The Gift

Earlier this year in India, I attended the most extraordinary birthday celebration I had ever witnessed. Women were the guests of honour at Sri Sakthi Amma's 30th birthday. In a gesture of profound generosity, Amma gave out 10,000 saris to local women, explaining that "on one's birthday, it is more joyful to give gifts than to receive them." Women of all ages and social classes—daughters, mothers, grandmothers—journeyed for days to receive this blessed gift from a living, giving saint.

The women in the video were patiently waiting to receive their saris, which would be handed out much later that day. From behind the camera, I experienced something unusual. Normally, as a filmmaker, I am the observer. But here, surrounded by women in their finest saris, I found myself being observed as much as I was observing. We stood on equal footing. It was a fascinating experience because this sense of equality elevated their beauty, revealing a dignity and depth of soul that shone clearly through their eyes. In that moment, it felt as though, through their quiet grace, they had given me a gift.

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