100 Paths

I had an amazing morning today, which taught me three lessons, or rather, reinforced them.

Accept reality
I have two names, as most people know. One is my legal, marital one, the other my maiden one, which I also use for work and all public purposes. It’s an ego issue really. I didn’t want to be famous in my husband’s name, so I used my maiden one at subsequent jobs after my separation six years ago. This has led to various complications in financial and legal matters, but I am adamant about it.

Finally, last night, due to a driver’s license renewal, I forced myself to accept the truth. I am legally still his wife, with his surname. I forgive myself for trying to run away from the facts, and from henceforth, I accept them. Until we are legally divorced, I accept my marital surname and all that it represents. I have to live my karma out. The more I try to escape it, the more webs I create.

Follow your instinct
This license renewal had been on my mind the past one month, but due to work pressure, I hadn’t had the time to do it. Since today was the last day of the grace period of my license, dad and I had planned to go to the license authority this morning. However, at the last moment, my boss called to say I am required at work and I should not get late. I was in a fix. But with her natural authority and stupendous instinct, my mom said, “Go and get your license work done. You will be in office on time.” Her words felt right. There was no conflict in my heart. So my dad and I went – and her words came true.

The truth is your best ally
While trying to escape this driver’s license renewal, I had created some webs last month. Dad, whose very name means ‘God of Truth’, insisted that the truth was my only solution, and that I should honestly tell the authorities what my problem was. So today, I came upfront to the man in charge, smiled sheepishly, apologized for my goof-up, and sought advice on how to solve it.

And what do you know: In 20 minutes flat, I got a new license. (In my legal name, of course, sigh.)

In conclusion, everything fell into place when it had to: My goof-up actually helped my cause; my dad’s presence helped in adding the ‘senior-citizen sympathy’ factor; my mother’s pronouncement was bang-on; the weather was sunny; the driver showed up when we needed him, so we had no parking hassles; and there was no traffic at all today so I was in office even earlier than usual.

God has told me this before but today was a happy reminder: Once you align yourself with the truth in your heart, you align yourself to the whole universe. “Let go, and let God.”