'There is nobody on earth who would not be proud of you'

One Saturday I was in New York, race-walking the Saturday two-mile race, which used to be called Runners Are Smilers. As usual, I finished after most of the others, and as usual, Guru had already given the after-race prayer, and a special prasad for the children’s singing group was underway. I paused for a moment looking at everything, and the thought silently came to my mind, "This is really a path for younger people, not for someone old like me."

Well, watch what you think, if Guru is your Master! When I came to Guru’s side of the street, Guru called me over (having read my mind) and said that, from now on, I would be an honorary member of the little girl children singers’ group and that, whenever Guru gave prasad to them, I should also come! Can you imagine Guru’s beautiful response to my own thoughts? Guru could not let a thought like that go unanswered.

On the Christmas Trip in 2006, I arrived in Malaysia the night before my birthday. The day before my arrival, Guru had had a push-up competition for his guards and honored the "super-excellent" winners of the competition.

When I arrived in the function room on my birthday, Guru asked me if I was going to compete with those boys. Luckily, I had been practicing push-ups, so of course, I rolled up my white birthday kurta sleeves and began my push-up challenge.

The whole function room of disciples was encouraging me and cheering like anything, and at the end of it all I was successful and Guru said my form was excellent. Guru gave a beautiful talk, which I have on tape, during which Guru compassionately said that I was in the same class as the super-excellent much younger boys. Guru had my picture taken with all those other boys!

Boy, Guru really knows how to make a guy feel divinely good on his birthday! He set that up just so that he could then compliment me like anything. Later that day, I was in a play at the evening function in which I enthusiastically (and maybe a little stupidly) did a handstand on a chair. Guru later commented on this also. Guru is like that. He bestows gifts on us and then compliments us for his own gifts! That’s our Guru!

After my birthday meditation, Guru told me that there was nobody on earth who would not be proud of me. He told me that I was a treasure in his family.

Hiranmoyi says that I shouldn’t feel embarrassed saying all these beautiful things that Guru told me. I treasure Guru’s words to me so deeply that I repeat them daily like a mantra. Repeating them in these stories is another way of telling Guru how much I treasure all he has done and is doing for me.

All this goes to prove that Guru has kept me as dynamic and childlike and enthusiastic for as long as possible. And I am grateful to Guru for all the joy he has brought me along the way!