The Road Lies Ahead!!

 His Guru was meditating. One of the disciples told him to wait, but Madhav was very impatient. He kept on looking at his watch. He knew soon it will be time for the evening prayers (aarti) in the ashram. The temple bell rang and the prayers began. He waited for the prayers to get over so that he can meet his beloved guru. His impatient wait was noticed by his Guru. Madhav’s face was narrating a story and his guru took no time to understand that something was wrong with Madhav. After the prayer was completed he took Madhav to his room so that both of them can talk peacefully.

  Guruji, Madhav began, “I am tired of my life. I have given up and wish to die. I see no light ahead of me. My business partner cheated on me, my own brother threw me and my family out of the house, my kids are hungry and I have no money to feed them. I feel cheated from everyone. I have no one to help me. I am unable to see the road ahead, there lies darkness. I have lost control over my life. I see myself falling at every step. I have lost faith in God. You are my last hope, please guide me. I need help”. Madhav broke in to tears. His guru looked at him and said” the road to our ashram is damaged badly and needs repairing. I am planning to fix it tomorrow morning. Will you help me? Madhav was stunned at this. He wanted guidance from his Guru and his Guru was talking about the road repair. But Madhav respected his guru so he agreed to help him.

 The next morning he met his guru to fix the road. Madhav, his guru said, “we need to start the work. First of all, you will have to place the mud on the road to make it even. But remember while doing this you can’t look in front, you have to look behind. You have to mend the entire road while looking behind.” Madhav was astonished and said with a trembling voice, “guruji that is not possible. How can I repair the road if I look behind?” Guruji simply smiled and said” Do as I say”. Madhav’s love for his guru was beyond everything. He decided to honor his orders.

The work began and as per his guru’s directions Madhav looked at the back while he reconstructed the road. After every two steps, he would fall down and hurt himself. Every fall resulted in reduced tolerance and increased pain. Finally Madhav decided to give up.” Guruji, he cried out in pain, I can’t do this anymore. We have to fix a damaged road. It is not possible to do this while I look behind. The road is uneven with stones on it. If I have to renovate it, I have to look ahead”. His guru came to him and said, “Yes my son, there lies your answer. This is exactly what you have been doing. You say you can’t see the road ahead. It is because you have been looking behind, at your past, which hurts you. And every time you fall it hurts all the more. And then you give up and blame God for your own folly. How can you see the opportunities that lie in the future if you keep looking at your failures of the past? Until and unless, you look forward you will never be able to fix the damage in the path of your life. God has the best in store for you, but have to leave your past behind. Look ahead, the road to your future lies ahead.”

Madhav fell at his guru’s feet. He felt choked and had no words. His guru had indeed shown him the way and the future appeared clear to him. He decided to conceal his past and fix his damaged road, not by peeping into his past but by looking ahead. This was after all, the road to his bright future.

 

The Secret Santa!!

She was decorating her Christmas tree. The smile on her innocent face was worth watching. She picked up every little festoon with care and wrapped the tree with love. She was excited about Christmas. It was not only Christmas but her 8^th birthday too. The excitement was about the secret that her granny promised to reveal. It was some secret about Santa. Last Christmas her granny promised that she would reveal the secret on her 8^th birthday. She was just about to finish when her little sister Clara called out to her, “Nancy come soon, Granny is here”. Nancy left the tree half bedecked and rushed to her sister. Grand Ma is here, yay!!yay!!yay!!yay!! she sang on her marathon towards the door. Nancy loved her granny. The 2 reasons why she loved Christmas were her beloved Santa Claus and her darling Granny, Mary.

  Grand Ma hugged Nancy and Clara and tears rolled down her cheeks. She was meeting her lovely grandchildren after a year. Both kids held their granny by her hand and welcomed her in. The excitement of the secret was evident in her bright sparkling eyes. “I remember my promise”, Granny smiled and told Nancy. Nancy was waiting for this day. The wait was long, very long but she knew it was worth. “Kids, granny has travelled a long way and needs rest. Let her take a nap” said Amy, Nancy’s mother. The kids left the room and got back in to the tree and its decoration. But Nancy was lost in the thought of the secret, that granny will reveal before the midnight mass.

