How do you light someones life?

We forget how precious the older generation is. As children grow up and get busy with their lives, the older folks are often left behind. Make their Diwali special!

2. Feed the strays in your neighbourhood.

Instead of bursting a ladi tied to their tail or throwing firecrackers at them, feed them some some of that scrumptious meal you cook for yourself! Just don’t feed them anything sweet; it’s bad for them.

3. Sponsor meals for children for a year.

Lufthansa Airline’s Help Alliance is a wonderful initiative to make lives better. With many options to choose from, you can give a #DiwaliSurprise to someone who will cherish it for years to come! All that is required from your side is to send a Diwali wish to someone you love.

4. Donate your earnings from card parties to those in need.

You don’t really need the money. There are many who do.

5. Take your employees out for lunch.

They work hard for you all year. A bonus is great, but give them a special treat to show your gratitude in a way they will always remember!

6. Surprise your grandparents by going for an overseas holiday together.

Lufthansa Airlines is giving everyone a chance to win tickets for an overseas holiday for you and your loved ones. You can fly to any city on their network around the world. Send a Diwali wish to your loved ones and you might just give them a #DiwaliSurprise .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8L5-EZFQXU

7. Volunteer for a palliative care team.

Those who are terminally ill need a lot more than medical help. A palliative care team takes care of all their needs. They often need assistance and look for volunteers for the same.

8. Gift your parents a policy.

They made investments for you which helped you get an education, start your own business or get married. Return the gesture. They might need it as they grow older.

9. Make a hand-made Diwali gift for someone you love.

A bottle lamp, an origami lamp, painted bulbs or home-made candles. It’s not that difficult to make any of these.

10. Teach something to homeless children.

Teach them the English alphabet or how to string together a sentence or two. Teach them a choreography on the latest Bollywood hit. Teach them how to play an instrument or how to make a sculpture.

We all experience ups and downs in life. That is normal and expected.

But many people are experiencing exaggerated heaviness right now, exacerbated by spending so much of their time in isolation without hugs from family members, carrying heavy workloads without the offsetting pleasure of being colleagues, or managing serious medical conditions without the comfort of community.

That is a lot to hold. And yet...

When we take time to look with intention, there are opportunities for you to spark light everywhere, for others and for yourself. Try these ideas to light your path this week...

Here are specific, easy tips to light your path this week...

Say "Thank you." And mean it. We all have people to thank... the woman who faithfully delivers the paper to your doorstep each morning, the kind radiology technician who provides a steady hand each time you come in for treatment, the team members who show up every day, despite everything. Pay attention to what is working and who is making that happen and then say "thank you" through a written note or a kind word. Make your words count in someone's life. And notice the light that comes alive in you.

Send a book to a child, or better yet, a classroom. Light up a child's winter with a good book. Remember what it felt like to curl up with a good book when you were a child and then commit to making that happen for another child - perhaps one you know, or one you don't know. Or better yet, both. Contact a favorite teacher and ask how to gift a book to each of their students, particularly students who don't regularly have access to books, and watch your light spread.

Do thoughtful things for others, just because you can. Thoughtfulness is a torch that lightens the path for all who encounter it... bake banana bread for a lonely friend, call a neighbor you haven't seen in months and tell them about your favorite memory of times together, send flowers to someone whose day will be brightened simply knowing you are thinking of them. Make a substantial financial gift to your favorite charity and do it anonymously. Knit children's mittens for the food shelf. Make flannel lined masks for the horse lovers! Choose something and do it. And then notice how it feels to give freely of yourself. Focusing on others is a way to kindle the light in others and in ourselves.

Yes, this is a dark time. And yes, we can be lights in the darkness. It is a choice. And that feels hopeful and powerful and right.

How can you be a light to someone's life?

What does light of my life mean?

How can I make someone's life better today?