Little Lady

We’ve had a great set of holidays in the past few weeks – it was almost like being in school again. J

I had the chance to meet a lovely young lady at a birthday barbeque last evening. She and I shared a common hobby, one which I find fewer and fewer kids these days seem to enjoy. She loves to read.

We talked about it for quite a while – her favorite author, where she finds her reading material, her passion for writing. I encouraged her to hold on to her dream and do what she can to make it happen. I sang praises of the world of blogging and how it would help hone her writing skills. From the corner of my eye, I watched her dad silently listen to what his little girl was telling me; about a dream he clearly encourages.

It was like looking into a mirror of my past. *smiles*

Writing was and is, my dream.

It’s where my rainbows dance in a riot of color when I rejoice, where a gentle wind rustles the leaves when I’m calm, where I am surrounded by the noisiest school band when I’m in turmoil, where feathers and sunshine, cupcakes and cartoons are my friends, when I’m happy. When I write , my mind is my universe…it’s where I’m me, sans everything the world has added on....it’s where I’m happiest.

My exclamations, smileys, semi colons and even that thing I do with the asterixs *points out* all find a happy home. *happily*

I've come to realise that some of the best kind of reading in the world is that which you do as a child…where bible stories about fish and bread leave you enthralled, rocking chairs are wishing chairs and 5 children and a dog can solve just about any crime. Where the lion, the witch and the wardrobe was all you knew of Narnia and you loved the BFG dearly. Where a whole new world was just a few pages away! Such bliss.

Reading favorites change with age. You meet the Potters and Eragons and spend some time on Stephen King and Dan Brown. You search and search for that one author who’s ‘really’ good and whose books you won’t want to waste a bookmark on..only because you just can't put them down. You go from chick-lit to Higgins Clark, Shantaram to Lord of the Rings, even with a little Gibran in the mix. You mix it all up – that’s what adults do.

Then you suddenly happen to spot a certain Mr. Pink Whistle on your niece’s bookshelf.

*grins* Now that’s the way to spend an evening.

Little lady, you took me back to that corner of my mind where there’s a little me sitting on the floor, surrounded by books and armed with a pack of bourbon biscuits. Thank you kindly!

This one’s for you.

You can't get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me. -

C. S. Lewis

Left in awe...

It's been a funny sort of week.

A good friend of a good friend passed away very suddenly. Though I didn't know him personally, I felt as though I did. It was hard to watch Amu go through these foreign emotions and feel his pain, but not be able to say anything to comfort him. It was a gut-wrenching awful feeling and even that doesn't quite say it. No words of wisdom, hugs, I love yous...can change anything.

All you can do is stand in silent support and hope that it helps...somehow.

In the days that followed, I learnt that three close friends were pregnant and two others had just delivered. I rejoiced and was thrilled and at the same time, a part of my heart was confused. Life, death - what gives? I think somewhere in my mind, I even felt a little guilty for being as happy as I was.

It's easy to write about death...easier so to write about new life. But to see it up close and personal, stare it in the face and then consider writing about it...just filled me with so much sadness, my heart was heavy. Amu's friend's passing put a lot of things in perspective for a lot of us....what's really important, what truly matters and how some people and things are much too important to be pushed aside, even for a minute.

We all go through the pressures - work, family, commitments, studies, relationships - the whole she-bang. Then this reality check comes along, kicks you in the butt and you sit down suddenly, wide-eyed at your own world.

I learnt a few things...so I'm passing it on..maybe it'll make you look at the world the way I suddenly did.

Life is too short for silly squabbles. Family, friends, work - anyone. Life is just too damn short.

Friends are important. They are the family you choose for yourself...let them know you love them...whenever you can.

Work is work. It belongs in the office only - safe and sound. Period.

Live a healthy life. I don't like to think about whether or not I'm scared of death, but I'm worried and scared for those I may leave behind. Morbid perhaps, but true all the same.

Be happy from your heart. Love your loved ones because of all they are to you. We have but this one life to live...must we not do justice?

Pray. For everything. God Listens.

It's been a funny week. I wished there was an easier way to deal with death and then God showed me life...thrice in the same day.

I had no option but to bow my head in awe...and trust that He knew what He was doing.

Gump-ish about chocolate

Forrest Gump has to be one of my all time favorite flicks.

I loved Tom Hanks as the adorably loving, earnest, albeit slightly thick, Forrest. So many bits and pieces of the movie come to mind when you think of it, but my favorite was the dialogue about the chocolates.

'Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

I love hazelnut flavored chocs. And coconut ones and praline ones as well.