   The tree was up and ready and Clara was excited to hang her stocking to it. She wanted a toy train for Christmas and she knew Santa will drop it in there. She hung the stocking to the tree and looked at Nancy, “what do you want for Christmas?” Clara interrogated.”I will tell you once I get it”, replied Nancy showing no interest in Clara or her little stocking. She kept on scribbling something on a piece of paper. “Nancy, are you there? Granny called out to her. Nancy rushed towards the voice. “Yes Granny, I am here. The Christmas tree is also ready and so am I for the secret”, Nancy replied hurriedly.

   Granny took Nancy to the porch and both of them sat on a small wooden plank nearby. Nancy, granny began. Today I will answer your question that you asked over the dinner during last Christmas. You wanted to know, who is Santa Claus? Where does he come from? Where does he go? Why he never meets us? Right? Nancy replied yes with a nod. She believed her Granny knew the secret about her beloved Santa Claus. Granny continued,” You are a Santa Claus”. Me???? Nancy exclaimed.” Yes my child, you are Santa and so am I. Even your mother is a Santa and so is your father”. Grand ma stopped for a while, she knew Nancy’s tiny little brain will take some time to process this newly fed information. Is Clara a Santa too Granny? Nancy curiously asked. Yes she is, answered Granny.

 Nancy stood on the plank and looked up. She couldn’t believe she was “the Santa Claus” and there were not one but many in her home too. Granny, she began, “I don’t have a long beard and neither can I fly. Where is my sledge? I have no gifts to give. And believe me both mom and dad cannot be Santa Claus too, they stay with me all night when Santa Claus comes and drops the presents in the Christmas tree”.

  Granny held little Nancy in her arms and said” oh my innocent little Santa, I will explain how. Do you know what the most important duty of a Santa Claus is? Nancy was confused and nodded a NO. It was getting complicated for her. I will tell you, said Granny and she began” Santa Claus brings gifts for all of us. He brings joy and smiles to our faces. He fulfills our wishes but he never waits for us to thank him. He comes, gives the present and leaves. This teaches us 3 most important things in life. One, always be the reason for everyone’s happiness, two, try and help people in their need and three don’t expect people to thank you for anything that you do for them. Be humble and share joy with everyone. If you do this, you will be a Santa Claus and will be loved by all”. Does that mean, we should not thank Santa Claus for the gifts? No my child, you should not forget to thank your Santa Claus. When you thank him, you actually thank God for the gift and this way you can express your love for your secret Santa and the Almighty God too.

  Nancy tried hard to understand this and articulated all that her little mind could identify with, “Granny that means Mom and dad are my Secret Santa? Because they always make me happy, bring me gifts, they fulfill my wishes and sometimes even though I forget to thank them, they still love me”. “You are right my child”, agreed Granny. “Parents are our best Santa Claus, they bring us up and even though we forget to thank them, they never stop loving us. Similarly, we also have to inculcate the qualities of Santa Claus and become like him. God has made one Secret Santa for everyone, because he loves us. You could also be someone’s Secret Santa, this Christmas”. Before Granny could complete, the little kid questioned, how? Granny wanted Nancy to bring her piggy bank. Nancy obediently brought it and informed Granny that she has been saving money for a toy, which she is going to buy for Christmas this year.

    Granny thought for a while and said, Nancy what if you don’t buy the toy for Christmas?” “I want to buy it; I have been saving for it” cried little Nancy. Granny knew it was difficult to persuade the kid. She thought for a while and asked Nancy who was her best friend at school. Marc, replied Nancy with a sad voice. “And why do you like him?” Granny asked with an intention to know more. I like him because he plays with me and is very kind to me. He helps me complete my homework and also teaches me how to ride a bicycle. But you know Granny he wears very old shoes, they are a little torn. Children at school laugh at him. Mom says his family is poor. His father lost his job and his mother cannot buy him shoes”. Nancy explained and granny listened with all the patience. When Nancy finished, granny asked Nancy, “Do you really like him?” Yes nodded Nancy. Granny put across another question; “Do you feel bad when children laugh at him?” Nancy nodded yes again. Granny brought the 3rd question; “do you want to be his Santa Claus?” Nancy jumped and said, yes Granny.

