Aam Panna

The 90's (aam panna)
If you have seen the ad of paper boat’s aam panna, you know exactly what I am thinking…When ever I think of my childhood there are some
wonderful memories that come to my mind…especially those days during the 90’s era…when music was still only available on cassettes and radio,
movies were family events and multiplex was never heard of, when road side samosa, mirchi was our favorite snack available for 2rs 50p, when
leg touch and current shock were break time sports. I remember sneaking fata-fat in uniform pockets and eating them during the class, asking my
grand father for a cup of ice cream after final exams, saving 25p and 50p to make 5rs and finally buy a dairy milk, making paper boats
and setting them for sail in the rain,waiting for the month of june to buy new books, labels and pens, waiting an entire week for sunday to
finally watch duck tales, tales pin and alice in wonderland…My very fond memories of 90’s.

Today we have more electronic gadgets than the number of people in the house, music is available every where (thanks to digital clouds of data)
movies…don’t even get me started…everyday more than 2 movies in over 150 channels in at least 3 languages….that’s just too little for entertainment.we also
have unimaginable number of websites hosting all the movies, music and non-sense…Samosa is exorbitantly priced at 10rs and 100rs almost has lost it’s value.
Children only are seen playing Tennis and Cricket. Chocolates and Ice creams are must haves….video games and iPods are common….Plethora of
channels dedicated for cartoons and remotes at their service. More or less the generation is caught in a digital wave…
I do not hate technology and I love having all the comforts we have today. But, today I still cherish sitting with my grand father and enjoying those 12rs cups of vanilla ice cream,
sneaking with my brother and sharing the 5rs dairy milk, sitting before the TV and watching mowgli.
This is something that I can never promise my child…the something that will always be part of my life….

A GIRL IN THE RAIN...

There she was standing alone...enchanted and overwhelmed. there was smile on her lips and happiness in her eyes. She held the droplets delicately in her dainty hands waiting to be drenched. She was lost in her own world. It was a scene of frivolous delight, of a soul dancing in the joy of fervent rain. It was her moment of simple bliss. A timeless magic of nature and it's beauty. A Girl in the rain...

Samayama Kadalake

hrudayame alalai egase kanuvindagu veduka
kanureppala kaburulatoh daricherina korika
pulinkatala vintala sandadi vela
samayama kadalake

hariville varnalai merise jilibili taaraka
chirujallulaa tadipi kadige andala kaanuka
kavvintala allari saage vela
samayama kadalake

merupule karigi kalamai gisina chitrama
manasune tadimi darike cherina mounama
naa talapula adugulu urike vela
samayama kadalake

vennele varamai bhuvine vaalina punnama
kaluvale kalisi kalipina vayyari rupuma
naa oohalu parugulu teese vela
samayama kadalake

My Style

This post is my expression of style for the ‘A Style Of My Own’ blogger contest by Women’s Web and Trishla emart

Style is a blend of fashion and attitude. I think a sense of fashion combined with a touch of attitude that is slightly personalised becomes our style. I observe changes in ethnic wear, dream of new hairstyles, indulge in window shopping, stare at jewellery hoardings, look online for best deals , keep up with new trends and finally get ready for shopping every season. All these ingredients enhance the taste of style. And finally to me ’Shopping’ is the most important companion of style because to know what to buy and where to buy is as important as knowing the trend itself.

My simple rule of style is ‘Everything matters’. Right from clothes to shoes, bags to stoles, hair to gloss; everything matters. Be it the color of the outfit, the shade of the lipstick or the tone of the hair color , all of it has to fit and when it does not; a pinch of attitude and smile will always do the magic.

