What started as a simple invitation to the community to come together andshare our joys, tears and hopes together over the weekend, truly turned into a festival of love that moved and stirred something within all of us in its wake. As 20 of us gathered on Saturday evening at The Urban Ashram, with no expectations, no answers but a lot of hope, faith and surrender that if we sit together in a circle and speak the language of our hearts and share from an authentic space offering deep listening and patience, some magic will occur, and truly it did.

We started the first circle with a simple question - What is a gift that has moved you or shifted something within you in your life? This followed by a second circle - How are you paying forward these gifts or taking these values forward into your life?

Prem shared how it was love that broke her but also love that healed her and opened the door to so much in her life from meals on wheels to The Freedom project. For Dola, her deep experiences with a beloved four legged friend and his passage to the next world took her beyond the realm of questions and answers, Erica spoke of how she was deeply moved by forgiveness and mindfulness. Harsh shared beautifully about loneliness and solitude, while Trilok uncle gave a touching metaphor of a car with oblong tyre's.

Sima shared how she wished to offer every being she met with the gift of deep listening, while Madhu spoke of being a Sanghamitra and walking on the path of love in the service of the whole. Yash wished to move beyond the state of ego and be an instrument and Nick wanted to offer a healing, holding space to all to feel safe. Laya wished to offer everyone with a safe space of trust and being heard, whereas Deven shared a quote stating: "When I don't know you, I serve you. When I know you, I am you."

Many such beautiful stories shared brought us all together in maitri as we ended the evening with a beautiful song "come together" sung by Sahil.

Sunday morning saw 30 people join in for an energetic 'IMPROV' session by Rish and Sima. With some amazing games and activities making us completely uninhibited enacting animals and aliens to snapping, clapping and stomping! we were on a roll as the energy in the room just lifted us all into another space, a space of understanding group dynamics, mindfulness, deep listening, being together, sharing values giving space and so many other values to learn. They had us moving into different spaces and kept us all on our toes for 3 hours with their incredible energy levels and perfectly in-sync instructions. Such a great Learning experience!

This wonderful energy carried us into the afternoon as all action led to the kitchen as we started preps for SEVA CAFE that evening. 20 of us cooked for 60 people and the amazing bonding that took place in the kitchen was delightful to say the least. Life stories shared while cutting and chopping veggies to first time experiments in cooking and serving unique dishes. Every volunteer brought in freshness and enthusiasm from decorating the space to cleaning the hallway. Running last minute on bikes to get forgotten items and also beautifying the space in every manner possible. It was a pure labour of love! Neeti and Sanjeev enthusiastically prepared aam Panna and Dahi wada's for all while Vaibhavi put her heart into the ' Avial'. Preet and Jiya lovingly fed pani puri's to all as we also celebrated Jiya's birthday there.

Delightful soul music belted out by Sahil and Sandeep had all guests smiling while Laya, Yash and many others created a beautiful ambiance with flowers and diya's.

At the end of the whirlwind weekend, as we sat down for the first time in two days on the sofa and took a deep breath...we instinctively knew that it was only love that kept us going and only Love that will keep us going...onwards and always..

" The moment you start looking for love..you start to change..within and without." ~ Rumi ~