Ganesha, A Friend of My Heart

---Ellaeenah JadeFire

When I was a child, I thought Ganesha was the funniest God of them all. A big round tummy, an elephant’s head, tiny little eyes that twinkled like marbles, and a mouse for his best friend. I would laugh, ‘What kind of God chooses a mouse to ride on? Not a horse, not a tiger, not even the colourful peacock … but a tiny mouse!’

As I’ve grown, my love for my ‘Gannu’ has grown as well. I see the magic in him. When I look at his little mouse, I understand the important lesson that nothing is too small to carry something big. When I look at his broken tusk, I see that imperfection can be so beautiful. When I look at his big ears, I remember that listening builds more bridges than talking. And when I look at his round tummy, I pray for delight to take over the world. His is the laughter that teaches me a lesson I still have to learn completely, “Don’t take life too seriously, play a little. You don’t need to carry all the responsibilities.”

Maybe that’s why children love him so much. Because deep inside, he reminds us: Don’t be afraid of your quirks. Don’t worry if the road looks too hard. Begin anyway.

Ganesha isn’t just about festivals and laddoos. He is about beginnings. He is about courage when we’re scared to start. He is about smiling at our mistakes and trying again. He is about remembering that wisdom can be simple, playful, and kind.

I've seen how he always shows up in my life, sometimes in the most unexpected ways. A picture when I’m anxious, a mouse that miraculously came into our home for so many years only during the few days of the festival, a gentle mantra that guides me when I feel a bit lost, and holds me steady when I'm anxious.

When I see Ganesha’s idol, something indescribable stirs within me. It’s not just the beauty of his form; it is a feeling that rises straight from my heart. The moment my eyes rest upon him, there is a wave of tenderness and familiarity that tells me I am in the presence of a most beloved friend who has known me across lifetimes. When I bow to him, it’s surrender. In that instant, the noise inside me quiets, and I feel infinitely cared for. There is a trust, a reassurance, a sense of being held in a love that is unconditional.

And so every Ganesh Chaturthi, I celebrate not a deity, but a Friend. The one who sits with me at all times, whether I laugh, cry, succeed, stumble, or begin again. Because Ganesha is never far away. He is in the mouse who dares to carry the impossible. He is in the child who finds wisdom in play. He is in all of us when we take that first step. And he is in the smile that gently plays on my face each time my eyes tenderly rest upon his loving presence.