Not Been So Fortunate
Have you ever looked at your neighbor and wondered why you have not been so fortunate?
Have you stood from afar With open wonder— “Wow! How tall is that gated house And how big are its gates?” And you were told that this house Was worth such and such And you looked at it with wonder Because it had a board that said: “Dogs are inside; keep out”? What did it do to you? Did it amplify your lack for you? Or you just passed by And forgot all about it until now? This thought process can be repeated like this as well: Have you ever looked at this family How the husband and wife run around And play tag with the child And you wondered— “Wow! That is so neat If only I also had a husband like that Or a child like that How sweet!”? You get the idea! We all have been fortunate in some things And not-so-fortunate in others So how do we take it among us? How do we evaluate ourselves due to that? Do we look at those fortunate ones With jealousy, envy or even contempt Or do we go a step further and want to possess what is theirs? Do we consider ourselves less fortunate? Because we don’t have what they do? And what do we do about that? Here’s what I found out for myself: That million dollar house Which was once unreachable for me Probably still is But it never bothered me until now Nor do I believe it would ever bother me in the future! That husband, wife and child Playing tag in their backyard? Well my husband plays soccer with my little girl In my backyard now Only I haven’t joined them! That college classmate who is sitting among the clouds? Well, my boys went to Ivy League schools And hers didn’t, so there’s that! I might not have been so fortunate As them But my fortunes Were of different color Different shape Different order And that didn’t make me any less Or them any more It’s all a matter of preference What is important to us then And where it took us now And where we will be tomorrow So next time you see a million dollar home A happy family having fun Or any number of other such things that you don’t possess Just remember what you have gathered in your nest And be grateful for your choices! Think about this! Peace ✌🏽
Shalini’s reflection feels like a quiet conversation with the part of ourselves that sometimes aches in silence. Her words don’t judge our envy or dismiss our longing they simply hold it, gently, and ask us to look again. Not with shame, but with softness. She reminds us that fortune isn’t a competition, it’s a mosaic different colours, shapes, and timings for each of us. The gated house, the joyful family, the Ivy League dreams they’re not symbols of lack, but mirrors of possibility. And in that mirror, we begin to see our own blessings more clearly. Not less. Just different. Just ours.
Shalini, thank you. Envy can truly destroy us, as well as our precious relationships. It is the root of many destructive things. I really love how you ended this: "Just remember what you have gathered in your nest/And be grateful for your choices!" It was a gift to me today and I thank you.