Have You Sent in Your #Sandesh2Soldiers yet?

Its Diwali time! And am sure preparations are on in every household. Sweets, snacks, lights, kandeel, diyas, crackers, gifts, shopping and what not!  We are all preparing for the baap of all festivals – the biggest and the best and the most fun! Children and adults alike, are super excited to celebrate this lovely festival of lights and love!

From receiving a thorough cleaning, to being adorned with beautiful fairy lights and diyas; as our homes get decked up for this enchanting festival, our hearts too are looking forward to meeting our near and dear ones! 

And for those of our loved ones who are far; we have ensured that they know no matter how far they are; we are thinking of them in this time of celebration by sending them our love in the form of our messages and gifts! (This has become all the more easy and even fun; what with online shopping becoming the way of life in our country!)

But in this entire hullabaloo, are we forgetting something? Are we being selfish and thinking only about our own family and friends and not looking at people who are neither family, nor friends; and yet, give us something far greater and valuable than any gift our family/friends may give – our freedom!

Yes, I am talking about our jawans – our soldiers who are guarding our borders so that you and I can enjoy our Diwali peacefully and have fun – people who are away from their family, so that our family can stay safe and be happy. I am talking about our soldiers, who we think about only when there is an imminent danger to the country or when they successfully carry out operations that rid the world of people who are out to destroy it!

Yes, I am talking about thinking of them a little more than merely thinking about them when we hear of their acts of valor on TV. I am talking about introducing our children to them – to their heroism, their sacrifices – I am talking about bringing our children (mentally) closer to these men of honour who forgo their comfort for ours and are prepared to even lay their lives for our happiness.

Of course, we do talk to our children about them occasionally, and then we all go back to our lives and increasing the distance between our lives and theirs. What I am talking about is reducing this distance! I am talking about wishing them, just like we wish our friends and family on this auspicious occasion; I am talking about sending them actual, real Diwali wishes from our family, from our young ones.

My little one’s school has taken an initiative, in accordance with our Prime Minister’s #Sandesh2Soldiers initiative and our children have sent beautiful season’s greetings to our soldiers. I am talking about taking this step, and taking this opportunity to talk to our children about our armed forces, our soldiers, our protectors. Let’s take this step, to bring a smile on the faces of those who give up a chance at a regular family life for our sake.

Diwali is the celebration of the victory of good over evil; and our soldiers actually live this reality day in and day out; in the harshest of the weathers and the roughest of the terrain! So, when we lights lamps this year, lets light one for our soldiers too. When we make sweets for our loved ones, let’s keep our soldiers in mind too; when we pray on this auspicious occasion, let’s keep our soldiers and their families too in our prayers.

So go ahead, indulge in the finest offestival revelry; but don't forget to send in your #Sandesh2Soldiers first!