Grace Jar

random small things I'm grateful for

Apr 05, 2026

My Evernote has a folder called “Grace Jar”.

It is a precious repository of all things which cheer me or teach me. I dip into it whenever I need reaffirmation of my belief in the goodness of human beings.

It has scraps of stories which move, photographs which mean something to me, songs, quotes, tales of humans being humans, small films, and those infinitesimal things which seem to enter us and suddenly make our days holy and whole.

I thought I would share a few of those quirky but warm-hearted entries. I hope you enjoy experiencing them!

February 1, 2026.

Ma contemplating her 87th.

Pix: Devang Bhandari Styling: Darshi Banthia

March 15th 2026

Ended up for dinner in Jalapeños. Nachos and fondue.
And we saw 7 very old people (probably in their 70s) having dinner together, ordering and chatting happily, obviously dear friends. We felt so good, just looking at them. So Darshi and I went up to them and told them how happy they made us. And we hope we have friends like them in our lives to grow old with. Left them pleased and us happy.

November 30th 2025.

Kindness.

February 3rd 2026

With a quiet mind, may you listen

With a quiet mind, may you sing along

With a quiet mind, may you meditate

“A quiet mind is all you need”

August 19, 2025

A rainy day story by Jayshree Sundar

It’s raining the rain of floods and deluge’s in Mumbai. Sheets upon sheets of thick drops almost making everything a grey haze.

I had my physiotherapy appointment this morning at 10 am.

So I called the centre in the hope the therapist had taken a ”rainy day” off. No such luck. They agreed to let me cancel at no cost. Feeling relieved I sat down to only think what a fuss pot I’d become. I had braved these rains for years !

“C’mon. Book an uber” I told myself.

Wearing shoes that had seen better days and carrying a hot pink umbrella I set off.

The cab came quickly and in that rain we made it in good time. I was ten minutes early. Everything was wet to the touch. The stairs, the lift and me.

Got through my session with my therapist who looks like a film star but is totally unaware how attractive she is- in her usual professional style. No nonsense and making me work hard. Yet kind.

Finishing up and very pleased that I hadn’t “bunked”- I made my way down.

The uber was 9 minutes away and I settled down to the “long” wait with rain water spraying my clothes like a gentle mist.

Suddenly my attention was drawn to two men with neatly packed garbage bags standing in front of me. Big Neon green bundles with strings on top. Someone had even done that job so well. Half wet with large umbrellas over their head they kept looking in the direction of the traffic just like me looking for my transport.

Suddenly a trash collecting truck came and parked on the main road. And out jumped two men. Perhaps late twenties. One rather plump and the other lean and sprightly. They were in black clothes which I guess is their uniform. No umbrellas and fully wet they came dancing and running with joy at the act of getting drenched in the rain. They collected the garbage and ran back to the truck flinging the bags in the back and jumping into the front seat where their driver with a huge smile was waiting to let them perform their duty only to rev off to the next destination.

My uber came and I got in now pretty damp all over. I reflected on the joyous scene I’d witnessed.

That Mumbai never stops. Or waits. And just goes on is something this incident demonstrates- no big car or raincoats and gum boots. No miserable face or complaints about muck and having to work. And these guys were garbage collectors. Just pure joy in completing a task. So perfect.

This spirit is perhaps not found anywhere else in the world.

Hot cup of tea and watching the rain is what i’m doing now as i finish typing …