The story of 2020 has to be written in a
language that has never been deciphered before. What we knew of and that what
we now know may have a common continuum thread, it may seem familiar but to say
it is what it was may be misleading.
Every boundary & every limitation that
we had constructed around us has been questioned. Each contraption that the ego
had built is in the process of being dismantled. We could not drive the big
cars to announce we have arrived, travel to fancy locations to feel good, our offices
may not be big and sprawling anymore & our support system cannot be just a
presence in a big social gathering. We had to be honest. Delve deep within to
see how we can cope. Be in closed doors with people & relationships that
could not be left unresolved. Be with our own selves to work on the
transformation that had been long impending.
Why did we reach where we did? Where to go
from here? And how to find the way when no one has really been here before? It
is different yet much seems familiar.
To be able to withstand the year and to
continue to face what today brings- We have had to get real. And in many ways
go back home. To where it all started.
At Lotus Petal we came at the crossroads of
where to go from where we were in March 2020. There were no books written, no
search engines devised to solve what we were facing- the need to keep the
organization alive & going, to ensure jobs are secure, children in the
education system and to be of service at the most critical time. Before the
external, the internal had to be nourished. Each fear addressed and allowed to
pass until it was surrendered to the ocean of service. Everything that we were-
had to be re-looked to remain who are.
Without wasting a single day, each of us
went deep within ourselves. Into the values that were common while growing up
in middle class homes. The values that built the foundation of Lotus Petal.
Service to the nation and humanity before
Self- as a team we came from different homes, faiths and background but our
spiritual calling remained aligned. Service.
The stepping stones were- sharing,
conserving, listening to one another, reaching out to what needed most
attention, trust the intuition, faith in the leadership- reassuring each other
that we are together & will get through this- Our faith in the intrinsic
goodness of people strengthened and the belief of One World One Community
reassured; all this while we stared at the common vision, a common goal that
really has no finishing line. Child in the centre. Dignity to all.
Everything that we were doing was
reinvented- finding novel ways to ensure that the student is able to attend
their classes every day. Even in the slums of India. Under the hot tin roofs of
those shanty`s where there was not electric supply & no running water. We
ensured that a device was in their hand, a data pack, a noise cancelling head
phone was available to them & most importantly food in their kitchen. The
emotional wellbeing was looked after, the jobs of their parents restored,
monthly allowance instated & healthcare extended.
This was possible because we went home. To
those familiar inclusive values that we grew up with. Of simplicity and of
care; of building a community and not a wall. Where food always tasted better
when shared & where there was always enough. In the values that restored
communities there was little competition and more support. Where there was
patience, wisdom and a steady pace.
The values that we left behind in the decade before 2020 needed to be restored. For us 2020 healed, transformed & continues to mend.
We relook, innovate and improve so we can
grow. And we grow together, with each other within thriving communities of hope
& courage based on the web of resilience.
We welcome you to be a part of our
restorative journey of building flourishing communities where there is dignity
for all.
