Petals!

Raising two daughters to be bold, down-to-earth and financially independent professionals is not easy. With years of dedication and discipline and of course, guided by Guru Kripa, my parents have done it well. Dad has always been my best friend. Just a week ago, Dad gave me a very emotional pep talk at the Bangalore airport.  The good thing is that whenever I feel emotionally vulnerable or stressed out, I replay Dad's conversation. Dad's words instantly brings a huge smile to my face.   That's my Dad - and I truly believe that every thought, word and deed of his is divine! As a doctor, I have seen my father sacrifice his personal comforts for his patients. I have seen him skip precious moments of his children's growing up years to take care of the suffering of those who truly needed his intervention as a doctor. As a teenager, Bangalore used to be one of my favorite cities though the garden city was not as ''global'' and ''vibrant'...

''Hey, you are Swapna, right?'' For the first time in over 30 years during my frequent visits to Puttaparthi, I was asked this question by a stranger.  I was taken aback because this is a very unusual occurrence for me in Puttaparthi.  My parents and I were about to sit down for dinner when the stranger walked over to us.  "I am Rakesh Menon, your husband's friend from Class 1,'' he said. Phew! Of course, I have heard about Rakesh Menon from my husband though the two friends have not met each other for over two decades.  ''Heard so much about you and now I finally got to meet you....the year was 1997. Sanand couldn't stop talking about you and I have heard so much about your romance...,'' Rakesh was smiling as he said this. I was literally squirming - it does feel a little odd to hear about my romance in front of my parents and my very curious 11-year-old son. But Rakesh Menon has this amazing way of making everyone ...

When I rewind and go back to take a walk down the saree wear memory lane, it takes me through some interesting and memorable moments. The first time I wore a saree was for a school function where I was to sing with two or three other students. We had to sing an important shloka from the Gita and we all had to wear plain color sarees.  Saree Wear : The First Time   Those were the days when I would rush to my cousin and best friend Bindhu for everything. After a lot of saree wear searching , we finally chose a peacock blue raw silk saree. The day I wore it,  no one actually noticed it. My dad was working abroad. My mom is the one who dressed me in it and her worry was about how I would walk on stage without falling over. My sister had already gone to school. Bindhu stayed a little farther from where I stayed and therefore, I don't think I was able to show her the saree wear that day. In school, it may sound funny but it really wasn't. The girls could be exceptionall...