However, I am really not a fashionista, all I care about end of the day is just to create my own sense of style no matter what I wear; be it a saree or jeans, kurta or skirt. I once used to go shopping for fun ,spend as much as I like on my accessories. My wardrobe was then different from what it is today. Now, I am no longer a college kid or an unmarried career woman or a working wife but rather a full time homemaker and an all time mother. So I shifted gears, now my fashion is in my comfortable cotton clothes and nothing else. My simple gold jewellery replaced my big flashing earrings and bold bangles. A simple homely black bindi replaced my dainty shining bindis, a small lip guard replaced my glosses and lipsticks.My huge collection of colorful bindis is closely stacked in a small bag and my big box of nail colors  and eye shadows is safely packed and locked away in my closet. So are my bangles, bracelets and watches. My bags and best clothes keep staring at me from the hanger unless I am getting ready to go to a party. That’s it.

I once used to wear my kurtis paired with matching earrings, my jeans paired with sleeveless tops. watch was always my accessory and so was my leather wallet and mobile. Style was buying clothes and refreshing the wardrobe. Style was simply everything money can buy and all that  I can carry. These days, I dress in cottons at home and wear my anarkali suits for parties. Sarees are always set aside for weddings and temples. Clothes are hugely a matter of comfort more than anything else. But, I never neglect to match these with my favorite earrings, elegant flats, colorful rubber bands and hairclips, nice nail color and gloss. No matter what I wear , I never forget my kajal or eyeliner. All these things together define my style be it just a very normal day or a very special occasion.  

I once had plenty of time to spend but now my time is a precious commodity that I have to wisely manage and choose what to invest in. So I revised my sense of style with changing roles. It doesn’t mean I gave up on my looks. I still keep an eye out for changing trends and never stop shopping for big long earrings and accessories. My collection keeps growing with time and my wardrobe always has something new. End of it, all that matters to me is the beautiful smile that I always try to carry and the touch of attitude that I try not to lose. This is my style, the style personalized to fit my way of life; an attribute of my ever evolving persona.

Rangula vedika

Bangaru jilugula prabhaasa veena

swaralu palike ravikirana vaana

velige sobhala sandhya raagam

kantulu jimme karteeka deepam

nindu vennela yamini teeram

chikati vaakita merise varnam

pallavinche andala aakasa geetika

ramaniya chitrala rangula vedika

Transition from being a career woman to being a SHM (Stay Home Mother)

The Transition (Career woman to a Stay Home Mom)

This is an emotional account of my journey of motherhood in which change is my constant companion.

Everybody’s journey of motherhood is different. Its an encounter of personal preferences, choices and life events. An encounter that is always new and evolving. The transition from being a career woman to becoming a stay home mother is one such preference and choice that is never easy. We are constantly questioning, changing and adjusting along this journey. 

When it comes to motherhood there are two modes of thought. One being a stay home mom and two being a working mom. But, there is a third mode; the transition mode. Shifting from being a career woman to being a full time mother. It sounds like it’s the same as being a stay home mother but then if you made that choice you know what it is. There is often that dissatisfaction and insufficiency that nobody can help you answer. 

When I quit my job and chose to stay home with my child, I thought I was just making a simple choice. A choice that will make me devote myself completely to being a full time mother. But, soon it dawned on me that I gave up my career in the process. Initially it sounded to me in my head as just a break. But, then soon I saw people who started with me moving ahead in their careers. I thought I shifted gears and slowed down a bit but instead my engine broke down some where along the road and some how I was struck at that same place in life. My career became a thing of past. I had trouble digesting the fact that I was just a homemaker taking care of my child. It became excruciating with time. It felt like I was the only person standing alone on that road in screaming silence trying to fill the deep void that nothing can fulfill.

Yes, people tell you its worth it. But, you know that more than anything in the world. Because, no one needs to remind you of the fact that being a mother is awesome. But, It’s not about how worthy the choice is but rather the question of how many times you can answer your screaming silence. Its not about how much you love your child but how much you can give up. The satisfaction that comes from taking care of your child and that which comes from being a working woman enjoying your social space and financial independence are completely different. When you make that choice you know that its worth it, but then you are giving up something that defines you for yourself; not to the world but to you. It is hard to explain this; you can only experience it.

