A case about our DDs...

It was one of those serendipitous instances when 3 of us friends referred to our DDs (Darling Daughters) as people without whom we would not be able to accomplish anything of value/importance/that meant a great deal to us. Besides the absolute fact that DDs gave meaning to our lives, DDs were the reason for us to enjoy life... . In a kind of strange volte-face, we realized that we were more dependent on them, than they were on us in certain crucial areas...We needed them to put the iron into our spine...we needed them to rest our weary heads on...we needed them to spike our lives...what's more, these were people we could blindly and surely rely on ALWAYS! ALWAYS!! ALWAYS!!!

Cheers to all the DDs in the world...

Sharing words that comfort me...

Whenever anything happens that seems contrary to what I feel should be...these words pop into my heart - What is happening is as it should happen - now if I accept this, no matter how dreadful, or frightening, or discouraging, or disheartening, or whatever the emotion may be... , I instantly feel better. If I flutter against these words, I end up getting entangled in a mess that results only in disaster...

At all times we have to aim not to disturb the underlying harmony of our lives, or even cause it to be temporarily hidden.

A sight to remember...

The day I was flying back home from Madras, after a very tumultuous time, I saw something that I can only think was sent just for me....(and of course, others who were in the same state of mind and heart as me)...

There were masses of clouds - some dark, and some white - part of the world looked stormy, and part of it was bathed in sunlight - and all of a sudden, there appeared this most perfect rainbow...no diffusion - just clear bands of all the colors...

There was an affirmation and a reassurance in that sight...

It was strength-giving, and confidence-to-face-the-future boosting...

It was a don't-give-up, don't-give-in, and be-clear-of-who-you-are-no-matter-rain-or-shine sign...

It was just what I needed to start the new chapter in my life...

An insight...

It takes death to make you realize that you have to live life on your terms...



Of course there has to be compassion....of course there has to be consideration.... and of course we are not islands... but you cannot barter away yourself, when very often the barter is for nothing in return, or worse - hurtful things in return...

Thoughts from a chat...

My friend, who was also a teacher of many years, and I were talking about our experiences some time back. We got a bit taken aback, and felt chary about admitting it, but gradually we found a rather strange conjecture emerging...it started dawning on us that through the years of teaching children the value of morals and ethics, correcting/reprimanding/punishing them, and being role models for them, teachers had a tendency to become pinch-nosed-tightly-lipped-sharp-eared-highly-moralistic-and-judgmental-self-righteous prigs with no sense of humor, completely incapable of being lighthearted, and totally devoid of any sense of fun.

Did we have a point here? Was it really well nigh impossible to combine humor with value/ethics-based teaching? Did our vocation somehow excise the funny bone? Did we somewhere lose sight of the fact that we too were very fallible humans? That we were not God? And that even as we were responsible for those we taught, we could also laugh with them?

Randomly thinking...

It takes but one breath to make the difference between life and death - really and metaphorically speaking. For, every thought and every decision, every action... it's just that---one breath away...

Think - we toil over, agonize over, debate and discuss threadbare, those issues that are to us important-but-in-reality-not-crucial-to-life, and after many hours, don't reach any kind of solution, whereas, the really critical concerns are unobtrusively resolved with the turn of just one breath...

Isn't it strange...?

Isn't it rather curious that it is only in death that the many facets of a person's personality are revealed? The paradoxes unfolded? So how is it that they were hidden all these years? Let's face it, we were either too blind, or too busy to see...

Strange how dim, hazy thoughts take shape...; the true nature of those we believed very close to us comes out...;the depths of our mind and heart are plowed...; and we are forced to see and face up to what we desperately did not want to acknowledge...

Astonishing that the estranged come within the range of civilized behavior?

Strange too that death makes the unknown and not-kept-in-touch-with family members rally around - everyone wanting to share in the grieving because the one who has gone has been a part of their lives at some time or another.

Strangest of all is how the eyes finally open to life and living...