2016 THANK YOU FOR THE LESSONS; 2017 WE ARE READY

It is that time of the year, where everyone usually makes cliched statements of the year that was. Where we say that we should overlook the sad unhappy events and focus only on the good and look forward to a new beginning or something such. Well, 2016 you did a banger on some of us. In fact you took us on one hell of a ride. So here instead of sweeping unfortunate events under the carpet I am saying, kudos to you, 2016, it is indeed a year many of us will not forget quickly. You taught us that nothing in life is to be taken for granted. Especially the people in our lives. You took away a lot of our loved ones, ones we were not ready to let go. They have gone leaving behind hearts that will take a long time to heal. You changed life courses, set us on paths that seem challenging now.

Yet 2016, we take everything that has happened in our stride. Even through our pain we continue to smile, we continue forward and we continue to persevere. So, rather than thank you for all the experiences both the sad and the happy, we will thank you for the happy will still moan and brood about the sad (for a bit) till we come to terms with them. But we will thank you for showing us that we are resilient and that our sorrows do not overcome us, but make us stronger and determined. So thank you, for showing us that we are capable of so much more than we thought.

So, this is what 2016 taught me -
Take no relationship for granted, take no one for granted. Be grateful for the people in our lives. They are here, now. So it's best that we show them we love them here and now. Not wait for a tomorrow where we do not know if they will be a part of our lives. Do what you must today, yesterday. Every event in our lives and those of others can teach us something. Learn from it. There is nothing we cannot do, the universe has equipped us with wisdom, courage and strength. It's all there within us. The people we need will be there for us when we need them. The best time to be there for someone is when they need us. Simple yet such meaningful lessons. Lessons to prepare us for 2017.

2017, we look forward to experiencing you, we hope you are kinder and less demanding of us. 2016 has equipped us to be better prepared and smarter. We look forward to putting 2016 behind us for and a happier and peaceful 2017.

Have a blessed 2017!

17... the beginning of a future so bright and beautiful

Hmmm… Mine is probably the last wish that you have received, late by a couple of days.  But, as they say, we save the best for the last. 17, what a beautiful age to be, this is the age that you will look back on in 10 years and think, WOW! that was the best year of my life. It is a beautiful year the end of teenage and the start to adulthood. I hope it is a beautiful year, filled with all things good and wonderful (we will ignore the looming dark clouds of the exams). So for your 17^th this is my wish for you

I wish for you happiness, may any sorrow that may come your way be overshadowed by the happy moments

I wish for love, may any the sadness of hatred that is shown toward you be taken away by the power of love in you

I wish for you success, may any failure you may have be stepping stones to even more success

May you be so blessed with all the good things in life that the world stands in awe of you.

There is a certain amount of pride for an aunt, whose niece borrows her clothes and looks better in them than the aunt. I have been blessed to have you in my life and love you so very much. Happy 17^th Shreya baby, Rock the Year!!!!

Dance of love

In life sometimes we have to perish a little so that someone else can shine, like the candle... the only way it gives light is by burning itself from within. Just like the sun does for the moon... Let us too dance with love...

Our very own angel from Heaven

I heard recently at a sermon that God could not be everywhere, so He made mothers. For those of us who are fortunate and blessed to still have our mothers with us, we should thank the Almighty that they are still around. I am grateful to be blessed with a mother who so completely lived her life for her children.

It does not matter what age a mother or her child/children are, it is a never ending thankless job. Nothing is a bigger proof of what goes around comes around (sometimes multi-fold) than motherhood (as I have come to understand during my very brief stint with motherhood). I have come to appreciate the mother duty much more now than I did when I was a teen or maybe even older than that. It is a 24x7 job, in the deepest sleep a mother knows if her child calls out to her. When a child is sick, a mother has no sleep or rest, she simply cannot sleep knowing her child is unwell or disturbed.

Mummy, you did this all on your own. You looked after us, you educated us, ‘found’ our life partners for us and still your duty continues. I wonder sometimes how you managed, a job, no help at home, the cooking, cleaning, washing and all else that comes along with looking after 2 children. Yet in the middle of all that you managed to find out when we read romance novels instead of studying, you knew when we watched TV on the sly and even those phone calls from boys that we thought we were so smart to cover up.

My mother taught me that charity is not only if you have to spare, but depends on the need of the person who is asking. My mother taught me to make sacrifices for the ones we love. That we should forgive those who wrong us, give second chances, she taught me selflessness and care. She taught me that life is not always fair, but hope prevails. Most importantly she taught me never to put money and materials over people. All this she did in the way she lived her life. An epitome of love and selflessness and care.

We love you ma, for who you are. We love that you are such a wonderful mother and grandmother. We love the angel that God has sent down for us. Thank You for being you. It is not the number of years that matter but how you lived those years. We pray that you continue to be our guiding light for many more years to come. Happy Birthday ma/madu.