Being a mother is like trying to master the art of multitasking. It’s not easy but its the only way you can get things done. In this process you are always learning. after all, it’s a role you have to step up to and everything is new. When your child is crying you should know why and if she is not is eating you should know why and people expect you to know it; just because you are the mother. Often these people are women. Women who forget that they were once the mothers that we are today. Some how the mother has to have the magic wand that will make troubles go away. we are not magicians; we are human after all. we learn from experience too. Learning by failing is the best way to learn but no one gives you that time. They are all ready with stories and self experiences from the book of their lives to tell you how to feed, take care and raise your child. It’s like an annoying TV ad, that keeps coming often; only you can’t change the channel. It is not just my story but the story of every woman who is learning, doing, failing but still learning because she always wants to be her best at being a mother. 

You feel helpless but unfortunately no one can understand you. One day you may kick start your engine and may begin working again and you know you will but that doesn’t help you overcome what you are dealing with today.Seeing your child smile is the only incentive that will make you sustain. Because, this may be an obvious choice but definitely a tough one that needs constant approval; not from the world but from you. 

This is not a story of diffidence or lack of confidence but rather an emotional dialogue that keeps going on in my head. No one likes to admit it or speak out loud about it. Who cares what others think!! they always either sympathize with you or judge you. So I decided to voice it.

An adventitious meeting

Today I met one of my favorite teachers almost after 16 years or may be I should say a very long time. I didn't see her after my tenth. It brought back some nostalgic memories. I am so happy today that she called me by name and said that I am just the same.

After a certain point of time we become so busy with our lives that when we look back at something it dawns on us that it's been years since that something...The only thing that connects us to the past is the people we shared it with.

The answer in question

As a child I was taught to believe in God, I was told to pray. I never thought about questioning this belief.  Life never gave me a strong reason to do so. With years of wisdom imparted to me from older generations I came to believe that God helps us in misery and that he will answer our prayers. I always prayed for something and life gave it to me. This reinstated my belief in God over years. I soon began to realize that true prayer is not in asking for personal favors but rather true prayer is to pray for everybody’s well being and thank God, for everything I have in life. I have come to realize it ever since. There were some miserable times and yet I never forgot that I was more fortunate than many other people in the world. I was and will always be thankful of it. But, no matter what you tend to cling to miracles of God, when you want something in life. I did too. Sometimes, God answered it and sometimes he did not. But, this did not shake my faith in him. I rather felt that it was God’s way of testing my courage to deal with life. I now know that, and nothing can make me feel different about it. But today, I had this strange thought that…Why should I believe in God? This is not a question that questions my faith in God but rather a question that can reinforce that faith. The only reason I could come up with is, that I need some support that can give me strength to deal with challenges in life and that support is God. Is this a good enough answer? May be or may be not. But it did suffice. I came to understand one thing from all of this…that God always answers our prayers but we need time to understand if he did. And when, that time comes you no longer need an answer. God is not a solution to our problems but rather a light that can guide us in the darkness of times. He can only give us the strength to tolerate the pain.

Sometimes he just sends us a message that he is listening and that's more than enough to get us back on our track. In just two days after I thought about this God gave two reasons as to why I should trust him. Now I know... that he is listening.

Thinking out loud...

Today is not the first time I’ve realized this but I think there is no one person in my life to whom I can pour out my feelings about everything. To some extent I can do that with my husband. I have seen ups and downs with him. so far we are rock solid. But, there are certain things, some emotions that have no driving reason but its just the way you feel about them and you can’t help it. sometimes I wonder If these thoughts make me a bad person for I know for sure that those are not good thoughts. I cannot find a person who would listen to my crap without questioning me and judging me. And above all its very difficult to find someone who can be truly happy for you without finding hints of jealousy. So, I thought maybe writing is my only outlet and thats how I can get my thoughts out. I only wish if there was one person, my person who could share anything and everything and accept me as I am with my hatred and habits and expect nothing in return.

