What do they deserve?

I was browsing through my usual reading list and there was this new post from CU. A very touching and thought provoking anecdote, ofcourse. It’s really sad sometimes to see that the children when they grow up consider it rather easy to move away from their home than to move along.

I remember the story I had heard as a kid – of a father, child and the grandfather and am wondering if this is one battle, among many, which Man tends to embrace for passing over to the generations ahead. And as if to prove that it is, we have many a live examples of such parent’s whose efforts in bringing up their children are ignored or easily forgotten.

At times, this generation consider it more easy to close their eyes off on the struggle that each parent takes for giving the best education possible or a decent dowry. And once settled the receiving end goes on with their own individual family chores, for they would have borne with the generation next, thereon moving onto the next phase.

So then, what happens to the age old parents at this point of time? By the time the son is settled with a good job, or the daughter is married away, they would have obviously spared with almost the entire income earned during the time and then at the age of 50-60, they are forced to struggle more so that they can earn enough to support themselves. There was this Uncle whom we knew as a family and he had got his daugther married off by the last year of his service. After the wedding, the daughter had accompanied her husband abroad. Once we were just passing by and we saw this uncle doing labor work for a building and all of us stood shock still. It was equally painful for all to see him having ended up in that situation at his age, just so that he can pay off the loans he took for his daughter's wedding.

I guess its important for every one of us to put some thought into this and evaluate their feelings towards the older ones. And also ask this one question to yourself

“Will you want your child to abandon you at the old age?”

If the answer is “No” then,

“Do not do unto others what you don’t want others to do unto you”

Again, over here am just not supposing to tell that every one of the generation today is part of above mentioned category.

There are many who happily help and support their parents at every turn of their life and sometimes they even include the near and dear ones under their wings. There are many who easily give forth a helping hand to the unknown ones too. And surely it has to be the existence of this other half that is helping the Nature and Mother Earth to sustain itself without venturing into that one time, total destruction of the inhuman human kind.

Pastries found in a sweet shop in Thirunelveli :D

Adayar Ananda Bhavan, Chennai ;-)

A hoarding in Chennai - Not sure how people would ever dine in, looking at the man in there.

Time explains it all

I can only tell that it was a wonderful journey both outwardly and in the inside and end of it all, I was in Ecstasy. These are the times when words fall short and they just cannot convey the emotions.



The journey begins - On the way to Music College for getting on the bus to Chennai

Gooseberries - This was my food for the rest of the day and the next day till noon.

Finally, after 20 hours of sitting in bus, I reached Chennai

On the way to Varadayapalayam, from Tada.

Golden Temple at a Distance

VP - Campus I. I stayed in one of those cottages

VP - Campus I

VP - Campus I. I stayed in one of those cottages



My favourite path - Way from Campus I to Campus II

Walking through this road, I got answers to all my questions. :-)

The Golden Temple at night.

No words can ever explain the feeling of entering into this one place, on the face of Earth.

Rejuvenate... Refresh... Revive

I think 6 years is a long time to have lived carelessly, to have tossed off the desire to rejuvenate, to refresh and to revive. Its really time now may be, or else I would not have booked off my tickets to Chennai so soon on just an afternoon thought! May be life had to force its decision upon me, to make me realise how much I missed it, being out there, being in the land where its all about freedom.. freedom of life, action and thoughts.

So I'll set out on this much prolonged journey this weekend and the rest is left to His wish. As to where am heading to... Check out here! :-)

More photos and updates on my return :-)

Reading - A thing Beyond Forever

Ask me what I did on a weekend and the answer would be no different than "I finished reading another book". Yesterday it was "A Thing Beyond Forever" the debut novel by Novoneel Chakraborty.

Its all about Dr. Radhika, her life long ambition to become a doctor and her first and the only love of her life who dies at an early age. She manages to keep him alive through her thoughts and within her until her love, actually manifests, once again in front of her as a 9 year old boy. His drawers were filled with the sketches of this young doctor, without ever having met her. Her efforts to be one with her love finally succeeds when she embarks death and then the unison happens in an entirely different world.

The story doesn't end here and there is a baby girl born in a different part of the world at the same time. The story continues and so is the life saga with birth and re-birth of the same consciousness. The book talks about love, its eternity and then about the rebirth of unfulfilled dreams and desires.

