Be the Cause

Below is an email that my good friend Biba sent after her visit to the Seva Cafe. Biba and her family came to the Seva Café on Saturday immediately after their Aunt’s funeral.

I wanted to say thank you for calling and for leaving that sweet voicemail. We had an amazing experience, full of emotions, at Seva Cafe on Saturday. There is no other place we would have rather been that evening. Our hearts kept telling us that we must be there.. and we listened and went, and all of us came out with such great and profound emotions that are to difficult to put in words. We felt at peace, together, supported, and relaxed. Seva Cafe became a home where we were able to cry together, laugh together, hold one another, relax in each others arms, pray and and thank the almighty, comfortably and with support for all those souls that surrounded us. It also gave us the opportunity to feel the beauty of life by allowing us to celebrate Gurpreets birthday, for which we are all very grateful for. Seva Cafe gave us that comfort Sukh. It gave us wisdom, appreciation, optimism, collectivism, passion, and family. Thank you.

[…]

Gosh I wish the whole world could feel the soothing power and feeling of pure love…. I wish the world was one big Seva Cafe!

Thank you….Please thank each volunteer for being who they are and giving what they give…

Peace and smiles,
Biba

Our friend Nirali was so right. Sometimes it’s the simple things that can be the most meaningful. This is what struck me last night at the Seva Café. Hugs among old friends – and new friends. Smiles of understanding between perfect strangers. Tasty food to please the senses, and simply beautiful musical artistry to delight and amuse the spirit. Little notes (and doodles) of gratitude and encouragement. Big messages of inspiration in the making (for the Walk for Hope).

Also, random acts of kindness, likely happening all over the place. One simple, beautiful act that I witnessed was a guest inviting a hungry homeless woman off the street to dine with her and her daughter.

On a personal note, I had been looking forward to being a server again last night, mainly because I wanted to get better at it compared to how I felt I’d done on opening night. I just hadn’t felt I’d truly done justice to the whole mind-boggling concept. As it turned out, I was assigned the maitre d role this time. I soon discovered that each time I explained this crazy, radical “experiment” to a new guest, and watched their reactions, the more in sunk in for me. And the more I observed our simple, human interactions, the more I knew we must be on the right track. It doesn’t really matter what my role is. We must be doing something right.

Thank you ALL for the opportunity to be a part of it.