I am scared that If I put down my thoughts and true feelings of hate and disgust about certain things then some how I am giving a written consent that I am a bad person. I get angry, I orally abuse people if they irritate or disgust me. I just hate some people for no obvious reason. Its true and I haven’t confided this to my husband or anyone else. Its just me and this piece of paper. I lose my temper a lot of times and I cannot tolerate injustice or irrationality. unfortunately I experience it often. I don’t like people who judge others or people who tell others how to live life or for that matter give suggestions as if they know everything. In infact hate those people. But, I see so many such people around me that it never stops being true and never stops irritating me.

I ran away from few things in my life, I am not proud of it but my tolerance was limited and I pushed myself beyond it. I could no longer survive it. So I ran, I forced myself into situations I would not have otherwise forced myself into. To run away was my only courage. I have learnt a lot from life by doing so. So, I do not regret it. Now once again, I am being pushed by life into the same abyss, I ran away from. This is a feeling I cannot express completely and make someone understand it. I hate it. I hate feeling helpless but there is nothing I can do but once again give in to it. Tolerate those same situations and people and be silent about it. I am not the kind of person who has the courage to tell people how I truly feel about them if Its not a positive feeling. I am miserable at it.

I have seen 2.5 years of life as a homemaker. I am glad I did it for I do not want to have any regrets on death bed. Sometimes, I am irritated because I feel low because I had a career before this and now I am just a homemaker taking care of my kid doing laundry, cleaning and cooking. This feeling is not something a man can ever fathom to understand. They are not in that position ever. The inadequacy is painful. It’s as if some one should have to tell you everyday that you are doing something meaningful with your life. But, no one tells you that. Its just that you have tell that to yourself and after some time you begin to lose faith in yourself, your confidence starts going down. It becomes almost necessary to restore your confidence and faith in yourself. It’s as if you have to prove to yourself that you are worth something and that you can still achieve something or be where you want to be. It’s not that you do not love your child, but it becomes so so so important to you that you have to show everyone that you can always rebound. I only wish I was telling to this a person and not a piece of paper.

My mother was a career woman. She had her flaws but some how she managed it. I have not seen one other person like her who could handle home and office with such ease. end of the day she survived it and sometimes managed it without my father’s help. I am proud of that and truly applaud her for that. Personally, I didn’t like a working mother in school but I now realize how important it is to have financial independence and discover world for yourself. No matter how small is the amount you bring home you still have a feeling called satisfaction that is so beyond the comfort of any amount of wealth.

I hate most of the women around me and I don’t know why. I just cannot tolerate some of them. When they speak money like an illeterate, when they act ignorant and silly, when don’t have maturity of thought, when they lack independence and need their mom’s for every damn thing. Unfortunately I haven’t had a single girl friend my entire life (till today) and I don’t hope to find anyone either. I just cannot talk like them, think like them , act like them. I feel lost thinking that I am probably not myself when I try to mingle. I sometimes dream that may be that goto person or that girl friend will probably be my daughter but who knows how much she will like me when she grows up for thats when they begin to judge you. Its not that I won’t love her, the love of a mother is unconditional and no matter what I will love her. But, yes may be she will be the only person that I can be around without any limitations. I feel sad about this but I don’t know what I can do about it (not having a girl friend).

There are so many times while in the bathroom, while cooking and while just sitting I think about situations and people I have seen and then sometimes I find myself cursing them or forming a plan to deal with them. I find that funny and also inept. but, end of the day that’s who I am and I don’t know what I can do about it.

Hopefully, there is a better time that awaits and I really hope that its true.

hmm, feels good so far...to be contd...

Equation of life

Life is full of unexpected surprises. Some of them come wrapped in bright colors of happiness and  joy while some come in grey shades of shock and despair. Every miserable event is life’s way of teaching us to live.  ‘Change’, whether good or bad is always the common quotient of all transactions of life. Our ability to embrace this change at the most unfortunate times, determines our scale of dejection. We are built to deal with change, shock and despair. The sooner we embrace them, the sooner we can rebound. However hope makes us weak and vulnerable. Hope that makes us forget that happiness is just a phase and that there will always be those times of gloom to restore equilibrium in life. True challenge is to suffer, cry, lean but fight. Expectations determine the length of suffering and the window of distress; but we can begin to fight once we find our ground.

