Sept. 25,2011 – Back to India – Well, Not Really :-(

Hi all

It’s been a long time and not only do I miss India, I miss “talking” to you all.  This is the time of the year when I am usually getting myself ready to return to my other reality – these past number of years – in Rishikesh.

But life has a way of surprising us in many ways.  As things stand now, I will probably not be back to India until late fall, 2012! This will be the longest I’ve been away in many years, and it is really not easy.

The reasons, on the surface, seem fairly straightforward, but if you have been “with” be for the past years, you know that  I believe, and have learned from experience, that all things happen for reasons we don’t usually understand at the time, and if we are lucky, the benefits of unpleasant surprises are only understood later on in time (sometimes, never understood at all by our limited faculties as human beings).

It all began last year when I began getting a government subsidy to my regular government pension (called Bituach Leumi here-meaning National Insurance).  It was wonderful getting this extra money each month and made a big difference in my standard of living.

However, I did not realize at the time that this extra subsidy would limit the amount of time I could spend abroad in any given year,,,specifically limiting it to 72 days per year!….

Without realizing it, I overstayed my 72 days at the beginning of 2011 .  When I returned from India I found that the subsidy had been cancelled and I had to reapply stating my reasons.  Luckily, it was reinstated but with the definite warning not to leave the country for the rest of 2011 under penalty of forfeiting this subsidy permanently.

I had expected to attend the wedding of my nepheew in the states this past week, and could not even get permission to do that!

So my position now is that I have 72 days a year and the plan is to travel the end of 2012 and then stay for the beginning of 2013 thereby giving me a nice long stay in India.  But it is a very long time to wait.

But, as things happen, there is a very wonderful compensation for my having to stay put in Israel.  And I truly believe that this all was set in motion by the Universe knowing WHY I would be happy NOT to leave Israel right now.  A wonderful new relationship has begun, something quite different from anything I’ve know before, and I am very happy to be “forced” to stay put for now.  If things truly get difficult for me, I may plan a short (1 month) stay beginning of 2012 but of course on the condition that I don’t go alone this time!!

I am also committed this year to certain family issues which definitely require my being here as well.  So, although I have been forced not to travel, if the option was still available to me and I had to decide myself what to do, it would be an almost impossible decision for me to make.  So God has been loving and generous with me, and has taken this difficult decision out of my hands.  This allows me the great luxury of enjoying each precious moment here without feeling that it is at the expense of something else I would want to be doing, since I have no choice in the matter.

As usual, and as always, I am truly blessed.

Namaste to all…perhaps I will write here once in awhile just to keep in touch.  Many of my friends are already back or on the way back to India, and if I hear any interesting stories, perhaps I will post them…or just post now and then some of my favorite photos when I really get homesick.  If not, you can always follow my comings and goings on my Mindfulness Journal (link on the sidebar) where I post regularly, if not frequently these days!!  There is only so much time in the day, and night, and priorities must always be set.

Love light and joy to all and a very Happy New Year.  You might like to check out this link regarding the New Year and the opportunities it offers:

http://mindfulnessjournal.wordpress.com/2006/09/22/the-jewish-new-year-and-another-golden-opportunity-to-get-yourself-out-of-the-shadow-of-the-past/

Jane