"Life, with its endless wings spreads all across and Death, is never an ending, but just the beginning of an other Life!"

Problems can be swapped off as Blessings

"Every problem has a gift for you in its hands"

It was 2 years back that I had a major surgery for TB Spine and the doctors had then told that any further delay would have got me all paralysed, right from the waist below. After the surgery there happened to be a major change in all our lives and it seemed like Life was taking a different route, a major turn altogether. Even today when I think back about the situation, I strongly feel that the whole surgery incident was planned by The One above, just for those other major happenings of my life. And those happenings would ofcourse count today as among the great blessings of my life.

It might sound a lot philosophical when we try consoling someone telling 'its fine', 'its all for the better only'.. etc etc. But as days pass on and years move up, a retrospect on the same incident usually gives us a better view and then it we move them away towards the bunch of blessings and out from the problems bundle. May be that's what every philosopher means when they talk about the Divine Will and the Eagle's View. We, sometimes, need to have that higher perspect on situations to understand the gift behind those problems that we solve. But then, as humans we are, this is more easily said than done. Its like we are in the middle of the ocean and the only indulging thought would be on how to get out and how did we ever end up there.

It is only with the passage of Time that the transition is possible and then the same tearful incident would count among those great Life Transforming situations. I guess, Problems when Accelerated with Time turn out to be Blessings in Life!

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(About the image - The Chamsa Seven Blessings Jewish Art features the Chamsa, which has been used as a good luck symbol for centuries. The fish protect against injury and the birds are powerful symbols of protection against the evil eye. According to the Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism), the blue eye is a protective layer from evil. Seven Blessings: Luck - Love - Health - Prosperity - Blessing - Joy - Success)

Will you listen? Hearing also will do!

"One of the most valuable things we can do to heal one another is listen to each other's stories"

I remember those days when everyone around used to talk about the importance of "Listening". They said Listening - actually listening, calls for understanding the words, feelings and the emotions in it. And Hearing is just being able to hear the sound and it stood nowhere up in the line when compared to the impact of Listening. Those days even me, among the group, used to practice Listening to the noises of both the inside and the outside world. But then again, that era of life have completely fallen back, off me, long ago itself.

When I came across that first line, the next thought that passed through was, even hearing could be of a lot of aid most of the times. Many a times when I have to pour out, it just doesn't matter whether the other end is actually listening or connecting to what am telling. Sometimes, the only thing matters is that we want to tell and we just want to tell it all out; so that the pain lightens in our own hearts. Even the reverse is true for this; when we share the happy moments, it gives us an opportunity to relish the event once again adding to bliss in our heart.

So, I guess, if there is someone who is there to just sit right across, that should do the magic and most times, it just doesn't matter even if that person is deep down in his/her own thoughts. It just doesn't matter if they don't connect to even a single word of what we tell. We just need a hearing aid! :D

Haven't you guys came across situations like this, where you just want someone to tell it to and you are not bothered if that person relates to the whole matter or not? I remember once when I kept on pouring out my frustration and my friend actually fell asleep listening to the boring saga. But still I continued talking to her, fully aware that she's not holding onto no word of what am telling. What was more important then, was to just throw it all up :-)

I have had many of those situations where I get contended with Hearing and may be that's one reason why I keep thanking those special people who end up always on the other end. (poor them, ofcourse! but its one thing that I just cannot help them on) I surely understand the effort it takes :D to remain unconnected to all those words falling out ;-)

So I would vouch that if Listening can heal miraculously, sometimes, just Hearing could also do the magic! May be the significance is more on being able to talk about it all, as mentioned in this previous blog.

It's essential that a part of you to not grow up

It's essential that a part of you to not grow up.

Isn't that a much thought provoking statement? I guess so.. Its with growth that learning happens and with learning comes analysis and then every analysis ends up in a statement of yes or no Or a right or wrong. The innocence and the much known feeling of love is overpowered with other grave feelings as we grow up. With growth comes endless need for focusing on increasing the growth itself. And may be that's why its required to keep something back there, in the same old fashion, so that it remains untouched by all prospects of growth and development.

