During one of our travels through India, we found ourselves in a quiet village on the outskirts of Varanasi. The air was thick with the scent of incense and damp earth, and the streets pulsed with the rhythm of everyday life—vendors calling out their wares, children playing barefoot in the dust, and the distant hum of temple bells. It was here, in a small, cluttered antique shop, that we stumbled upon a forgotten piece of history.
The shopkeeper, an elderly man with kind eyes, welcomed us with a nod and gestured toward the shelves stacked with old books, rusted trinkets, and fading portraits. As we sifted through the collection, a tattered leather-bound journal caught our attention. Its pages, yellowed with time, were filled with elegant, hand-written Devanagari script.
Seeing our curiosity, the shopkeeper smiled and gently ran his fingers over the cover. “This,” he said, “belonged to my grandfather’s father. A farmer from a village near Kolkata. He documented his days, his harvests, the changing seasons… and his thoughts.”
Intrigued, we carefully opened the journal. The first entry was dated July 3, 1911. The words, though faded, painted a vivid picture of rural life over a century ago—stories of monsoon rains nourishing the fields, the struggle against droughts, the joy of a bountiful harvest, and quiet moments of gratitude under the banyan tree.
The most touching passage was a simple reflection:
“If the land is kind, we give thanks. If it is cruel, we endure. But always, we plant, hoping the next season will bring abundance.”
The shopkeeper, seeing the reverence in our eyes, did something unexpected. He placed his hand on the journal and then, with a nod, pushed it toward us. “Take it,” he said. “It should be with someone who will honor its story.”
And just like that, a century-old voice found a new home. The journal of an Indian farmer, once tucked away in a forgotten corner, became a part of Selfless Living—a testament to the generosity of those who share their stories, not for profit, but for the sake of remembrance.