  The little kid understood what her Granny was trying to say. But Granny she said in a soft tone” I don’t have enough money to buy him shoes. Shoes are costly. Will you lend me money to become a Santa Claus? Granny felt proud of her thoughtful grand-daughter and nodded in agreement. “Let’s go and buy the shoes for Marc”. She said “But who will take it to Marc? I don’t want Marc to thank me, I am his secret Santa. I want him to be happy but I don’t want to him to know this”. Granny smiled and looked at Nancy; she knew her little grand daughter was a noble soul. This must be the reason that she shared her birthday with God’s only son, Jesus. “Don’t worry child, your secret Santa will do it for you”. Granny tried explaining the little angel.

  Nancy and granny bought a lovely pair of shoes for Marc. Nancy felt happy that she had become a secret Santa to her best friend. It was time for mid-night mass and the family got ready to go to church. After the mass was over granny met the priest at church and handed over the present to him. She narrated the entire story to him and said, “This is a gift from Marc’s secret Santa, for Marc. I request you to give it to Marc. Please do not tell him anything about Nancy”. The priest was surprised and said, “Blessed is your granddaughter and blessed is your family to have her. I will give it to Marc and believe me Nancy is god’s beloved child.“ Granny smiled at this and left.

  The celebrations for Christmas began and the place was filled with colors of joy, laughter and warmth. The next morning Nancy woke up and found a gift next to her with a note which read, Your Santa is proud of you and I hope you will continue to be the secret Santa for all those in need, always. I have delivered your gift to Marc. God bless you my child. Merry Christmas and a very happy birthday Nancy!! Her little eyes sparkled with joy and she opened the gift. To her surprise she found the same toy that she wanted to buy for Christmas.” Grand Ma, look what my Santa gave me”. Grand Ma was baking the cake and she knew what Nancy was talking about. After all she was her darling Granddaughter’s Secret Santa. “Granny, I got the toy. My Santa knew and brought it for me. Thank you Santa Claus and I love you”. She jumped with joy. Nancy ran around the house with her toy and so did little Clara, her Santa bought a toy train for her.

  The same evening Nancy was celebrating her 8^th birthday and all her friends joined in her in the merriment. Her dear friend Marc was also a part of the fun. He wished Nancy a very happy birthday and said with a grin on his face, “You know Nancy, last night my Santa gifted me new shoes” and he pointed towards his shoes. Nancy looked at her granny who stood behind her and both of them smiled. 

Merry Christmas!!

 

Letter to my Mom!!

Dear Maa,

I obviously don’t remember the first time I spoke and what was it that I verbalized first. Though now I have mastered the art of talking and can babble on for hours together, without getting exhausted. I guess I got it from you, though I am your improvised version (that simply means I talk some 20,000 words more than you do: P). I remember dad telling me once, I first uttered “Mumma or Maa” or something like that and I have no reason to disagree to it. You were the first person I knew when I was born. You were the first face that I saw and the prettiest too when I opened my eyes to this world and its novelty. You still remember my first smile and the unending cries that only stopped when I slept. You must have stayed awake all night to be there with me, for me, as you always do. I have known you for 26 years now and you have known me for 26 years+ nine months. Today as you turn 53, I want to wish you a very happy birthday. I know you couldn’t talk much because you are with my Nani (your darling mom) and wanted to spend time with her. I understand Maa.I really do

 I have always been close to you (dad, you know I love you too). I have seen you through all the up’s and downs that life had to throw at you. I am the witness of your battles and your victory too. Yet, when I praise you why do you always say, it’s all Gods plan. I did nothing; he gave me the strength and the guidance too? I wonder how many of the so called beings would have this humility and attribute their deeds to HIM? Not many, I am sure. I believe every mom is special in her own way and every mom deserves to be one. For all obvious reasons, I feel you are the best mom in the world. I couldn’t have got anyone better than you. Who would understand me so well without me making an effort to do so? As a believer of the karmic philosophy, I know I have you because I am sure I must have done something good in the past. 

Maa, you know you play many roles in my life. You are my buddy when I wish to share or gossip (yes, I know you dislike gossiping), my divine guru when I seek help on matters that trouble me, my teacher when I have to learn to drape a saree (I still call you every time I have to wear one), my partner in crime when I am all set to play a prank and the best girlfriend when I need sympathy over my lost ear-ring or the broken vase ( look I can’t explain how things fall and break on their own). You remain the inseparable and the most beautiful part of my life. I have spent more than 24 years with you, in the same house and I know for a fact how difficult it must be for you. And especially, when most of the things I do and think are rot, unconventional and non sense. But who wants sense anyway, I love my daughter, you remember you said this once?

