Winter months have begun and I Have Learned Many Lessons This Year

In my part of the world, it is winter already. For me, it means that there is more work to be done at home. Winters are a time when I used to love snuggling into the blanket and sleeping for hours. Now that I am a mother, it feels like a distant dream and a luxury that I cannot afford. The truth of life is that mothers don't usually get that kind of luxury, not even on Sundays!

My experience of Saturday mornings is attending a full-fledged PTM that continues from 9 AM to 1 PM, my weekend is literally over, because I've got tasks pending at home. Of course, there are tons of chores that pile up like cooking the daily meals (wracking my head for something beyond the comfort food called dal) and all of it has to get done by the end of the day. [Do read: There's No Woman on The Moon]

Of course, I also have to remember to take out the family's treasury of sweaters and keep them ready in the wardrobe for daily use. Plus, I am always excited about making time for my varied interests like writing poetry, blogging, reading books that keep me glued to every page and so on.

I love being a mom who is always there for her son, though I do have friends who comment that I live my life on Facebook than with my family. I cannot change how people perceive me, especially when they are not exactly absent from Facebook and other apps, but yes, I do try to convey my perspective. If I keep track of all the ''close'' people who have hurt me with words and found great joy in their life by finding reasons to criticise, I could write an entire encyclopedia, but as my God and Guru taught us, ''Start the day with love, Fill the day with love, end the day with love, that is the way to God.'' So, I have learned to gulp down my pain with dignity and keep smiling.

Increasingly, I understand now that the toughest thing to change is how easily friends assume that it is their right to look down and judge you, usually because you allow them to, with the degree of proximity they hold in your life. That apart, the fact is that it is impossible to convince judgmental people, who judge everyone else choices but their own. A true friend is one who loves you as you are and doesn't judge you for who they assume you are.

In another part of the world, it has been Thanksgiving time. Maybe we should embrace it in India, the way we have embraced Halloween and Valentine's Day, to demonstrate how important our family and loved ones are to us.

Let's face it. When we navigate through the toughest tests that come our way, it is our dear and loved ones who cushion the impact of all the criticism and judgments that come our way. Maybe the best way to honor this is by thinking and praying for them, as well as thanking them, of course. Without gratitude, are we human at all?

By the way, I gotta rush now. I cooked delicious ginger-infused carrot rice with beans thoran (yes, a super easy Kerala specialty) and I want to enjoy my dinner piping hot. Like I said, the winter months are here. Wrapping up my chores, I want to curl up soon.

What's your favourite season and how do you gear up to enjoy it?

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