Attraversiamo… to the Other Side

When I visited Agra in the December of 2022, my anticipation of seeing the Taj Mahal for the very first time in my life knew no bounds. Moreover, we got a “Taj” facing room in our hotel and not being able to hold in our excitement, the first thing that my sister and I did was to run over to the window, pressing our faces onto the panes with our noses flattened, trying to get the first glimpse of paradise on earth across a heavily fog laden Yamuna River in the pitch dark cold wintry night. Needless to say, we couldn’t see a thing and with a heavy heart we went to bed holding onto our excitement for one more sleepless night knowing full well that the Taj was there, somewhere in the darkness, just across the river but we did not have the vision to pierce through the dense fog which hung on for dear life well into the morning.

As per our itinerary, the first thing that we planned to see the next morning was the Agra fort. And it is from here that we had our first glimpse of the spectacular Taj in all her resplendent glory. Of course, we had a guide with us because our intention was not just to gawk at the monumental structures but to steep in the history that had occurred in these places. Thanks to him, we were treated to a mesmerizing first vision of the Taj from a vantage point which made it look almost ethereal and unworldly. He then asked us to cross over to the back section of the corridor which skirted the inner perimeter of the fort and when we did that and turned to look at the Taj, it actually appeared much larger than when we were relatively closer to it. Just like the moon appears bigger when it is closer to the horizon compared to when it is up in the sky. We encountered the same optical illusion when we visited the Taj Mahal and saw it first through the main gate and this huge pearly white structure suddenly seemed to shrink when we walked across the gate and emerged on the other side.

Something that seemed so close from the outside, had miraculously gone further away the moment we stepped in. That’s the beauty of crossing over. It gives you a whole new perspective of whatever you are looking at. Sometimes, you need to cross over to the other side and look back at things from a distance to appreciate their magnanimity, at other times, you have to come closer to appreciate them amidst their surroundings. Yet, at other times, you have to do exactly the reverse! All said and done, crossing over at the right time and at the right place is what will give you a well-rounded perspective of the object of your focus.

Crossing over can be transcendental. Have you ever seen from an airplane window the breathtaking display of a beautiful spectrum of colours created by sunlight as the earth transitions from day to night? The twilight zone, no matter from where you see it – from the air or from the ground, is usually replete with a volley of colours – a melodrama of eclectic hues that marks the crossing over of the day into night. Crossing across boundaries – of countries, cities, careers or relationships – could be awe-inspiring and uplifting experiences.

Crossing over can be transformational. Even biology teaches us that in order for a species to survive & thrive, chromosomes have to cross over to create the genetic diversity that is so crucial for evolution and adaptation to a changing environment. Similarly in life, crossing over outside our comfort zone is imperative for personal growth and forging meaningful relationships thus exposing us to new ideas, gaining knowledge, broadening our perspective, challenging our beliefs, overcoming our fears, gaining a deeper understanding of ourselves and enabling us to connect with a larger community across the world.

The transitional nature of crossing over reminds us that life is a journey which brings us to crossroads prompting us to take a decision and leading us onto the path that feels right at the moment. Many a time however, once we have taken a road, it no longer feels right and we need to cross over to another road, and possibly another. Life happens in the crisscross maze of these roads – some of them leading to and others leading away from our life’s purpose. We learn along the wrong ones and from the knowledge gained, we know which the right ones are and it's okay to change course as many times as is required and sometimes, it's as easy as crossing over to the other side of the road ??.

“I decided on my word. "Attraversiamo"... It means: "Let's cross over". – Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat Pray Love)

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