I really don’t know when I fell in love with you and your ways. I guess that must have been when I first inhaled the atmospheric oxygen in. I have disagreed to you almost every time and yet I am your best buddy, ain’t I? Bringing up 3 children, all different from each other must not have been easy for you, especially because you were a working woman. But Maa you did a great job. It’s not me who is saying this. You remember my senior colleague from the states who said exactly the same? Or let me put it in her words, “I am glad I met you Khushboo. I would love to meet your parents and congratulate them for bringing up such a strong and thoughtful daughter”. I hope somewhere that makes you and dad proud.And let me tell you, both of you are the best parents of this world.

I agree that I am biased towards you but that does not take away the fact that I adore you for what you are. You have made sacrifices for all of us in the family but you never boasted about it. You have always been selfless and never expected anything from anyone. I guess that is the reason that you are flourishing today and leading a happy life. I know you had your share of downs and it is because of your patience and perseverance that we made it till here. You never gave up and taught us the same. 
 Do you remember the way I cried when you refused to accompany me for my admission when I was a teenager? I was very upset but it is only now that I realize that it was for my good. Had you not let me drive on my own, I wouldn’t have become an independent and strong girl, the way I am today.

I remember you telling me once, If you manage to be honest to four people, you will always be honest with everyone-Mom, Dad, God and my own self. I have kept your words and you know it well. I strongly believe mothers are perfect and the only reason I believe this, is you. You are perfect in everything you do, in every thought and action. I know you will again attribute it to your spiritual inclination and your bond with babaji, but for me, it is you. It is you who has shown me and Rakesh the spiritual path that we tread on today. Only God has a heart to forgive everything and you have a similar heart. I am still learning from you, you know what I mean.

I can write pages about you, but something’s best unsaid. I already have tears in my eyes. And I know you have it too. See, I am so much like you. On your 53rd birthday on behalf of your 3 naughty children, I want to thank you for everything that you did for us. A thank you is nothing when I compare it to all that you have done and have been doing for us. But it is just a way to tell you that we love you. I wish to be like you, someday , and I know it is not that easy. But you taught me to keep trying.

Wish you a very happy birthday Maa!! May the year ahead be full of joy and smiles J

Love,

Your crazy daughter – Khushboo ( Khushi )

P.S. Please tell dad I love him alot and will write a letter for him too. He is the best father.


(As written on 29th Nov 2010)

Happy Birthday…. Mishti!!!

Today is a very special day for me and my beloved family. It’s 14^th October, the day that brought us the best of all. Today is her birthday, my niece – Avyukta aka Mishti aka Mishto aka Shona aka laddoo aka MumMum aka Guddu and etc etc. I prefer to call her Guddu which I believe means a doll. Well she is indeed one. My Guddu turns 3 today and has started calling me Maasi maa (with the maa a little longish). I am extremely elated today and these expressions are straight out of my heart.

   Time passes so fast. I remember the peculiar smell of that hospital which filled up the corridor when I stepped in at around 9:30 am on 14^th October 2007. She was born and already out. My dad and I were rushing towards the maternity ward when my brother-in- law gave us the best news on the greatest invention of mankind- the mobile phone. God bless the creator of mobile phones. There were some doctors nearby and the maternity ward was filled up with cute little baby pictures. As I walk past them I wondered if my niece would be the same, cute and sweet. Before my mind could jump on an answer, she was there,wrapped in a small piece of white linen cloth. Pink skinned delicate and big bright eyes. She was staring at almost everything around her and I guess was trying to figure out where exactly was she.

   I did not know how to react, but my heart did. I had tears in my eyes (women you know have the ability to cry at all times). I went ahead and took this fragile looking pink skinned angel in my arms and she smiled, slowly. I still don’t know what made her smile, but the fact that she did is good enough to boast that she loved me at first sight. I knew my prayers were answered and I had the most precious gift of god to me. I instantly named her Mishti- meaning sweets. And since then my doll has lived up to her name each day by growing sweeter and sweeter and sweeter. The joy of holding her in my arms is beyond expression. It can only be felt and not said. Each day since then has been a fulfilling experience.

