Santa Workshop!!! Life-changing experience!!! :) :) :)
How did it all start? How was I introduced to Santa Workshop? Yes..Facebook..first read about it on ROPIO's page...nobody in person had introduced me to it...n had never imagined that something that I discovered through FB would change my life forever...Called Apoorva asking him if I could become a part of it and that's when I first met them..me with Nalini...we met Apoorva and Prachi at C.P. for the promotion of the event and I remember how positive I felt on meeting them and loved Apoorv’s energy...started with giving out brochures to people explaining them about what it was all about and trying to get any support from anybody possible and willing...met this girl named Archika, who was so interested in the whole thing that she wanted to contribute in many ways...gifts, volunteering and anything else...all of it was going pretty well till that morning (20th of Dec.) when I was to join the Deepositive team for the gift wrapping at Yusuf Sadan...I was really excited about the whole thing and got a bag full of stuff ready to take as gifts...not everything that I had was new but was in a pretty good state...had called up Apoorv to confirm if I could take all those things as gifts when he told me that they didn’t want anything that was old, that everything given has to be brand new and it could be anything...key chains, biscuit packets, socks...just anything new....I had a weird feeling after that conversation...couldn't figure out what Santa Workshop was all about; really couldn't understand why these people wanted to give out things like key chains and biscuit packets when people would need sweaters, jackets and clothes more in the chilling cold, even if they weren't new...felt really low when I realized what I was conveying so far about the program wasn't what it was all about...
Went for the wrapping gifts in the afternoon with some questions in my mind....met Murphy and kids there and met Dee, Evelyn and Ashok for the first time. Although it is nothing new for me to get very easily friendly with new people, the energy-level there was so different, so positive that I got totally into it and I was there up to 10p.m. Felt like had known them for a long time..we even clicked pictures at the end J...It was after going there and meeting Dee and others did I understand what Santa Workshop was all about; I realized that giving wasn’t just about pity but more about gratitude. Was so happy and told Prabhavi all about the gift wrapping, the energy and of course Dee n others...Everything was so wonderful about all of the gift wrapping thing going on that I didn’t even mind staying back at night the next day. That was when I went to Dee’s place for the first time and can’t tell you how much I felt like home there. Had a long chat with Dee, I remember we were up all night...and I couldn’t believe I was with someone I had met like a day ago.....enjoyed every bit of the talk....felt like I was learning with everything she said..... and the next day it was a whole night talking to Evelyn....her way of explaining things was completely different but enjoyed it equally...love these people so much...Every day was higher and higher in energy and everyday unfolded more and more surprises to me. We wrapped day and night at Yusuf Sadan and then at Dee’s place ...not just wrapped but sang, danced, ate every now and then...tea, coffee...so much fun....and the energy was so positive that I never felt exhausted. N I was so good at packing those tiny swirlies that I was called the “Swirly Queen” J... Didn’t even realize when I was “Empowered” to take up so much responsibility in that atmosphere that Dee wishing to have all the75,000 gifts wrapped before 25th evening, on her birthday made me all the more energetic and determined. This wasn’t just my experience I guess...I m sure everybody who entered that space felt the same feeling....Happy, Positive, Enthusiastic and Empowered....n it was so good to see the kids get so much into that energy...and my friends from hostel (Prabhavi, Kanchan, Maike, Akansha, Alinafe)...one day, Maike even came to me and told me that Santa Workshop had changed her perspective on Delhi and that she is going to cherish every moment of the three days she had spent at the workshop, wrapping and distributing gifts....what a feeling it was and I am still living it ....for the first time in my life, I actually felt that I was ready to change, ready to listen, ready to understand....and for the first time I really know that I am changing and for all the good....not that nobody else had ever told me what Dee and Evelyn did but could never take it, could never engrain those things in me....I guess this was the right time and these people were the right source and Santa Workshop a whole demonstration of what all was changing in me and of what all I was learning and experiencing....wrapped..wrapped...wrapped...and we did it...yippiee!!!...finished packing all of them....earmurfs, biscuit packs, socks, murflers, caps, keychains, even the Ruby Cubes that nobody wanted to pack , but finally they were all packed....we were all so happy...I remember I was so excited that I didn’t even want to go back to the hostel to