Santosh.

May 26, 2024 [Lusaka, Zambia]

On Saturday, I spent the entire day with my Ma (grandmother). We ate all our meals together, spent time reading our books outside, enjoyed our tea time and even rested during the afternoon. It was lovely!

I’m not sure I’ve ever spent that much alone time with her in my entire adult life.

She told me a few stories. She even cracked a few jokes. I asked her probing questions about her purpose and the meaning of life; speaking in Gujurati - sounding like a caveman - with her gently correcting me without making me feel embarrassed when I used the wrong words (also, shout out to Google translate).

One thing she shared with me was her advice on living a long life.

She said “Kupi, live in santosh.”

The direct translation from sanskrit means to live life in contentment or satisfied. It represents a state of being fulfilled or having a sense of inner happiness.

For Ma, santosh is about appreciating what you have in life. And when things get tough, it’s trusting that you will figure out a way to make the best of it.

To me, santosh is akin to gratitude.

There have been so many a-ha and healing moments since I’ve been here (and really since I became more conscious of my journey), but this word santosh stuck a chord with me.

As someone who has been practicing gratitude for as long as I can remember, hearing my grandmother talk about santosh brought joy to my heart.

I’d like to believe that Santosh is the golden thread between Ma and I.

How lucky am I to experience such a revelation in her presence while she’s still alive?