Skip to main content

Lots of candles, lots of happiness

I am grateful to Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba for everything. I am who I am because of You, Swami. 

Thank you for this beautiful life, Dad and Mom – you are my living Gods. Geethu – I know that I haven’t been the ideal sister at anytime but I will make it up by being a fantastic, super aunt to my boy Vihaan. Thank you for bearing with me, love you molu.

Chanu, you are my strongest and toughest critic and my pillar of strength. A Taurean trait, maybe?  Your motto is, “Sweat the small stuff and learn the hard way. No short cuts.” Thank you for sharing your life with me. It can’t be easy living with some one who forgets to put the ‘salt’ in the salt mango tree :D

Lots of love and hugs to my parents-in-law and to my sister in law Nandini for their acceptance, love and understanding as always.

Cheers to my all law college friends – amazing, crazy guys and girls – but I won’t dare to say one name over the other. I could get sued! Love to my Twitter and Facebook friends. All of you are fantastic, full of zest folks and you make life so much fun and interesting  – I love you all!

I HAVE to mention some amazing friends but I will keep it strictly to those who have been real game changers in my life – the folks who really take out their time daily. 

Anubhuti Rai and Juhi Mohan – LOVE YOU two! We have cried together, laughed at the maddest things, shared the most amazing times together. When we get together, we are totally outrageous and yet so sincere about what we strongly believe in.  We had the best of times together. Love you both, lots and lots. Grateful to God that we three found one another and have an entire lifetime to share together.

Anupama Prakash – You have positive energy, grace, poise and confidence. Best of all, you have a heart of solid gold and a great sense of humor that I enjoy reading/tweeting/observing. I can SO connect to the Gemini in you. I truly value this “earth angel” in my life. Stay that way.

Anna Varghese Puthuran: Deeply moved by your protective love and concern towards me. I dunno what I did to deserve it but thank you and I want you to know how much I admire you for being bold, original and beautiful. In this world, there will be many Swapnas' but only one ANNA VARGHESE PUTHURAN. You rock, gal. Love u! 

Arvind Balasubramanyan  –  Every time I have a doubt that I place before Swami, it is you who brings me His answers through your writings. Thank you for writing about Swami and inspiring millions of devotees to keep the faith. I wish I could write like you, Brother Aravind. 

Mohammed Ashfaque – Rock star friend & great human being, thank you for always saying the kindest things, sending in your prayers and being in touch always! You are like part of the family!

Magesh – You are such a positive, wonderful person. The goodness is just there to see. Thanks a ton for staying in touch with us.

Mani Karthik – Thank you for always inspiring, listening and giving honest feedback. You are an amazing human being with infinite kindness and patience. One of my favorite quotes is ‘Compassion is a verb’ and you live it and you truly put it into practice. Thank you, I am grateful to you. You always inspire me.

Manju Suresh – We are so alike in our thoughts, devotion and spiritual goals. The moment you think of me, I am thinking of you. The moment you want to talk to me, I am calling you and vice versa. We have the power of the ‘SAI’ connection. I can just feel it!

 Neelamji –  Thanks so much for being there to perk me up! Grateful for the advice, attention and care you always give me.

Piyush Nigam and Priya Nigam – There is so much I have learned from the two of you. I am truly grateful for the opportunity you gave me to work at Veda and make a meaningful contribution in a very small way. You are both wonderful people and gave me the freedom, confidence and opportunity to break boundaries and to soar high. I also want to thank every colleague I have worked with at Veda – thank you all!

Sumit sir: Thank you so much for the trust and confidence in me. I do not know what the future holds because life is so unpredictable. But I want to let you know: Your prayers and blessings ALWAYS mean a lot to me, I am grateful for it. It truly overwhelms me, makes me humble and proud to be working directly with you. 

Suja Pradeep – You have been an AMAZING friend. You went out of the way to get things done for me when you didn't need to. Thank you for everything. 

Vishnu’s Virtues – Your blog has had a positive impact on me. Your perspective comes from a place of personal pain and having overcome it, you know exactly what one is talking/writing about. Keep writing and inspiring.

So, now let me thank you - dear reader and friend - for always inspiring me to keep writing. I seek your loving thoughts, blessings and prayers. I am grateful to you for being here with me today.