Our inability to accept the inopportune effect of change impairs our formidability. No matter how big we dream and how hard we try, some things are out of our hands. Most often we do not want to believe this and it works; it works for as long as we have an expected outcome. But, when we learn it is different from what we expected, we have a hard time contemplating it. We cannot dismiss it. Instead we deal with it in fives stages of grief. Denial is the first stage of grief followed by anger, bargaining, depression and then finally acceptance.

We cherish happiness and success beyond anything; but it is the sadness, failure and grief that we bear, conquer and tolerate that make happy moments worth cherishing. Wounds of woes are lessons of life and no journey of true human spirit is complete without it. A brave heart can heal the broken wings of hope and restore true strength.

Felicity and grief sustain balance in the equation of life. 

Cet amour

If love is in the air then may be it truly is...an invisible string that brings people closer. Be it the evergreen magic of teen age attraction or the old tale of senile affection; Be it a long lasting promise of wedding vows or a likely compromise of marriage woes..love is every where....a delicate thread that sews our lives together.

There is a different form of love that manifests in our lives some time or the other...the love that we can feel around and with in us. It is delicate,unconditional and everlasting. The soft touch of tender hands, the tumbling hustle of tiny feet, the quiet felicity of innocent smile, the melodious disharmony of voice and words,the frivolous joy of shopping for tiny clothes and toys,the peaceful warmth of hugging them to sleep, the true bliss of rising to their happy faces every morning..this is the most precious love that can ever happen.A feeling so pure and gentle that life never is complete without the touch of it.

This emotion flourishes with time; the tough love. love that springs with attraction; blossoms with wedding; grows, suffers, and survives in marriage. It drags itself through the streets of conflicts and chaos but still manages to sustain with patience. The love that learns to stabilize itself with years of experience.

It's inevitable and sure to follow into the age of senility; the true love. This one's a keeper, for it continues its journey till the end of time.The love that is quiet and silent in the eyes of souls who just know that it is there. The love that becomes a routine of day, a habit of existence and solace of life.Love that knows that it lasts for sure but only with the fear of not knowing how long before the bed is half empty. And...life is never the same again...true love prevails.

To the eternity of love....

Paradigm Shift

Paradigm shift is a term often used to describe the changes in the areas of economics, politics, science, literature, philosophy and more recently mobile technology. However, I want to apply this term to the current system of primary and high school education in India and envision what could be a change in the pattern of teaching and learning . I can think of a few things that I felt might have made my learning experience better. When I say this, I am NOT talking from the perspective of budget or standards of syllabus or the curriculum or the role of the government in the above. But rather, I am talking from the perspective of a person who just wants to enhance the experience of learning.

Our schools can be widely categorized as public and private schools. There are a very few private schools that ensure high quality of education for its students and most often are also those schools that fall under the category of NOT affordable for a common man. Once again, this is not my focus. So, that leaves us with the private schools a normal middle class man can afford and the public schools that run on govt funds. Often these schools have faculty  with required qualification, however they are not trained on the methods of teaching. Or may be even if they are, the current system fails to produce the desired efficacy. If the expected result is to see how many qualified professionals we are producing and outsourcing then we are far beyond the expectations; but if it is to see the average number of students enjoying their learning experience in school then we are not so good. When  it came to school ,all I remember was homework, tests, exams and holidays. I don’t recall experimenting , searching for answers, thinking to solve a problem, struggling for a perspective. So what needs to change and what could be different? This is NOT a difficult question but probably has more than one answer.