DADDY I MISS YOU

A tribute to daddy, my father, who passed away when I was at the verge of turning six, a very young age for both of us. We missed so many opportunities together, first communion, engagement, wedding, and his grand-children so many wonderful experiences that we could have shared.

As an infant I was raised by my maternal grandmother and came to live with daddy only at the ripe old age of 2 and a half. A brat of the first order, thoroughly spoilt by the grandparents and an assortment of aunts and uncles, they say my feet never touched the ground and all I had to do was point and what I wanted would come to me. Daddy had a wild one to deal with, at 2 and a half I could speak much more clearly than my sister who is a year older to me. I, apparently smart-mouthed him at every possible opportunity.

My memory of him is hazy at best. A blurred image of a man sitting on a sofa, him switching on the television or something similar, morning wake up calls “Nisy, Nancy”. Both of us apparently woke up at a single call and even made our own beds. My uncles and aunts say he was a wonderful brother. His opinions respected and listened to and he was considered as the go to person for anything and everything.

My mother in those times after he passed away, did the best possible for us, tuitions, dance classes, sports coaching, she gave us all of it. Yet at some odd moments I wonder how different our lives would have been, not just mine and my sister’s but mummy’s too if he had been around. Often at programs me or my sister would wish both daddy and mummy could watch us perform. He loved to see us perform, enrolled us for dance classes at a very early age, me at 3 and my sister 4. He would have been a proud father watching his children performing on stage or at sporting events.

I am often asked, do you remember him, I don’t, not really. But I do know whenever life has thrown boomerangs at me, I go and have a quiet conversation with him, and I feel better. Almost as if he is there with his arms around me saying its ok, I am here. Do I know him? I wish I did. I wish I had a chance to grow up with him do all those things little girls did with their daddies. I wish my mom had a chance to grow old with him. I am sure my sister wishes the same.

I hope we, me and my sister have done him proud. We have tried to fill the gap for our mother once we were old enough just as she did for us when we were children. I wish he was here with us, no, I know he is here with us, watching over us, taking care of us.  I don’t know if I have said it during the very brief time that I had with you, but daddy please know, I love you!

I am Me!

We are who we are, complete and whole.  I am not just enough, I am complete, I am whole. Through every challenge that we face, if we can remember that... It will help us to come through it stronger and wiser. I am whole, I am complete, I am me! 

The excitement is in the suspense

We always do not have to have a set path to travel. Life is an exciting journey. Not knowing does not mean we are lost, just that the destination is unknown. The important thing is the journey. So travel well my friends, enjoy the ups and the downs. Just remember, live well and live true!

Ego is never a good companion

They say pride comes before a fall, when pride becomes a driving factor it always causes damage. The ego is even worse and we as humans take decisions and actions based on our ego. Sometimes the best thing to do is set it aside and look at people and situations with understanding and empathy

To All Mothers

When we were kids one of my mother’s favorite comment was, “Wait till you are my age, and you have children, you will know what I am going through.” Ma, I am sorry if we gave you a tough time when we were children. We love and appreciate all that you have done for us. We understand that being a single mother and bringing up the two of us (one who loved clothes and shoes and another who loved books and sports) was a real uphill task. We love you completely, totally, unconditionally. We love you when you love us, we love you when you are reasonable and unreasonable and we love you when you scold us (maybe not so much at the time… just saying!) We also love you always. Just like we know you love us, its shows every time you scold us, when you get upset when we don’t call, in everything you say and do there is love. 

But Ma, we have kids and we were nothing like these ones now. We were little angels. You had an easy job compared to us. They are way smarter than we were at their age, seems like they were practicing law and the art of negotiation in the womb instead of sucking their thumbs and blinking their eyes. 

Being a mom is a lesson in love. Your children are the ones you will love no matter what they are, how they are or who they become. That is why they say a mother’s love is unconditional. So for all the mothers out there and specially to mine. Here is a big pat on our backs. We love them from poop and puke through probing questions and puberty, it has to be unconditional. Being a mom is tears of joy, peals of laughter, unexpected hugs and kisses. It is also bruises and frustration and fevers and failures, and nothing compares to what we feel for our children.

Happy Mother’s Day Ma and  to all You wonderful Mom’s out there! 

Rainbows in tear drops

Just as after every storm there is a rainbow. So it is that after every painful period in our life there will be a rainbow. So this one is for all those who are going through a tough phase. Be it silly or serious, know that it will pass. The rainbow is on its way to fill your life with color. Keep the faith!

Memories relived

Paths that we have to walk down

We often don't realize that what we do to others can be done to us as well.

Find stars in their eyes