   She was born in 2007, the year of many downs and little ups in my life. But the news of her arrival brought me- hope. I wanted to fight back, stand up for myself and overcome all odds. It wasn’t easy but I never thought of quitting. Whenever the feeling of being lost crept in, I knew what to think about. It was similar for everyone in my family. She came like a fresh breeze, a ray of light. She brought smiles back to me and my family. The happiness that had vanished somewhere filled up the place. The princess had arrived. I was promoted from a daughter, sister and a friend to Maasi. A Proud maasi.

  Since then I have seen my self grow in this relationship with one level to the other. Everyday Guddu teaches me new things. Sometimes a new tale, poetry, some rhymes or at times the trickiest lessons of life. She made me stronger as a person and brought the zeal. The recent promotion is that I have moved from Khuba Maasi to Maasi Maa. The latter sounds like the temple bells, comforting and soothing.  She is the apple of our eyes. On this special day I thank you Guddu for being the most special thing of our lives and for all the unconditional love that you bestow upon us.

Happy Birthday MumMum and Maasi maa loves you. God bless you!!

P.S. The picture above was taken when I held Guddu in my arms, the first time.

Life may not be just.... but it isn't that bad either

Life teaches you some lesson at every step and it's solely up to us whether to pick it up and treasure it as a learning or just shrug our shoulders and walk away from it. I am the kinds who would pick every thing that life has to throw on me, good ones to cherish and the not so good ones to learn. And the lesson that I learnt today would definitely top the list of my learnings forever.

It was just a routine day of my life. Hush hush in the morning for office, reaching with the never ending struggle in traffic and finally making it safe there. Planning the entire week, scheduling work etc etc and as usual the song that life is not just. I am the kinds who are a little more on the pessimistic plane as compared to its antonym. I wondered if life could get a little better than this. In the midst of this ocean of my daily saga popped up a thought that it was my colleagues' birthday and we had to make his day special by presenting him something that he would cherish. Another colleague of mine and I decided to go out and hunt for something really good.

The idea seemed interesting and we made sure it was implemented right on time. We boarded an auto – rickshaw (the only easy medium to commute) and since it would take around 20 mins , my colleague and I began to chat about all the difficult times that we had seen or the turbulence in our lives some or the other way. The driver I guess was listening to our conversation but his reaction went un-noticed by us as we were engrossed in our dialogue. Suddenly a painful and hoarse voice interrupted our chat and it was the driver. He said, "I am not sure if I should be saying this to you, but I need help. My 3 year old daughter is unwell and is admitted in the hospital. I have no one to help me and am trying to collect funds. Would it be possible for you to help me??" We were stunned and didn't know what to utter in the very next moment. The very fact that we are surrounded by people who choose to fib for some reason or the other, made it difficult for us to trust this man. But the tear in his eye was well noticed and we wanted to give him the benefit of doubt. My colleague extended some help and we reached our destination. While we were leaving I looked at him, a father who by all ways and means was struggling for every breath of his little daughter.

We finished our work and while our way back to office we felt silence between us. The thought of this incident kept on wobbling my brain. My mind was running in two directions. It could be that, we were conned and the fact that we are women it was easier for him to deceive us. But what if it was true????? What must a father be going through whose 3 year old daughter is in a hospital, wanting to live??? The helpless father who wants to be with his daughter but knows he has to earn every penny to bring his daughter back to health. And I realized all this while I was cursing my fate for petty issues but my life was far better when I looked around. People have bigger problems and they are still fighting, against fate.

This incident has definitely taught me a thing or two. One, that life is not meant to give up and sob in a corner, it is meant to stand up and look at its face, eye to eye with all the will and power. Come what may, don't ever quit. Second, parents are visible gods and the only ones who know what's best for us. They do all that they can for our well being. We are indebted to them and will always be.
All my prayers go out for the father and his beloved daughter.

Its true, If you feel miserable about anything in life, look around and am sure you will realise, "Life may not be just but it isn't that bad either".

(Written on 16th August 2010)

10 simple ways to beat stress!!

You want it or you don’t, stress comes without asking for it. In this fast paced life when one is trying to do so many things together in order to be ahead of the other , stress has become a part of everyone’s life. But over stressing yourself can lead to multiple problems both physically and mentally. Anger, irritation, anxiety etc can all be attributed to the side effects of an over stressed life leaving it meaningless.

Mentioned below are some simple ways that may help you cut down on the unnecessary stress and give you the needed relaxation and rejuvenation.

