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'...

Time flies faster than we can imagine.  A little girl who is the ''music" of our home is now celebrating her birthday, continents apart. Her birthday is on January 6th and it brought back many sweet childhood memories. She is away from home but never far from our thoughts or my heart.  Geethu and I, as sisters, grew up together and as most of those who know us already will know, we are absolute opposites but we complement each other in a beautiful way. But let me confess, growing up with a super intelligent kid who could breathe, think and talk science and maths like a pro was a traumatic experience for the older sibling - namely, me. It didn't help that she was also one of the best in all types of sports and we had no space to keep all the certificates and prizes she won for her school in different sports categories. Well, I spared my parents the trauma of having to store my certificates or trophies of glory by not having any...lol!  What I think is most...

Thanks to my loving parents who visited us, October 2009 has been so special for me. A few precious days of color, love and pampering, that's what this has been for me. Experiencing life through their eyes brings so much joy because my parents are my strength. For most of us who get married and move to another city and a new home, we miss the loving presence and pampering of our parents and most importantly, their unconditional love. Here's a beautiful pic we clicked when we were celebrating Vishu together in Prasanthi Nilayam few years ago!                                     [SUBSCRIBE TO MY WEEKLY NEWSLETTER] My parents have always believed in the goodness of people. When things go wrong, their way of dealing with it is like this: "It is God's grace that everything is going this way. Maybe we don't see it now but this is happening for our highest good. We will see it much later."  Sometimes...

Lots of thoughts crisscross in my mind as I studied the comments that some of you stated about the first post, Being Clean . These are my thoughts to my dear friends who shared theirs: @Bharathy: Yes, its appalling to think about all those millions of dust bugs inside the pillows. Public sanitation is very poor all around the country. There is so much to be done to make things better. In Delhi, I heard about street plays that go from village to village teaching one concept at a time to the villagers and in urban areas. Simple concepts like 'Wash your hands' form the basic essence of the play. I think such endeavors need to be endorsed by parents, teachers and educational institutions to inculcate a better sense of hygiene and cleanliness. @Nishita: Totally true! We are all very clean when it comes to our homes but talk about our surroundings and its a different matter altogether. You won't believe it but I've got neighbors spitting on the balcony of others. When...