It was 31 December 2020 – New Years’ Eve on the Gregorian calendar – and for once, my mood was sombre.
A feeling of sadness while I was reflecting on the year that was…the brutal murder of our aunt followed by the first COVID-19 case in SA, the initial lockdown, the adapting to the whole Work from Home concept, rising COVID-19 cases, COVID numbers becoming COVID names, the second wave and COVID names becoming names of people that we hold dear to us; the predictions of the scientists and the astrologers all painted a very dull, dreary picture…it was all so overwhelming, just thinking about everything.
I was missing my family terribly – Mum, Dad, my siblings and their spouses, and my four little cherubs – but fear and love kept us apart…each with the same goal…to make sure that we kept the other safe. It’s no wonder that my mood was sombre – 2020 had been a year spent in a blur…fighting for our dear lives!
As I sat reading a World War 2 novel, the skies darkened, and the heavens opened, unleashing blinding torrents of rain which amplified the stifling Durban heat. Thunder rolled, and streaks of lightning illuminated the evening sky. With each passing hour, the thunder and lightning intensified. We could hardly hear each other speak. What was going on?
It seemed like somewhere in the heavens, the cosmic dance was being performed…was He angry? Was He dancing the Rudra Tandava? Or was He dancing the Ananda Tandava and washing away all the pain, trauma and devastation that had wreaked havoc in every person’s life this year?
I sat back and mulled this thought over – the sadness that I had felt the entire day slowly started to leave…to be replaced with gratitude. Yes – I missed everyone tremendously – but we still had each other, even though we were apart. Some were not so fortunate. I bowed my head and felt ashamed at myself.
The storm continued. The intensity both scared me and filled me with awe. It really felt like He was dancing across the black velvet, His anklets echoing with every movement, creating the flashes between the angry, dark clouds and His drum reverberating in splendour!
It was already 11:30PM – 30 minutes to the New Year…the feeling within me was to surrender…so I did…and I started to pray. I must have prayed for about 15 minutes, but it felt like an eternity. As the clock turned to 00:00 and the New Year was ushered in, I realised that the thunder and lightning had stopped. Rain continued to fall, but a soft, almost comforting, drizzle. Perhaps the Lord had danced the Ananda Tandava; the dance of bliss, the dance of creation and rebirth and I put my palms together again and said a silent prayer. I had so much to be grateful for.
Happy New Year everyone. May love, happiness and joy be yours. Take care and Keep safe!
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Notes Lord Shiva, in His Nataraja (God of Dance) form, is said to perform a hugely popular dance known as the Tandava. There are two different forms of Tandava - the Rudra Tandava and the Ananda Tandava. Rudra Tandava - Shiva, the God of constructive destruction, transforms into his most vicious form while performing this Tandava. The Rudra Tandava often symbolises the destruction of the cosmos. Ananda Tandava is the dance of bliss where the intrinsic nature of Shiva emerges as Shivam where he is in his purest form. The Ananda Tandava by Shiva denotes the purest aspect of his being and is associated with creation and rebirth.