1. Eat Healthy, Feel Healthy: It’s not only your hectic work schedules that traumatise you but also your eating habits may be one of the reasons for your stressful life. Improper eating habits makes us lethargic and we tend to become irritating and slow at work which adds to our pile up of stress. Thus a healthy diet is one of the great ways to burst stress. Eat healthy and eat on time, this will make you physically fit and prompt at work. Avoid eating junk food, skipping meals or over eating. Drink plenty of water and eat a balanced diet. A healthy body is a happy body.

2. Sleep enough, sleep sound : In the rat race of today we all have deprived ourselves of a peaceful or sound sleep. This is one of the key reasons for stress. Long working hours, hectic schedules and addiction have led to an enormous rise in insomnia, thus leading to a lack of proper sleep that your body needs. Thus it is advisable to sleep for at least 6 hours a day, and sleep sound.A peaceful sleep is what your body deserves after it has been exposed to almost every kind of torment in the day.

3. All work and no Play makes Jack a dull boy: Life can get too mechanical with all work and no rest or peace. It happens and it happens to all of us. We lose focus from our health and its demands thus leading to a sluggish body, lethargic mood and no spirits left to move. At such point an exercise or an outdoor game comes to your rescue. Your body needs some work out to keep it going healthy and fit. If not exercise an outdoor game which requires movements of your body parts is a must in our routine lives. Play any outdoor game and you will soon see the difference. Moreover games teach you to accept failures and keep trying till you overcome your obstacle. At the end of any of these activities you will realize you have just learnt to be in shape without too much of an effort.

4. Music therapy: Music unwinds you, your body and mind. It helps you calm down , gives a break to your thought process and helps you rejuvenate them. Music could be of any sort depending on your likes or moods. Anything from the traditional to folk, from jazz to rock, from soft and soothing to upbeat ones. They will help you relax yourself after a long strenuous day. These days the trance music is quite popular and is easily available all over.

5. Communicate your feelings : “A problem shared is a problem halved”. Talking about your feelings acts as an outlet to all the anger, frustration and agitation accumulated thus giving you enough space and time to focus on solutions and finding a way out. Talk to your mom, dad, spouse, sibling or friend or anyone you feel is close to you. Sometimes by just saying your thoughts or worries out loud can help liberate you from them. Also you may gain their perspective and who knows their inputs may help.

6. The Power of Meditation and Yoga: Meditation has helped people in more than one ways. Meditating at least an hour a day keeps you peaceful, active and positive all through the day. Meditating before you hit the bed gives you a sound sleep thus you are up fresh and relaxed the next day. Meditation not only relaxes your body and mind but also helps you connect to God, the Supreme Soul or whatever you call Him. It simplifies life, reduces tensions, makes you sharp and focused. It helps normalizing your blood pressure, use oxygen more efficiently and gives much needed relaxation to your brain. Yoga, when performed daily helps reduce stress and alleviate all the other issues that one has been struggling with. It increases flexibility, augments lubrication of joints, ligaments and tendons, detoxifies your body and tones your muscles. This in turn proves to be of assistance in your professional and personal life. A positive mindset is the easiest way to curb stress.

7. Spend some time with “Kids”: As they say “ a kid is the most happiest of all. He has no anxieties of the past and no worries of the future”. Spending time with kids can serve as a great stress reliever. Their innocence and creativity is miraculous.There is so much that you get to learn from kids, they never give up even if they fall short and they are more than curious to know and discover newer things. They don’t feel foolish to ask questions and are happy with the smallest of the things. Once you begin to learn from them, you will realize that your life becomes simpler and tasks easier.

8. Laughter is the best medicine: It is always easier to be happy than to be miserable. It’s easier to laugh than to frown. Laugh often, laugh loud. Laughter is turning out to be an extremely popular tool helping people relieve stress. It opens up your lungs thus allowing oxygen to reach properly to all parts of your body and making you feel fit and fresh. Apart from this, laughing eases out the physical stress and makes you feel lighter from inside. A research says, that laughing lowers the blood pressure and reduces stress hormones. It also produces positive emotions thus leaving you with a happy feel.