I've been having a lovely assortment of all my favorites, for the past few days.

*smiles*

I've got a remedy for days when I get the dark, white, coffee, fruit-flavored, liqueur chocs (never got around to liking them) or worst still, the bitter sweet ones. (ugh, awful flavors, those)

I spend time with a friend who likes them instead.

Pats is my dark chocolate buddy.

Dude, my fruitcake.

Mom - coffee. Hands Down.

Chili - the sinful choc ones. You know, when they're gorgeous when you eat them and then they guilt trip you later? Yeah : )

Jay - my one and only liqueur guy. Boozard, that you are.

Pa - the peanut ones which I can never finish on my own.

Luckily, I have a lot more friends than chocolate flavors I dislike.

Hope you have lots of people to share the assortment of life with too.

Till later!

Bring on the music

H'lo there!

I'm back, after what seems like forever. Audits are not fun. Enough said.

So much has happened...good, bad, in the middle stuff. Not to me, but to people I love dearly. Such is life though, isn't it? Things will get better, as they have a tendency have doing.

Till then, we hope that all that happens, is for the best. Hoping is one thing, but getting people to believe that, is a whole different ball game. Yes, I can feel you nodding as well!

Paro was pregnant. In the middle of my insane week, we celebrated her impending motherhood with the cutest baby shower and hey presto! Within 2 days, her little princess met the rest of the world. 'Raaga' translates from Hindi as 'a traditional melodic tune or arrangement that expresses religious feeling'. Isn't that the most precious name?!! It's sort of the equivalent of 'rhythm'.

I get to see the little jukebox tomorrow. *smiles*

Paro's on my mind now...and it gave me a happy feeling. I generally post when I'm in a pleasant mood, with maybe a few good thoughts to share.

As of now, it's just nice to have friends around you, who you've known forever.

With whom you just slip into a comfort zone..like your favorite pair of shoes...y'know?

Friends who come by for a coffee and a chat after work, even when they've been up till 3 in the morning. Also known as Pats!!

Welcome to our world Raaga. Life will be tons of fun times and not so fun times, but needless to say, like the rest of us, you too will find your own special music, which will play only for you, whenever you want it too.

And sometimes you find a few people who hear the same music you do.

Hold on to them. They are called friends.

Passing on the student ID

Today I happened upon an idea. It involves a tiger, a cat, a Capp, a wall and an empty box. I'll get back to you when I'm done with it, but till then, you go ahead and let that imagination of yours go wild. *grins*

As I had my coffee this morning, I read a Calvin & Hobbes comic strip. Calvin wants contact lenses and is discussing the possibility of getting them with his ever exhausted mum.

She wearily explains to him that he doesn't need them; he's got perfect eyesight. He sighs an exasperated sigh and proceeds to enlighten her on how outrageously cool it would be to have one blood red lens and the other one colored like the eye of a tiger and how he'd be the envy of the neighborhood kids and this and that....the next panel is a very annoyed Calvin telling Hobbes how being older just makes people forget what's cool. Such pearls of wisdom in the daily funnies!

It got me thinking. Does that really happen? Do you just stop being cool? Do your notions change so much as you age? Does being a parent make you the 'I said no' person?

I look around at my friends...we haven't changed much since college...we still laugh aloud and do silly things when we're together. Some of them are getting ready for parenthood...and I always find myself thinking what cool parents they'll make and how their kids are going to so LOVE them for being the coolest parents on the block. I've got really good friends 5 years older and younger than me and we get along like a house on fire. 6 degrees and all that, I suppose.

I like to think that if we're sane and have time for ourselves...and let life take its course normally, without us pushing the boundaries too far...We age happily, enjoying every minute and barely even realising it.

Yesterday some of us got together at Jay's for Pictionary, over red wine (amongst other things!) and kebabs - it was all laughs and chit chat. The previous day it was a heavenly food fest at Chili's - the food, the company, the fun - it made for an awesome Thursday night. It's great to just be able to catch up. Yes, we're older now...but when we're together; we're the same people we were all those years ago.

No, I don't think things change too much as you get older. Yes, responsibilities kinda creep up on you and you suddenly see a lot of serious stuff that seemed to be hiding in the bushes up until now. But then that's part and parcel of growing up in this crazy world of ours. And though it's scary sometimes, in it's own weird way - it's fun too.

You're as old as you feel, which is actually quite awesome.

Like I said, you get to age gracefully.

That's like having your cake, eating it too and whipping out your adult ID and enjoying it all with a chilled glass of wine.