This would be one statement that stands true to all kinds of growth - growth of nations or economy or individual. That one part of it, which is held back, might be the one that help sustain the balances. The existence of the past helps to acknowledge the present and create that one grateful feeling; within an individual and also in and all around. It is very much required to unwind sometimes, to get the view of a that one path with a better or may be, the best growth prospects.

Happy Birthday Sobhu!

It was destiny that our paths had to cross in this journey of life!

My friends and colleagues here in Tvm would tell that am very "filmy" when it comes to romance, celebrating occasions, etc etc etc. But this was not the case 6 years back, when the fragrances of love and romance remained all buried up, deep down in me. And thaaat was exactly when I met her. Working in the same office and though elder to me, she connected with my thoughts at all levels. Those were the days of learning for me and so a lot of her ideologies and outlook about life influenced me and became part of my thinking.

It was she who brought in the thoughts of romance and wedding within me and it was looking at her marriage that I started believing in the existence of perfect couples. And from her I learned all about celebrations, surprises, care and concern. (So.. what I intend to say is that... she's the one responsible for all the filmy things i do now :D hahaha)

Ask about people who have had an impact on me in life and her name would top the list. Even today, when life stumbles upon at times, thoughts of her or a conversation with her on phone, would revive all the energy back in. I want to thank you today, Sobhu.. for being there. Its really a great feeling to think that you are out there always... ever approachable.

Sobhana... Its her birthday today and she has lot of reasons to celebrate her life. Her love for life - Vinu, parents, brother and sis in law makes her life complete and the recent entry of the little one has only highlighted the happiness in her life.

This is for you Sobhu... my gift on your b'day to tell you that even if I don't call you, or mail you.. you are still there in my thoughts always... :-)

Time for Everything

Time for Everything

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There's a time for everything and a season,

for every activity under heaven;

A time to be born and a time to die;

A time to plant and a time to uproot;

A time to kill and a time to heal;

A time to tear down and a time to build;

A time to weep and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn and a time to dance;

A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them;

A time to embrace and a time to refrain;

A time to search and a time to give up;

A time to keep and a time to throw away;

A time to tear and a time to mend;

A time for war and a time for peace!

Now that am sitting at home, trying to concentrate on the books in front of me, its just natural to wander about, through my age old belongings - my autograph books, collection of stickers, cards & letters from my friends passing on their love and my diary with quite a lot of information that I have completely forgotten now ;-) It felt so nice to go through those old times.

The poem above is one that I found in the diary and right now am not very sure from where I found this one then. But I do quite surely know that I had no idea of the below information, the time when this poem was collected.

"Ecclesiastes is a book of the Hebrew Bible. The main speaker in the book, identified by the name Qohelet, introduces himself as "son of David, and king in Jerusalem." The work consists of personal or autobiographic matter, with reflections on the meaning of life and the best way of life."

Today - yet to day

This would be the first blog popping up in the year 2009. I know its been really a long long time ago, but still feels just like yesterday.

--> It was just a day behind that I moved out to my new school leaving a few of those close friends behind from my 3rd standard.

--> It was just a day behind that I sneaked out from my high school classes and roamed around in the campus with friends, hiding from the principal and teachers

--> It was just a day behind that I got caught with few other strangers and then feels like it just took few seconds to make friends with them; but then when the clocked ticked again, it was time to leave them too

--> It was just a day behind that I earned my first stipend and went out for a treat with those other new friends for lifetime

--> It was just a day behind that a few other new people came into my life and then they promised to stay forever for me, just beside me.

--> It was just yesterday that I fell in love with and promised to share this lifetime with him; being there forever and always

--> It was just yesterday that the reality dawned in and fought against those dreams unlimited; but end of it all as they say dreams do come true and it all did!

--> It was just yesterday, that everything was so simple and graceful and then suddenly looking at today am just wondering how things changed so drastically, leaving behind an innocent mind out there in the woods; all alone to wander about

--> And it's today that I am waiting for that innocent mind to finds its way out into the tomorrow that would be further more graceful and simple

--> And it's today that I am waiting for more of those gifts that would make the tomorrow's just as beautiful as my yesterday's

And as of the today's, its just yet 'to day'!