DAY 2/100: In my spiritual tradition, our scriptures outline the different stages on the journey towards the ultimate goal, love of God. In some senses, the journey is as revered as the destination, with emphasis given on the metaphorical “ladder” upon which the practitioner must methodically climb, step by step, until they reach the top. The first step of that journey or rung in that ladder, is faith, or in Sanskrit, shraddha – the initial interest in and subsequent establishing of “unflinching trust in something sublime”. The second step is sadhu sanga, or spending time with fellow practitioners and saintly persons. The word sadhu means one who can cut. I’ve interpreted the meaning as one who can keep it real by cutting out all the unnecessary. Associating with these personalities fans the spark of one’s faith and nourishes the soul. Due to geographical constraints, I’ve spent the majority of my adult life rather isolated from the association so critical as the second rung of the ladder and literally crave any opportunity I can get to engage in this sadhu sanga. Other than my immediate family and a few friends, it’s so few and far between! Opening my mind, clarifying doubts, appreciating other people, expressing gratitude, calling out to the Lord in prayer and listening to a chorus of beautiful voices back at me – today I am grateful for the physical presence of fellow devotees or sadhus.