change....hehehe...but something really wonderful happened that night that checked how strong that new feeling in me was...It was already late by the time I reached hostel and on top of that, got stuck with something else...missed the last metro and asked Apoorv if he could pick me up as it was too late to take an auto back to the church...but nothing worked out..finally decided to take an auto and for the first time, I really left the rest to God coz I knew He would take care of me...and He did...had to wait for long to find an auto at that hour but finally did and the auto wala was so nice that I wasn’t scared or comfortable at all....reached the church and told Dee about this experience....was so happy that I finally got an evidence of how things are taken care of if you just have faith and if you are patient enough to take things as they come your way....after the midnight mass and the flash mob, we all went out distributing gifts on the streets of Delhi...CP, New Delhi Railway station, went everywhere possible...so much fun it was to run here and there and just give out gifts to people, even leaving gifts by the pillows of those who were deep asleep...and loved the expressions on their faces....a sweet little surprise when it’s least expected.... J amazing feeling it is!!! I was deep in sleep the next day before I woke up at 1 in the afternoon and realized that everybody except for me and Alok was already out distributing gifts....was so sad for sometime but there was again another purpose behind this as well that I realized later...Christmas for Blossom aunty wasn’t the way it had been every year as Dee and everyone else was busy with Santa workshop....it struck me all of a sudden and me and Alok started decorating the Christmas tree and the house for aunty..it was such a good feeling to see aunty so happy...then I realized it was God’s plan to keep us back so that we could make it special for aunty at home when the rest of them were making it special for anybody and everybody outside....but we also joined the rest of them at India Gate in the evening..so much fun it was...even met a little Santa there...a little baby-girl dressed as Santa... J our gifting drive continued for the next 2-3 days...also did it in my hostel with Mihaella...those smiles on their faces..guard bhaiyas, mess bhaiyas, our gardener and all those people working at the construction site....I remember this old man asking me why we were doing this and if we were from some government organization...told him all about the concept and he was so happy...he said that he had never experienced something like this before and neither had I..
Since Santa workshop, everyday has been a new learning experience and everyday comes up with new surprises and miracles...let me share a few....I was on my way back from college, was out of money and really hungry....n really wanted to eat doughnut but didn’t even have enough to eat one...was waiting for my hostel’s bus to come...after waiting for about 15 mins, I started walking back towards the hostel when I heard someone calling my name...guess who it was?? Mihaella and with doughnuts...n forgot to mention that I was thinking to meet her as soon as I was back to the hostel, to get a contact no...she told me that she had been looking for me too for quite some time and that the doughnuts for me and that she loved me....just couldn’t believe it...was so happy...that was truly a miracle to me, a beautiful surprise when it was least expected....wow!!!! J
Another miracle happened when me, Kanchan and Akansha had gone partying after wrapping gifts on one of those days when they were also there...for the first time, I was uncomfortable by the fact that we were only three girls out so late at night...and I wished we had some guy friends with us...we were waiting for the club to open when this group of three guys and one girl came to us asking if two of them could enter with us as couples...I felt God had listened to me....was so glad to meet them and know them as they were a really nice group of people...and one of them was a Nepali.. J
Can’t stop writing about my experiences since Santa Workshop; about all that I have learnt and about all that has changed in me....about this feeling I have never felt before; about understanding myself better; about loving myself more and more everyday and looking at everything around with an all new perspective...with a sense of gratitude and positivity; about Knowing more than just Believing; about being able to let go of things easier than before; about wanting to explore every new possibility and going with the flow; about being more able to follow my heart without too many doubts, than ever before....about discovering so many beautiful people, some of whom I met through Santa Workshop and some who I was friends with but now I feel I know them better, now I can see all those things in them that I could never see before...Yes...Santa Workshop and all those people and experiences that came along with it did change my life and I am changing everyday for good...and accepting all of it with an open heart... and now I really feel blessed every moment and every day waiting for all that life is to unfold, for all that is to come my way!!!! J J J
