Just watching her do her face in the mirror, sends me back in time. Similar poses, similar searching for compliments, just everything about her. And then the lovely hit song by Billy Joel"Isn't she lovely, Isn't she beautiful....." keeps going on in my head.
I too was just an eighteen year, and life was so beautiful, no worry, no care, knowing that parents were there to take care of every little tension and bother, of course like every eighteen year old, wants were always more than needs. My mother is an emotionally very strong lady.With Dad out at sea most of the year, she had to manage the household and us three kids, times were tough, money was not easy to come by and mum had to play a dual role that of a mother and father, sometimes a counsellor too .
There were times when Mum would wait for a letter or some form of communication from my dad at sea, maybe a colleague sailing into mumbai or a simple 'Inland' letter. Just the sight of the postman entering the building and my mum would beam...only to hear him go by. Life was tough; at times, my Dad arrived ahead of his already posted letter.
To think of times,now and how easy it has made life, we can now watch each other, across the continents, know whats cooking in the pot and what we are wearing for the party tonight.
I tell the kids, the above facts that i have documented and how much easier it now is.
The girl asks me, "Mum, did you not have a phone? Was TV all in black and white ?"
TV serials like "The Invisible Man" and "Star Trek" were something that we kids really looked forward to. Even the melodious, "Chhaya Geet" anchored by the chirpy Tabassum was really looked forward to.
Hard days, but never for a single moment can i say i did not enjoy even those times.
i clearly remember a letter coming from my dad to say that he would be home for Christmas, months ahead of Christmas.... a month to go still no news, then finally a phone call to say that he would not be able as he did not find someone to relieve him.
Total disappointment for us all, but my Mum took on and went on to make all the sweets as we would always do ... dad will come, maybe not for christmas and there we had a lonely christmas but a happy one.
So many instances remind me of our childhood days.
The kids are such wonderful little adults and realise that we are truly blessed to be so fortunate be it in advancement of communications, transportation, education just any place its a wonderful world right now and i'm lovin it

They held their hands, and tenderly led each other on the road.They were a little ahead of me.
This was no ordinary couple, they were both blind, and just like any other, they too were in love, they could not "gaze" into each others eyes, but for certain the hands locked, were a visible sign of their affection.they were happily chatting and something in the couple, made me realise how blessed we are to have every little finger in its place, and still there are times when i groan and grouch for silly things as much as the newspaper coming in late.
There are lessons to be learnt at every turn on our way but do we get to them ?
Here was this couple who was surely, truly, doubly blessed, as inspite of them not being to enjoy the visions of sight, were "oblivious" to the people walking on the road, it was just like they two existed.
They gently led each other and walked on their way to work, the red and white cane tapping the pavement. The people at the junction who were crossing, guided them to the safety of the other side, where they went off chatting and laughing at a private joke. what a sight to behold !!!
Love knows no language, no caste, no creed.

There she was all dressed up in bridal finery, every little girls dream, but this time it was for real, it was such a beautiful sight. There was total confusion in the room, people spilling all over the place, waiting for the photographer to call us in, for the photoshoot with the bride.
Words cannot describe the heaviness of ones heart as one has to part with the "little girl" knowing well that she has to bloom where she is planted... or thats the way we believe, to start their own lives and blossom, nurture a brand new family and all that.
In this case, it was my little neice, who we had held a few hours after her birth.
And to see her so happy going off with the one she loves is a satisfying feeling and kind of sets one free of the heaviness, as thats the way I wanted to believe.
The wedding festivities flew off in a tizzy and our trip to Goa was a beautiful dream.
God Bless the young couple and wish them a world of happiness, peace and Joy.

Sometimes its seems getting two people to see eye to eye ... especially when they have a past history of not doing so ... is a mammoth task... or at least was a mammoth....
Let me just call them A & B for reasons best known to us. everything is factual except for their names.
Every little word A spoke was sieved, twisted, turned flipped, and then sent forward. Similarly B dissected the forwarded word and back it went. We could sense the tension in the room, which was so thick we could get a slice of it, and back and forth it was going like we were watching a table - tennis championship.
Even if we tried to intervene and sort things out they kind of did not like us trying to make peace, they seemed to be enjoying themselves and the loads of attention they got.
Finally, the head or the person with the highest authority spoke up ..in my mind, its time folks put on your seatbelts. But I was wrong... there he was ...
talking so calmly, so simply, so beautifully giving examples of his own life where at times he too had made mistakes and always thought he was right, not consenting to listen to anothers' view .... after such a heated match, this talk felt like a soothing balm ... like a cool drink going down ones parched throat, like a patch of shade after a walk in the hot sun...
And the two were watching with bated breath who would get the last word, he let them talk and spill their festering rot onto the floor.. things were sorted out in such a lovely manner, in peace and done with grace...hands were met.. to me it seemed like there was a divine power in the authority.
As my day ended my thoughts were ... anything can be done, if only we could use kind words, if only we would understand, if only we let go of our egos, if only we forgive, and in due course time will heal .. IF ONLY.....

