2016: The Year That Taught Me That Anything is Possible and Nothing is Impossible

Loving Happy New Year wishes to all of you and I say this with all my heart. If I don't feel it from my heart, I can never sit down and write these words to you. 2016 has been a roller coaster year for me - I am sure it may have been the same for you and your loved ones too. 

Life will keep unfolding, the best thing we can do is to keep evolving and making new choices that bring us more peace and clarity about being in the "present." I don't know if this sounds like mumbo-jumbo nonsense - yikes, I hope not.

As a working mom, the toughest challenge that I faced this year has been to be fully focused on my son. As my son is growing older, he has far too much to tackle in his studies. What I strive for is to have open discussions about any topic that he has questions about even if it means answering questions that are not easy to find a balanced response to but we discuss everything openly. 

I am not a control freak mom and I don't aspire to be one. I want to watch my son grow up with an independent mind of his own and not have a mind where his mother has to molly-coddle his every thought and feed it into his head about what he has to think or say. Personally, I would be very disappointed with myself if I did that to my only son.The balance that I try to strive with my son is unconventional but works well for us. 

We enjoy "we-time" together, we experiment with new books and exotic dishes and we tend to be welcomed everywhere we go - at least, people seem happy to see us including the folks at Big Chill care at Khan Market and the regular bookshops where Adi is greeted with hugs,, touchwood.

[AN UNUSUAL POST: Valentine's Day at School] 

We also attend parties together even when it is strictly not meant for children but yes when it has the Chief Justice of India as the key speaker, I think it is right that we go together. I cannot keep my son aside and attend a party, period. Those who invite me, think again:) 

We also go for movies but I am increasingly selective about this. We also like to travel - be it to ashrams or vacation spots, and we simply love it because we see every experience as an opportunity to learn new things, side by side.

In 2016, a significant milestone for me as a mother is that I am spending more quality time with my son. I am confident that he opens up his heart and mind to me and I pray that he always does - a distant dream as he grows up - but a prayer is a prayer and let us not forget, it is a mother's prayer. 

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Still, December has gone too fast, I say! I look back at the year that was - the good months and not-so-easy ones, and I wonder, "Whoa - I went through all that and I am still active, not retired and still kicking" which makes me want to pat myself on the back and say, "Not bad, gal, you are stronger than you think!"

Now this reminds me of a beautiful passage I read in the novel, "The Liberation of Sita" by Volga. It is an ''imaginary" snippet of a conversation between Ahalya and Sita and it reads like this:

"You are enduring great pain. You think you are enduring it for someone else. You think that you have performed your duty for the sake of some one else. You have surrendered your courage and your self-confidence to others. What have you saved for yourself?"

I know that every mother goes through phases of soul-searching. Those are the toughest to handle. I know how it feels - trust me.

The key question is - What have you saved for yourself and how do you feel about it deep within?

That is all that matters.

For me, 2016 began with a beautiful darshan of Lord Balaji in Tirupati and of my Guru in Puttaparthi. The months that followed were full of exciting changes and challenges and it was not easy - but I sailed through the waves, with Lord Sai's abundant grace.

Some gifts that God blesses us with comes in unexpected packages. The gift of family and friendship is something I value and never take for granted. Some of my dear family members, colleagues and friends have stood by me and extended their full support to me throughout some of the difficult phases that I went through this year. Their loving energy and support will be the most precious "golden" trophy for me to treasure and cherish, this year.

If you believe in yourself as a good human being, a down-to-earth, balanced parent and a responsible professional, trust me - anything is possible and nothing is impossible. That is what 2016 has taught me.

Cheers to 2017! Have an amazing year and do let me know what 2016 was like for you! I would love to hear from you.