"Your entire life happens only in this moment. The present moment is life itself. Yet people live as if the opposite were true and treat the present moment as a stepping stone to the next moment - a means to an end." - Ekhart Tolle

This mixed-media painting is based on the story of 'Rose for the Day'. Life is made of simple, everyday events. Our lives would be happier if we try to live in the present as opposed to living in the past or the future, as stated by the above quote of Ekhart Tolle. No one has seen tomorrow. Why not enjoy the present moment and find happiness in simple pleasures of life? Happiness lies in appreciating the small roses each day offers.

Rose for the Day is a painting based on the story that is related below. The idea of having a 'Rose for the Day' is to celebrate small successes and enjoy simple pleasures of life, such as eating ice cream with your children, walking on warm sand on the beach, enjoying a morning walk in the woods while breathing fresh air, eating juicy ripe mangoes etc. etc. I am sharing this story about 'Rose for the Day' as a way for us to pause and reflect about not taking life too seriously and enjoying each day as it unfolds.

Mr. Unhappy, who was very frustrated and depressed with the current situation in his life went to see a saint. He said that he had been praying all his life without receiving any blessings whatsoever.

He told the saint that when he was in his thirties, he worked very hard to provide for his family. He wanted to buy expensive name brand clothes for his children, the popular toys and take them on vacations like other children’s parents did. He prayed to God that he would get a raise and that would allow him to do some of these things.

Guess what? He did get a raise but then as luck would have it, his father ended up in the hospital. This meant extra expenditure on his part for some time to come. Mr. Unhappy prayed that he would be able to find a much better paying job to take care of some of these needs and take his family on a much desired holiday.

He did get a job with a much higher salary, but by this time the children had grown up and were now in college. Instead of taking them on a vacation along with his parents, he now had to help support their college education.

Mr. Unhappy lamented the fact that his children had left home and parents had left for their heavenly abode and he never got to do the things he wanted to do for his family. He asked the saint, “Why was I denied all these things which would have brought me and my family happiness despite my best prayers and hard work?”

The saint heard his story and reflected on it for a few minutes. He then said to Mr. Unhappy, “I will answer your question, but first you must do one thing for me. You see a rose garden in front of you. Please go through the path in this rose garden and bring me the best rose. There is only one condition. You can not turn back to pick the rose you left behind. You must keep going forward. When you have found the best rose, please bring it to me.”

Mr. Unhappy proceeded to do what the saint asked him to do. After sometime he returned with a rose that was brownish in color and practically half dead.

The saint asked him, “Is this the best rose you could find?”

Mr. Unhappy said, “Not really, but since you had given me the instruction to not turn back I kept going in the hope that I would find a better one, but as I kept moving forward the roses weren’t as fresh and beautiful. So in the end all I was left with was this rose that I got.”

The saint then said, “This is exactly how life is. Each day gives you opportunities to be happy. If you keep waiting and don’t enjoy the good things each day offers, you cannot go back and reclaim those lost years.”

The moral of the story is that each day offers us roses if we choose to take them and enjoy them.

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