watching TV

My grandmother sat beside me, her weathered hands folded peacefully. We watched a documentary about Swami Paramarthananda's teachings on life's ephemeral nature. She smiled knowingly. "Everyone seeks validation," she whispered, gesturing at my phone. "The likes, the shares. Yet look here—this wisdom costs nothing." We continued watching as classical Veena music accompanied spiritual discourse. Her eyes grew luminous, reflecting decades of understanding. That evening, social rewards meant nothing. Instead, we discovered something exquisite in shared silence, in inherited knowledge passing between generations. The world outside could wait.