Talking about how things could be taught brings out one of the answers. Physics and Chemistry can be better taught with experiments that support theories and definitions, Biology becomes more interesting with a microscope and set of slides, Mathematics is less detesting when applied to the interesting fields of science and discovery, Economics is not boring when learnt with house income balance sheets and current problems of nation’s economic crisis. Geography becomes invigorating with projects on survey study. The mastery and beauty of languages and literature is better taught with perspective and essay homeworks. History can become interesting with stories and life studies. Subjects as dry as civics can as well be refreshing when given a perspective and application. So what is that we are NOT doing right? It is a question that has to be answered at various levels of the existing system and only then can we enrich the experience of learning.

Learning should be fun and I cannot think of a better word. It consummates the transformation required in the current system. It is essential to have a grading system because competition is necessary to bring out the best of talent; but often this is how the system is defined and that should change. The primary focus of early education should become a student’s first step to think, question and even fail rather than just be a journey of credits and grades. The focus that can make learning “fun”.

We need a system that enforces this shift of thought. A system that increases inquisitiveness of a student, forces to think and contemplate and present a perspective if required. This cannot be done unless there is a dire requirement that dictates this aspect of effectiveness;  a paradigm shift in the system of primary and high school education that demands change at every step.

If you want small changes in your life, work on your attitude. But if you want big and primary changes, work on your paradigm. - Stephen Covey

P.S: I present this today only as a thought because this is a change that just cannot be done overnight. It is a process that needs a vision and action. Every element of this current system needs change and it starts from every person in it.

Enchanting Blue

The wide serene blue setting of the sea, the bright shining crests of turquoise glowing under the burst of sunlight, the silent rhythm of waves rising and falling drifting with time ,the mellow scent of summer breeze lacing the shore and caressing the sands, the lucid grace of undulating rays of light softly touching the droplets ,the gentle rush of crisp water dousing the rocks ..a deeply enchanting landscape of quiescent solace.

True Legacy

This is a tale of two lives; of hard work and simplicity, of reverence and kindness. A tale of two different personas that influenced my life. Above all a timeless memory of love. One was a man of riches and splendor and one was a man of austerity and compassion. Both noble , independent and men of their well earned stature.

Life can be too overwhelming in the face of true plight. To stand amidst of this plight as a child makes it difficult to embrace life. However, this was the boy who fought with his fate everyday and put himself through school. He stumbled over many obstacles and yet steadied himself and held on to the anchor of life.  Opportunity may be a gift but hard work is always a choice. The duo has made him a man of mettle. He started his career as a school teacher , then made his way through life as a banker. He didn’t stop there, he taught himself the skill of making money and mastered it. Earning is just an ability; an ability to work for money, but it takes intelligence and discipline to make money work for you. It was that skill that made him who he was. He went on to build an empire of wealth and lived a life of purpose and fulfillment.

There is only a little I know about his childhood, but only that life can be very unforgiving at times. He lost one of his siblings at a very young age and yet he didn’t let death traumatize him. He became a civil engineer. He worked for HUDA and had overseen many wonderful construction projects. He was a walking dictionary, an encyclopedia of current events, a mythology expert , a man of integrity and above all a selfless monk. It takes a generous heart  to help people in need and a great heart to do it without expectations but it takes a brave heart to help in the phase of financial insufficiency.He was later diagnosed with parking sense disease but even then he didn’t have trouble talking about involutes in engineering drawing. For all I remember, he was the magic man who made my troubles go away. He was a man who lived the life of nobility and contentment.

I  always thought about them in my life and the legacy they left behind. A legacy of confidence and character. A legacy of life in memories.

In loving memory of my Grandfathers....
Nageswara Rao Paramatmuni
Yeswantha Rao Komarraju

Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot

Here is a thought that I never give it a rest, a simple notion of being thankful for everything I have.

We are living in a world full of inevitable things that engulfs us in its undeniable brutality. A world where some peace still prevails due to the threat of violence and war. A world that uses power and fear as its weapons for restoring order in chaos. A world that can use some more humanity.