9. Pursue a Hobby: Remember your childhood days, when you always wanted to be a gardener? Because it would be such fun to chase the butterflies amongst the multi hued surroundings, play with the leaves around and then lie on the grass when you are tired of the play. As we grow up we lose out on our real wants, the want to be what you really feel from inside.Discover yourself and do what you always wanted to. It could be a childish thing like watering the plants, or a piece of pottery, writing a line or two, trekking, singing, discovering new places or any other leisure pursuit. Whatever it is, do what makes you happy. You will enjoy being a child again and the contentment you derive from such an activity can’t be expressed in words.

10. Love yourself and be grateful: This is most important and you have no escape to it. The major reason for stress is because we either over - estimate or under – estimate ourselves. The former leads to complications because we set un realistic goals and when we do not succeed to achieve them we find ourselves in a situation of agony and disturbance. The latter is even worse. We end up as losers sobbing in a corner and falling prey to self pity. Accept yourself and love yourself for what you are. Be thankful to God for giving you a healthy body, a family to love you, enough to eat and good to wear. You are not perfect, nobody is perfect. It’s good to fall sometimes, because you learn so much. Be thankful for everything you have and learn to share. This gives eternal happiness and no trauma however potent it is will ever be able to shatter you.

A combination of the above mentioned steps may help you in curbing stress, but the real help has to come from within you. A simple lifestyle is the best way to begin. Learn to be happy and appreciate the smallest of the things. Focus on solutions, problems will find their way out. Spend time with your family, share a laugh. Don’t seek peace and happiness outside, it is well within you.
So stay happy and stay Stress Free!!

The Little Orchid!!!

The Little Orchid!!!

I love flowers or be it anything that’s multicolored, has leaves or petals, photosynthesizes and rejuvenates. For me being in a garden with such beautiful creations of Him would be as good as enjoying the solace of heaven itself. There is this particular group of flora that I am very fond of or rather they are my most beloved– The orchids, so much so that in the past few years they have become real darlings for me and I have been gifting them to almost all of my friends (now the state is such that before I decide about getting a gift for a house warming my friends immediately pop up “no more orchids please”). But whatever it is Orchids have always been my choice.
Thus going with the same idea of lighting up any place with the exquisiteness of this delicate darling, I decided to present this to a very social place where it would brighten up the aura and bring smiles to peoples faces(don’t really want to disclose the place though). When I first bought it, the plant had tiny little buds; all set to bloom in to beautiful flowers, probably lavender or dark pink (can’t really understand the color). It looked pretty and I was more than excited to flaunt it to everyone. And as expected everyone loved the little buds and it became extremely popular among all. Every day I noticed people getting enchanted with its magnificent beauty and would often smile. I knew it would be loved and cared for. Days passed by and I basked in the glory of my Orchid.
One day when I was just passing by I noticed something very strange. The orchid was abandoned in one corner with no leaves on it, the flowers that had just blossomed, disappeared and the stem was strangled to death. The tiny sapling looked naked in a small corner. I was stunned for a moment. The plant no more looked beautiful; it was the ugliest of the things I had ever seen. Who could have been so uncouth to do this to my orchid? I just knew I had to bring it back home. It was indeed wrong to take something back that you have given to someone else but at that moment what I could see was my little orchid dying. It was more than painful and the fact that it would never grow again was killing. I picked it and managed to carry it home with a heavy heart but a hope that a miracle would bring it back to life.
It looked ugly for days and I would look at it every morning hoping to see a leaflet grown but all in vain. It continued to die with each passing day and I had almost given up. But there was someone who didn’t. My husband would nurture the leftover of the dead orchid everyday. Almost a month passed by and one fine morning I see a green stem, standing upright against all odds and I knew my orchid is back to life. It fought and came back. Today after a month it has many tiny buds of flowers growing and it looks stunning as ever. Looking at the sky with its spine upright, it flaunts itself and I go crazy every time I gaze at it.
Apart from sharing its beauty to me, my little orchid has taught me many important lessons of life which otherwise I would have taken years to learn. First, love heals all wounds, however deep it is. Love is the best medicine. Second it has taught me, never to give up. Whatever life has to throw on you, good bad or ugly accept it and live it with a smile on your face. Fight back and put in your best efforts. Hope gives strength. You will triumph. And the most beautiful of all, Patience is a virtue. Just like a small sapling takes days or months to grow, any relationship needs its time to mature and all it needs is the nurturing and care to become a fulfilling bond. And once it blossoms after all the giving in it, it turns out to be as beautiful as it could be.
Ah!! My beautiful Orchid…. What a love we share!!