Such a beautiful boy !!! that is the way I can describe the little child. He is always there, playing on the footpath, so early in the morning, on our way for a walk, His father owns a little stall, where he ekes out a living ironing creased clothes.
He loves playing with the potted plants around him, and the fathers watchful eyes keeps the scamp from wandering out onto the busy traffic congested lane.
A couple of days back, the little boy was sobbing bitterly, such large tears for a little child, despite all his dirt stained face, and tears flowing ..he looked cherubic, tried to put pieces why he was crying together, and realised he was wasting water from a tiny bucket that was kept on the road.
Like all little children, he was spilling it all over, before he realised WHACK ! and then a loud shrill and sob ! sob,
The father was urgently attending to his customers needs who were impatiently watching all that was happening.
A kind hearted soul took the little boy aside and pacified him.
And before you could snap your fingers, there he was chatting with his father... All in a days work....beautiful boy.....

It has been three long weeks since my sudden attack of the flu. The pampering was the BEST part of it. Friends sending loads of food, soups, stews, WOW ! quite a variety that was, and the pampering by my threesome, showed me how much they really cared.
Thanks to all my family and friends who remembered me during their prayers.

The World Cup, was something that kept my mind off the fever, and it was heart breaking to see Brazils' KAKA being sent off and subsequently walk off so obediently, Kaka a deeply religious person,with a squeaky clean image, realised that he should take the opportunity to train himself for the next game, as he mentioned in his interview the sweetest part of his protest was"Even my granny got very angry when she saw the refree(Referring to his red card)and I cannot tell you what she said here". That was really, really sooo sweet.

He sounded so vulnerable, and childlike..Dont we all like our near and dear ones to take our sides when we are in dire straits ? the only difference is that Kaka being a celebrity is just his simple self, no pretensions and no masks. He spoke straight from his heart. Something we all have to take a lesson from.
Wishing Brazil and the rest of the teams the very best for the finals....

"HAPPINESS IS A CONSCIOUS CHOICE, NOT AN AUTOMATIC RESPONSE"


The moment she entered the compartment of the Borivili bound local, I knew she was the "Decision Maker"her walk, her talk, and the way she held her family in her hold. Ladies, baby and men all happily together.
It was evident from their attire that they were on their way to a function, the hot, humid day in the sweltering, almost melting heat did not deter them from wearing their jewelery, and embroidered sarees.
The Decision Maker(DM) seemed to know who liked which seats, and she alloted each one with her choice of seats. She spoke boldly and brazenly, shouting across passengers and co-passengers faces without, as much as giving a thought to their ear drums.
What fascinated me was her husband who she had in the crook of her little finger, he seemed to be enjoying the responsibility that his better half had taken, and he was viewing, the outside from a sliver that was available to him between passengers.
In the meantime the DM was gearing up in full throttle for her function, she was re-arranging whatever she could of her saree in her seated posture, settling the flowers in her hair, and her jewelery.
She evidently was a grandmother as she asked for the little baby and the daughter in law obediently obliged. They seemed a very content family, seemed very close knit and the men in the family, were all very content with moms ways.
There she was passing the water bottle for all to quench their thirst, and then came the napkin to wipe off the pespiration, oblivious to the fact that there were so many passengers, some of the passengers were helping in passing her equipment around.
The last glimpse I got before I alighted at my stop was one of total bliss, where DM had the little baby safely in her arms, and lulling baby to sleep, leaving the babys parents to have some time together and who seemed to really look forward to their quality time.
I began thinking, when was the last time I saw such a happy family moment ? where the family was happy despite the circumstances they were in ?(the heat, the crowded local, and the cramped up space)
Indeed it is up to us to make a situation the way we want it to be, we do not have to depend on another to make us happy or unhappy, as was evident in this case...