SPILLING MILK

Had a long day at work, came home late, and then got caught up with chores. I put milk on the stove to boil, deciding to make kheer today. Just as I started to unwind, my brain sent a loud notification—Where’s today’s blog?

I checked the time. 53 minutes left to post.
I had taken up this challenge, but will I make it before midnight? Not sure.

Now, anyone who has ever boiled milk knows one thing—you can’t take your eyes off it. The moment you do, it betrays you, spilling over in seconds. But here I was, stuck between two tasks, trying to save my milk and my commitment to writing.

I ran to my room. My laptop screen lit up, almost as if mocking me. Will she make it today, or will she let this slip, like many other things in her life?

So here I am, sitting on the kitchen counter, laptop open, watching two things—
The white, blank screen in front of me.
The boiling, restless milk beside me.
Both running. Both impatient. Both waiting for me to do something before they spill over.

And as I stare, lost in thought, a question echoes—Am I running the right race?

If everything is about the present, why do I worry so much about the future?
If money can’t buy happiness, why am I always leaving moments behind to earn it?
If calm comes after a storm, why don’t I just sit in the calm instead of chasing the storm?
If sky is the limit, why hasn’t anyone told the sky? Can't it shine at night?
If love should be effortless, why does it always demand so much?
If we should follow our dreams, why does reality keep waking us up?

With every question, the milk rises higher, the tension inside me mirroring it. And then—snap! I quickly switch off the gas.

And just like that, I understand.

Maybe life isn’t about running faster, doing more, or chasing every deadline.
Maybe, sometimes, all we need to do is pause before we overflow.
To stop before we burn out.
To breathe before we break.

To anyone who is reading this, I want to tell you today…….....JUST BREATHE!