Gratitude

“Man, I’m in a bit of a mess,” I told Bobby the other day.

“Family in one place, work in another. EMBA classes. Career thoughts. It’s like I’m living five lives at once and barely keeping up with one.”

Bobby paused. Then smiled.

“I hear you. Sounds like one of those sticky, heavy seasons. But before we even start untangling anything… can I say something? Be grateful. Not later—now. You’ve already got more than you think.”

I was quiet.

He leaned in and said, “Look at your life. You’ve got a daughter who looks for you. A partner who believes in you. A home. A path. A story that’s still unfolding. And you come from people who shaped you. That’s rare, man. You’re already standing on gold.”

And just like that, something shifted in me.

I was born and brought up in a joint family—fifteen of us under one roof.

It was loud, chaotic, and full of love. We didn’t have a lot. But we had each other. Every day was shared meals, space, silence, noise and stories. Back then, it didn’t feel like anything special. It was just… life.

Then I moved. For work. For marriage. For responsibility. And slowly, the phone calls became fewer. The visits, rare. That warm, messy chaos faded.

Now I live in a quieter home, in a different country. And I’ve realised I miss the noise.

I miss the unsolicited advice. The nagging. The late-night chai. The crowded sofa. The background hum of people who loved you in their own flawed, beautiful way.

I didn’t leave because I wanted to. I left because I had to. But a part of me is still there on that verandah, barefoot, listening to stories I didn’t understand at the time.

And here’s what I’ve learned:

We spend so much time chasing what’s next. But most of us already have what matters.

A roof. Food. Someone who cares. Even just a moment of peace. So many in the world don’t even have that.

Gratitude isn’t about counting blessings. It’s about noticing them before they disappear. It’s not about saying thank you when everything is perfect. It’s about realising that right here, right now, you are already standing in the middle of something good.

So today, I’m pausing. To say thanks. To where I come from. And to everything I still carry from that home, even when I’m far from it.