The droplets of rain from last night giving a beautiful finish to my tiny Jade plant gave me the first inspiration of the day. I had a word with them. They told me “Don’t give up. All will be well.” I asked them, “So many of the raindrops that came along with you, traveled with you from the same cloud, are now a part of the wet soil and do not exist as raindrops anymore. Aren’t you sad about them?”

They looked at me with a watery shimmer in their eyes. “That’s our fate too. A minute or two from now. But we tried our best to hang out a little longer to sustain ourselves. At this moment, we exist. That’s what matters.”

I looked at the sky for more inspiration. The scattered clouds across the contrasting blue sky did not have any existence on their own. But together, they formed a beautiful pattern in the sky. It inspired me to think that we are spools of brilliant-colored threads, all different individuals. What makes a beautiful piece of embroidery is when we lend our color to the fabric of life. Contributing for the benefit of the scarred and scared humanity in whatever way we can add value to our lives.

Then there was a flock of birds flying in a beautiful and meaningful “V” formation close to the horizon. Individually, they might not be even aware that flying together, they looked so brilliant. They are just doing their bit. Nature plays the magician and artist, weaving magic into its creations and trying to give a message to us, the humans. The flock reminded me of our frontline workers, who, hiding their individual pains and personal challenges, are giving their best in the effort to save each life they are entrusted with. I felt a deep sense of gratitude for each of our angels in white coats and all those who assist them tirelessly.

Nature is ever so inspiring, showing multiple instances of hope all around us. It is also telling us to do our bit, however small, towards the society. It does not need to be anything big. Just calling up a loved one, enquiring about their physical and mental well-being, can bring a ray of hope and a warmth of love into their lives. It hardly takes five minutes, but doing your bit makes those five minutes the most cherished five minutes for someone in fear and pain.

So, start doing your five-minute bit today….