We see the injustice of times that makes us loathe the very existence of us. No matter how hard we try, we are bound to feel helpless at times. A helplessness that tears through the soul. We see it around in the eyes of little children who are brought into this world by the people they never knew. We see it in the lifeless souls of street walkers who are forced to make the most toughest decisions we can never contemplate. We see it in the pain inflicting atrocity of animal torture that never ends. We see it in abandoned hopes, desperate choices, insufficient love, extreme hatred, unforgiving abuse and greedy lust. But, some how  some of us still have a reason to smile everyday. Something that is not forcing us into the abyss of this cruelty, for which we have to be thankful every living minute.

Some of us are fortunate to have the gift of love, family, care, health,wealth and things we often don't acknowledge enough.So please be thankful for everything you have and that may make you tolerate the savagery of this world. But, don't stop there; Give it back. Give it back with humanity and see if you can make this world a better place.

"Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot"

- Hansa proverb

EE kalavaram

kavvinche kaluvala kannullo

merise aa jabili jilugullo

medilindi ee cheetaki roopam

marapinche taarala mungitlo

murise aa nisidhi vakitlo

sagindi ee ratiri payanam

alise talapula sanditlo

nisha raagala kougitlo

karigindi ee kalala mounam

kanureppala sadilo

kanupapala vodilo

vaalindi ee nayanam

Haayi sankellu

challani ee vendi vennela

saage aa chirugali eela

hayini penche meghamala

ooyalaluge mallela baala

laalinche aa chukkala jola

vodige madi talapula ala

bigusukune kalala vala

karige edoo mattulaaa

nidurai ninde naa kannulaa

Happiness is a choice

I have been waiting to put down my thoughts about something for a while now. The something we all try to find in everything we do “Happiness”.The ink in which we want each of our memories to be written in.  A meaningful derivation we want in our lives.

The title of this post is a line from a TV show called “Monk”. I guess the reason this line stayed with me was partly because I was dissatisfied with my work for some time then; which we all are at one point of time or the other. It just stuck with me since then; has been part of my email signature for a long time. The point that I am trying to make is, we are all crushed by unhappiness in different walks of life that springs from stress, anger, fear, trouble, rejection, vulnerability or anything we perceive as distress. Most often we are also not in control of the situations that we find ourselves in and we try our best to not subjugate to these situations. No matter how compelling unhappiness is in the face of such harsh times, we always have a choice to look the other way, a choice of happiness. It may be a difficult choice but definitely a worthy choice.

I share this today with everyone, because I just want to pass it on. Who knows, it may just stick with some of you starting now. Life is never easy and may be thats what makes living it a worthy choice; then why not be happy about it so long as its worth it.

Nature

'Nature', an abode of serenity, fury, melancholy and piquancy. A masterpiece cast in the colors of seasons. A melody of silence and grace, an accord of innate tunes. A vivacious beauty inspiring different perceptions and expressions; of love, reverence and zest. Love that comes to life in the strokes of colors and hues, reverence that captures the intrinsic authenticity in pixels and frames and Zest that manifests into thoughts and words. A divine creation...that never ceases to amaze me.

Strength in suffering...

We are all weak. Weak bearing the weight of love and weak carrying the emotional load of relationships. Weak to stare into the eyes of naked, blatant truth of the world around us. Weak to contemplate the harshness of life. Weak to reassure ourselves that we can live, not sustain. A weakness that is etched into our lives, a fixture that pulls us back, a boundary that confines us. It is just a way of life, we are used to. It never stops scaring us, because we are always short of the courage to take life head on as it unwinds. The courage that comes from suffering.

Suffering is a gift of life. A test that challenges our strength and kindles our sense of purpose. The pain that teaches us resilience. A whip that scars our weakness and questions our mettle. An experiment always testing its hypothesis. An element of agony that pushes our limits unleashing the true fortitude. A rough burden that demands a mighty fight. A lesson of endurance in the face of inadvertent life liberating us from weakness; for its true that   

“OUT OF SUFFERING HAVE EMERGED THE STRONGEST SOULS. THE MOST MASSIVE CHARACTERS ARE SEARED WITH SCARS”.

Courtesy - Quotation by Philosopher KHALIL GIBRAN.