Comments

Vishnu said…
what a lovely gratefulness filled post - than you Swapna for your mention and thank you for your articles of inspiration and faith.
June 12, 2014 at 8:50 PM
Aravind Balasubramanya said…
Dear Swapna,

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present but not gifting it. You have so beautifully expressed your gratitude that your humbling experience has, I am sure, become a humbling experience for all those whom you mentioned also! I definitely feel humbled and grateful. Thank you and thank God for whatever I am today. :)

Lots of love and wishes
June 30, 2014 at 1:35 AM
Post a Comment

Most Popular Posts

The Ugly Truth about Caste in Kerala

Many years ago, when I wrote this post on Kerala's caste system, I had not considered that people would start sending in abusive comments about one caste over the other. It baffles me that this is how Indians, all of us, continue to judge each other on account of caste differences.  [ READ: Guru Kripa: Powerful Lessons at the Lotus Feet ] My question is - why do you ABUSE any caste or community? I suggest that you read about the lives of great Masters and their stories - none of them judged anyone on the basis of caste.  You can read the life stories of Sri Adi Shankara Bhagawadpada, Tulsidas, Jnaneshwar, Namadev, Sri Aurobindo, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, Shirdi Sai Baba, and many more Gurus in Sanathana Dharma. NONE of them endorse these caste hierarchies in Bhakti Marga. Assuming that Guru Sampradaya does not appeal to your sensibilities, do read this  new book 'Ants among Elephants' written by Sujatha Gidla, who writes about herself as being born
180 comments
Read more

How do you light Deepam at home?

How do you light deepam at home? As a child, I loved watching the ritual of my grandmother lighting the deepam or the traditional lamp at home in the evenings. A sense of serenity accompanied her frail figure as she would carefully straighten every wick, dip it into the tiny puddle of oil and light the lamp. As my grandmother would read out the scriptures and chant the prayers, the fragrance of incense sticks and flowers added depth to the experience. In many Hindu homes nowadays, the lighting of the lamp (or the nilavilakku, as Malayalis refer to the traditional lamp in their homes) is not a regular practice. A lot of people have many questions around how to light deepam at home and which oil to use and so on. An important point to keep in mind - Maintain physical cleanliness and hygiene while lighting the lamp. Wear clean clothes while lighting the lamp. Frequently Asked Questions About Lighting Deepam at Home Collating most queries related to how to light the deepam at home, I'v
1 comment
Read more

Tumhari Sulu movie review: Vidya Balan makes you laugh, cry, croon and fall in love with 'Sulu'

I have always looked forward to watching Vidya Balan's films, which is why I watched her latest one, Tumhari Sulu, and decided to share this movie review. I read many reviews which bring in the feminist aspect of the narrative. I want to look at the little details of an ordinary life that are portrayed by Vidya Balan's extraordinary acting.   As ''Sulu'', Vidya Balan breathes life into the character of bubbly housewife, whose life revolves around her husband, son and of course, her favorite hobby of participating in all kinds of contests and winning them with a die-hard spirit.                                          [ Image: Vidya Balan's Facebook page ]                                Vidya Balan's mastery over details comes through in every scene - shooing off birds so that they don't put ''potty'' on her clothes, posing in front of the mirror with the kind of bag that working women use and pretending to be one, and eve
Post a Comment
Read more

Top 10 Skincare tips for Summer

Come summer, and we women worry a lot about how the sun lashes out on our skin. True, skincare tips for the summer are plenty but what about the hushed secrets - yes, those tried and tested family secrets that are passed on from mother to daughters? [ ALSO READ: How to NEVER EVER GIVE UP on the spiritual path ]                             FOLLOW MY BOARDS ON PINTEREST Here are some that are totally easy to do. Best of all, these are effective and bring on a feel-good factor in the peak of summer. 1. Replace water with rosewater . It keeps your skin luminous and fragrant throughout the day. It's a good toner too. 2. Cleanse your skin by combining these ingredients - honey, milk, rosewater/rosepetals and turmeric. Add a dash of olive oil and yes, it feels wonderful. 3. Almond oil body baths are a must-have ! You will smell delicious all day. This summer, skip all those body lotions & moisturizers! You will love the way almond oil pampers your skin all day! 4. Us
14 comments
Read more

Gayatri Mantra as Panchamukhi: Get it right or let it go

Most people do not understand the importance of chanting the Gayatri mantra because they are not aware of its power. It is only when I began to read Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba's teachings that I learned how sacred and powerful the chanting of the Gayatri mantra is.    The Vedas represent the breath of God. The Gayatri mantra is the very basis of the Vedas. Try not to undertake chanting the Gayatri mantra as a light endeavor or as a hobby. It has to be chanted with faith, discipline and purity of mind and body. Be steady with your sadhana if you want to reap the spiritual dividend associated with the Gayatri mantra  and never once hesitate once you decide to do it.  Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba said that the Gayatri Mantra is referred to as Pancha Mukhi, the Goddess with five faces that represent the five pranas or life forces. Here's more on it. .  Also read: The Power of OM   Chant the Gayatri Mantra correctly: Pause Five Times Here are some important thi
39 comments
Read more