Not on time

But this still is counted as a blog entry for Friday Jan 08th :-)

Quote - "we all seem to have an idea of how other people should lead their lives while our own lives are far less than perfect"

Masterpiece

Most alluring windows to the

Most mysterious soul.

Raven tresses falling

Playing peek- a- boo with

Perfection personified.

If Beauty can be defined

A look at this picture does it.

You are a creation

That put His talent to test!

Day 6 - verse

Frozen in the winter chill

Covered with snow and ice

Burried under the numb earth

Waiting to sprout and take a breath

Thoughts of love like spring bulbs

simmer under the cold heaps

Brewing colors of hope

To welcome green foliage

Of Togetherness!

Day 4 - Quote

Forgiving saves the expense of anger, the cost of hatred and the waste of energy - Unknown.

Day 4 - keeping in touch.

The world wide web is the greatest invention of all ( may be the second greatest since I need to grant it to the Wright Brothers for the greatest invention ever -just a personal opinion open for argument! LOL) since it shrunk the world into a little neighborhood. All I need to do is punch a few keys and I am shooting across an instant message to my sister in Mumbai and gathering all kinds of information from all sorts of sources and shopping for missed souvenirs in a Venice based e-commerce site. Cool. Huh? But what is it about those letters that have ironed folds tucked away some where in a shoe box, as a trophy to the bygone days? The letters with yellowing corners and scratched handwritings feels like an emotional DNA of the people that mean a lot to me. Each letter presents to me a drug like ecstasy and transforms me into my childhood days. I rediscover feelings felt, joys experienced and friendships made and forgotten, buried under the debris of growing up.

Most importantly, it presents to me the effort each and every one of them carry with them and the anticipation, love and affection that was communicated from the sender to the receiver and back. I had a stash of stationery and stamps that were replenished at regular intervals. I spent a small fortune on cards - cards that conveyed sorrys, thank yous, love yous and thinking about yous. Each important occasion was marked in my agenda. I didn't miss any one's birthdays or important holidays and New years. The cards were mushy, the messages long and the time effort and cost involved were cumbersome (for a child/teenager's pocket) and that is probably the best investment I'd made in myself and my people. Today, snail mail stands as a testimonial of love, patience and caring. For the New Year, I made a few quick calls to my immediate family and chilled. Then it came to me like a flood - the great event of buying New Year cards to every one in the family and friends list. The pain to look for apt descriptions that would reflect my feelings for the receiver and the corresponding verses that I'd write to make them more personal. Then I logged into my numerous email accounts and wanted to send a group email to all my friends. Shamefully enough, some of them were long out of touch and I thought I'd be uncomfortable to pop out a random, generic New year wish. So, I looked through the list and sent messages to friends that mean a lot to me. I wrote clumsy little messages - but I made an attempt to detechnicalize myself and make an effort to tell them that they were in my thoughts - and that I think beyond me myself and my blood.

My friend Avi calls me on my b'day every year. It doesn't matter if he's in Timbuktu, or laid off or broke - he calls me. He speaks a couple of sentences but the impact lasts till my next b'day. Relationships are a great thing. Love is what bounds them. Effort is what keeps them alive. I hope we can all take a moment in our lives and ask after our old friends, send them little messages for major occasions and keep the thread of love strong. It need not be laborious snail mails and mushy messages - as I've said the Internet reduced the planet to a cozy neighborhood and if you are out of contact with people in your contact list - something is seriously wrong with that picture.

Day 3 - Holding on, letting go!

My expandable trinket bag was a pretty peacock blue, with a full blown peacock feather on the front and a zipper that expanded it from half inch to 4 inches to tote toiletries, hair bands, travel supplies etcetera. The inside had a mesh pocket opening in the center and a flap with loops for lip glosses, tooth brush, q tips and such. I was very fond of it. Enough to have hid it from the eyes of my niece who seems to have my kind of fetish for all girly things. She kept asking for it time and again and I kept postponing saying I'd give it to her once I head back home - secretly hoping she'd forget about the bag by the time I make that homeward bound trip.

But she didn't forget. And I had to let go of my pretty bag, albeit forcefully.

During my last trip to India, I had a similar situation with my mom except that I was in the receiving end. I insisted and fought to bring home with me a cute little gift box containing ylang ylang incense, patchouli and Jasmine scented candles sculpted into pretty little roses and miniature incense holder with hand painted elephants rising their trunks - sounds pretty. Isn't it? And the box in question migrated from my sister's stash to my mothers, so fairly enough my mom resisted giving it to me but finally gave in.

We all seem to have things we cannot let go of - favorite bags, junk jewelry, collectibles or even less valuable day to day stuff like our magazines and Tupperware that you use to send the neighbor your homemade cookies. We all seem to get attached to non living things like our houses, clothes and stuff and overlook the broader spectrum of things that actually matter like a little girl's smile when she gets a much coveted make up bag or a friend's eyes lighting up when you let her keep the handbag she borrowed.

I saw the Movie 'UP" where Mr. Fredricksen, a balloon salesman, uproots his whole house in search of an unfulfilled adventure he plans with his deceased wife. Finally he takes a U turn, loses his home and his dream adventure to unite a giant bird with her chicks. "It is just a house" He exclaims when his house falls off.

Stuff remains stuff. We don't bring any of it when we come to this world, we shall not carry any back with us. There are things to hold on to, things to let go - and sooner or later what matters the most is how we feel and how we make others feel and not what we have.