Petals!

Did you know that reading books impact your child's brain? My father introduced me to the world of books when I was a child. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents to read to their children daily, right from birth!   When my son turned two years old, I used to take him every week to the British Library, put him in the children's section where kids of all ages were reading books and just watched over him.  The impact is what I want to talk about. Spending every Saturday at the British Library perked up his curiosity about books. When he saw other children immersed in picture books and so on, he would wait for them to put down those books, crawl over and try to turn the pages, which wasn't easy because, well, you know, toddlers don't find that kind of focus and balance. But a memorable beginning was made and this was our weekly routine for many years. Gradually, we began reading out books together. This turned out to our bonding time too. Recentl...

Nowadays, I love making salads, not just because they are easy and fun to eat but I also enjoy playing around with different textures, colours and flavours. I don't follow any recipes when it comes to salads - I just love to experiment. Sometimes, the salad comes out really colourful and yummy, on bad days, it can turn out not so great. Here's one that came out so delicious that I can't wait to make it again! FOLLOW MY BOARDS ON PINTEREST If you are wondering what the health reasons are for eating salad, there are plenty, but I am going to share the ones that matter to me. 1. Salads are packed with fibre The good thing about salads is that they are packed with fibre, which is known to keep your cholesterol levels in check. Plus, it enables your system to eliminate toxins faster. 2. Salads are nutrient-rich The reason why salads are a must-have in our daily diet is because you can pack in the best nutrient-rich veggies on to your plate at one go. Havi...

Ruzbeh N Bharucha's latest book, ICE with Very Unusual Spirits, is a book that I have absolutely enjoyed reading. While reading every chapter, I began to contemplate a lot on the friendships in my life, as the book blends in some of the most valuable teachings of Sage Tiruvalluvar and Sai Baba of Shirdi. The essence of the book revolves around true friendship and how it can make us not just more human but it can make us divine beings too.    [READ: What are Tantric Practices? Find out!]   As  human beings, we thrive on friendship. These days, I've started wondering, ''Is there real friendship out there?'' From experiences that span four decades now (yeah, I am that old!), I am beginning to wonder about the authenticity of most ''friendships.'' [Do read:  How to Console a Friend who Lost her Spouse ] A friend whom we knew since childhood days invites us home for dinner but when we visit, we don't get served dinner, but popcorn. Ou...

Just the other day, I read a news report about a son who pushed his mother down the stairs simply because he was fed up with taking care of her. She fell sick too often and he was fed up with being the caregiver. I wondered, ''What kind of an environment are we creating for our children? Our actions leave an impact and how can we help create the right impact?How do we teach human values?''                             FOLLOW MY BOARDS ON PINTEREST As a parent, the one thing that worries me among many is how to nurture compassion for all in a growing child.   Forget about teaching compassion to a child - how do we start practicing it? For most people, these are lessons learned at home. I grew up seeing my father show compassion to all those who reach out to seek his help. Jokingly I once asked my Dad, ''What if a Pakistani soldier is dying and seeks your help, what would you do?'' He didn't have the sl...

Is Jodhpur worth visiting? A part of me has always been a dreamer, a seeker, and a wanderer. Perhaps the way I grew up has something to do with this. Bright, blue sky, skin colored sand that you could melt into and blue waters that sparkled when you splashed it on your skin....ah, the magic of growing up in a place like Blantyre! It felt joyful when we chose t o welcome the New Year by traveling to a new place together for the first time! I can't describe the delicious feeling of excitement that I felt when we reached Jodhpur.  The real fun began when we went sightseeing! The spicy food (not to my son's liking - he doesn't like to eat anything with onions - which puts us in quite a difficult situation with most Indian dishes), the warmth and hospitality, the grand palaces, forts and there is so much I want to share with you about the moments I enjoyed, the people I made friends with and the experiences I had.  More of that later, I promise. And for my son, th...