk to myself and see the number of you wasted. But will I be able to do something then? Of course not. Dear day, thanks for being there so far and please be kind to everyone in the times to be. Each you have been the best and I am sure you will remain as it is – kind.

Yours thankfully,

Akshi

<Disclaimer: This is to one of my role models, there are quiet a few more>

Respected Mr.Warren Buffettt,

I am writing to you from India as I see you as one of the role models whom I follow. You are a brand name in itself and need no introduction to anyone. What should I address you as – a business magnet, an investor, a philanthropist, one of the world’s wealthiest people or one of the world’s most influential people? You are a perfect blend of all. Could anyone ever imagine that a child who sold chewing gum, coca cola, golf balls, stamps and delivered newspapers and weekly magazines door to door would create history by being one of the wealthiest people one day? It’s tremendously inspiring to see you achieve all on your own.

I truly respect you for the fact that you are one of the founder members (with Bill Gates) of ‘The Giving Pledge’ club and have pledged to donate 99% of your fortune to humanitarian cause and not leave it as inheritance for your future generations, which made you the largest charitable donator of history. It’s not something common at the land where I belong to. Here, it’s mainly the wealth that is cascaded to the generations; ability generally takes a back seat. It’s more like, a father earns primarily for his children, who in turn takes the legacy ahead and build something for their children and the cycle goes on, unless something breaks down in the whole process. So it’s more of a readymade environment rather than a self-made surrounding that is passed as inheritance. In your case, though I am not sure, it’s the belief that your children and their children will be as capable as you and if so, will build something of their own that made you courageous to donate almost all of your wealth. I have bookmarked your comment in my memory, which says that ‘I want to give my kids just enough so that they would feel that they could do anything, but not so much that they would feel like doing nothing’. Hats off to you, sir. It needs a lot of guts to put your foot down on something like this.

It’s truly amazing to know that you spend around 80% of your days reading and there was a time when you could read almost 600-1000 leaves a day. It says a lot about the intellect that you are a proud owner of. I want to ask you Mr.Buffett, how it felt to have earned an average of $37 million per day? For me, it’s a question about how I can earn so much, for you it would have been a question about how to spend so much J

You inspire the riches to join your club, which is for philanthropic cause. Actually it’s a simple question of how much a person or a family as a whole need to maintain an above average lifestyle. People mix greed with needs and thus are repulsive towards reasons like charity and humanity. You are a motivator, an inspiration and a hero I look up to.

Yours gratefully,

Akshi Agrawal

<Disclaimer: This stranger took my heart away within no time>

Dear stranger,

You touched the strings of my heart today. We don’t know each other. I have at least seen you from behind, I am sure you would not have noticed me passing by you, for there were hundreds of vehicles taking over the unhurried bicycle that you were riding, with your wife occupying the carrier as the pillion rider. Oh, she was so beautiful. She held the seat of the bicycle as tight as she could. Her legs seemed to be looking for a platform to rest them. I also observed her scuffle to keep her saree away from the rim of the wheel. I wanted to stop and ask about that radiance on her face; that contented smile that I have not seen adorning anyone since long. I kept my vehicle as slow as I could, for I was falling in love with the satisfactory affection that you both carried. It seemed as if the world didn’t exist for you, as if you were the Adam and Eve of this era, all alone on an island.

I averted my eyes to look around and all I could see were stressed expressions on exhausted faces. Not even a single smile on hundreds of soul that were rushing for some reason and in harsh honesty, I was one of them. You proved that happiness is beyond the comfort of luxury cars, happiness is not dependent on the bank balance, and happiness doesn’t need worldly amenities to act as catalyst to make someone beam. You evidenced that love is an expression to be felt, doesn’t matter how fluently one converses or how extrovert a person is. It’s a strong feeling communicated in the most simple ways. You also demonstrated that no matter what circumstances life offers; all it needs is a courageous heart to face them head-on. Those few green bangles, those striking anklets, a miniscule ring (if I am not wrong), shining gold looking ear rings, a tiny red bindi and a touch of red vermilion on your wife’s head were her treasures and she seemed utterly satisfied carrying them with her, for she was rich in her unpretentious assets. I might be wrong in my understanding, but the innocent curve on your wife’s lips and your satisfactory body language gave me enough reasons to think this way.

I don’t even know your name but I wish for the best for you. You appeared as an eye opener and vanished in the cacophony of the busy road. It was merely a few minutes that I observed you, but those moments were heart felt. I was honked from behind to remind me that like everyone, I was also supposed to run. Where? I don’t know… For what? I am still clueless. I want to tell you dear stranger that you have found a permanent place in my heart and I will always pray for your well-being, where ever you are.

In honest appreciation,

Akshi Agrawal