Life in a slow lane

It has been more than 100 days since I wrote. Life has become lazy and busy. I am not sure why. I think it is a good change — towards a state of balance. The mind is slowly settling down. Some days I ask — why? But I don’t have a good answer. Does it matter if I get an answer?

That is the question I want to reflect upon in today’s short blog.

As I sit with pen and paper, thinking about where to start, the mind wanders to Patna — my last visit, in March 2026. My parents are in their late 80s and early 90s. One of the things I love most about Patna is their peace. Even after many of their close relatives and peers have passed away, I see them at peace. A life full of rhythm and ritual. The equilibrium of time and space — being, just as it is.

I am sitting in the family room with my Mom and Dad. We talk a little, but most of the time we stay quiet. The silence is complete. The presence is peace. There is no rush, no phone, no likes, no reply, no message, no emoji. Just a full human presence.

I try to ask a question, but I can’t synthesize one. So I also sit in the “No Land.” I realize the futility of questions and reactions. The world is what it is, and sometimes we need to just accept it “as it is” and enjoy the beauty. I think this is the beauty of the old mind — a mind that has done its part, and is now just resting.

This three-part series will look deeper into the intricacies of the old mind — and the beauty of it. But for now, I am ok with not asking the question: why my mind is settling down.