Moon In Your Hand

Full moon: Image snapped from the balcony of my hostel

When the sun sets leaving the world in the darkness, here is another one, without any complaints that takes the difficult task of keeping the world lit. In the arch darkness, it shines brightly that drives away the fear, sadness, numbness, suffocation and blindness the dark brings.

Thus moon is fondly called Ata Lani, elder brother moon. I see many good qualities in moon. First, the quality of luminosity! It has the power to clear away the sheer darkness of the darkened world left alone by the day’s sun. Secondly it gives the people a cool effect. While there are many complaints for sun, despite giving world people the warmth, the moon has got no complaints. Its feedback form is adorned with all good comments while sun’s is filled with nicknames such as Don Ngam, meaning the sun of demon. This is because the sun is being blamed for being too hot some days and no warmth on other.

But there is no hotness and coldness for the moon. It is simply known for its cool effect. For a child it is an egg, fondly known as Koko, childish name for moon; for a nomad it is a round butter; for a night hunter, it is his torch; and for a fool, it is a hole in the sky.

Yesterday I was out for my dinner and on my way back to my hostel, I walked in the moonlight. Instantly I remembered my childhood days when I would look out to moon from my east window while at home and beg my father to give me that Koko (egg).

My father would run to the kitchen immediately and playfully give me a slice of round radish and close the window saying the Koko is in your hand now. However, seeing the white beam of the moon refracting through the holes of the window, I would, as a naughty child, demand the original one. My father would cover the holes with the blanket and tell me; “what is in your hand is the real one and that belongs to you”.

I would play with the slice of radish (moon in my perception) and be happy. Today I realize that you cannot get whatever you desire: rather you have to be contended with what you have. Moreover, if your perceptions are clear and vivid (and you do not have staunch desire for more), even a slice of radish becomes moon in your hand. I was taught to appreciate what I had and never long for anything more.

I never forget that incidence of my childhood and my father’s jest. As long as the moon continues to shine, I will be reminded to carry clear perceptions and live within my own means.