Is there a solution?

It was 10.45 PM, 12/21/2009. I was on my way back home, sitting inside the cab, watching the wiper move - up - down up - down... heavy rains outside! The wipers were dutifully clearing up the vision. When I was lost in my thoughts, suddenly I heard the cab driver speak , 'I dont know how next generation is going to be' I was startled to hear that while he continued, 'this month is margazhi and there is no fog or mist in the morning... there is too much of rain now which is not good for this season...' Like this he continued... How should I feel?! While I was glad to see the climate change awareness among common people, I was immensely sad to realize what kind of Earth or environment I am leaving for my child, my future generation. We, the current residents of the earth are already victims of the pollution and other contamination we are doing to the environment.

A few generations ago, asthma was not known to many people. Now it is a very common disease. 3 out of 10 children in US are suffering from asthma.
What about India... I have a living example. My two and a half year old toddler was diagnosed of wheezing, the beginning signs of asthma.

It sends shivers through my spine.
What am I doing about it!? A few months back, I planted two saplings in some unused space near my place. For every new leaf I saw in those future trees, I carried a wide smile on my face and happiness in my heart. I know it is a very small step, but remember, little drops make an ocean!

Interested in knowing what more can be done about global warming? Read this article - Precious

Let me appeal to you, Guys and gals, Save our earth. Plant trees! That could be our only saviour, if at all anything is there. Lets be kind to our children and their chuldren. It is not some X or Y. It is my child and your child, you and me who are the victims!

My husband slapped me!

I did it! It took 5 years and several months to happen. Finally he laid his hands on me. Hey wait...! This was for a big blow! Yes, he slapped me! It was not easy for either of us. It took several hours to reconcile. Atleast to talk to each other. On top of this, we visited his mom's place that night. Did that help or cause more trouble? Lets see... With not too much of sham we did, they found out something fishy was going on between us. So we were forced to get into terms faster. I too was not interested in making them(my parents-in-law) wonder or worry for a longer time. While everyone was contemplating what caused all this, the eldest soul in the family, his grandpa (he is like my own too), decided to get some story out from me. While I didn't let out the entire drama for there is nothing much to be said, profound advice started pouring in, from e'one there (except my in-laws) on what! how to keep him (my husband) happy!!! On any day, I wouldn't have taken it. For whatever reason, I stayed calm. I went ahead to convince them, 'we will be ok' (and we were after a while). We returned home after 2 days. On the way back, I simply commented, ' There is nothing wrong with them (grandpa and others there), just this society is fabricated that way... It is a male dominated society, you cannot expect much from it' Let me also tell you, my in-laws and family are the best one could get! The entire episode along with reconciliation happened very fast. The visit did help reduce the tension between us.

However the weekend is not over yet. Isha was not OK with her health. She kept falling sick and still is... That evening, she was so adamant on eating something which is not good for her health. I admonished her with a loud voice! That's it! She broke into big time tears and started saying with her weeping voice, 'Amma vendam' (I don't want mom). I heard her say that for the first time. I was always her favorite person, not anymore :( Somewhere I am turning to be stricter mother! Thus she added more to my weekend blues which finally got over.

Uff!! I am happy it got over... I despise such weekends, I am better off without such tormenting ones!!!

Oh Yes! We are ok and happily married for 5 years and 5 months now with a little princess :)

Baby Ramayana

I don't understand how kids like to listen to the same story again and again... I have been saying this story (The story name 'Rama Story' or Baby Ramayana) every night with little variation to my little one, Isha Krupa. She doesn't fall asleep unless she hears this story...

So now, the story... Be careful, you may doze off when you finish reading :))

Once upon a time, there lived a king. The King had four babies. First baby's name was Rama, Second baby's name Lakshmana, third baby's name was Bharatha, Fourth baby's name Shatrugna.
Baby Rama was very fond of Baby Lakshmana (in her language Rama paappa, lakshmana paappa and so on...). Every day Lakshmana used to get lots of kisses from Baby Rama.

One day, all four babies - Rama, Lakshmana, Bharatha and Shatrugna - went to a forest for playing. They were playing 'Ringa Ringa roses, Pocket full of roses, Hasha Busha ... All fall down' game...

All of a sudden, a big lion came that way and saw these kids playing there... Lion came close by and threatened Rama, 'Hey Rama, go home... This is our place. Who asked you to come here?' Baby Rama replied 'Lion, I am not scared of you... I have a big bow and arrow and a stick also' 'I'll beat you up'.
'More over', Rama said, 'I drink Pediasure every day so I am very strong... So you better go inside the forest. We will not go home, we are going to play another game'
and Rama and his baby brothers continued to play...

The Lion was angry, but he decided to use his mind. So he went to the big elephant of the forest. He went and narrated the encounter with Rama. The elephant listened carefully and said, 'King Lion... you don't worry about Rama and his baby brothers. I'll smash them'

The lion gleefully followed the elephant and reached the kid's play area. Rama saw them both. Elephant told the same thing as lion did. He asked them to disappear from the forest or he might get angry. Rama said the same thing that he had a big bow and arrow and he would hurt them.

Elephant was shocked and didn't know what to do. He stood stunned before Rama. Immediately, Baby Rama smiled, 'Elephant and Lion... ha ha ha... don't be scared. I was jus kidding. I won't beat you. I would like to be friends with you, if you wish... We can play together'... Lion and elephant were so relieved for Baby Rama was not afraid of elephant and his big appearance also. They both became so happy, and agreed to the proposal. They realized Rama and his baby brothers were all so brave, intelligent, honest and friendly.

So the elephant and lion became friends with Rama, Lakshmana, Bharatha and Shatrugna and played every day in the forest ever after :)

By this time, Isha will be yawning... But if you stop in the middle, she'll nag you to continue...

I am writing this today for two reasons

1) One day, I'll read this story back to her :)
2) Some one reading this can use it as their kid's bed time story
This story relates to her day to day activities and teaches some morals. *like drinking pediasure makes Rama strong, lion and elephant play and that they can be Rama's playmates, how lion decided to call elephant when he was alone, how rama used non violence to conquer those mammoth animals ;-)

The list continues....

We tried Krishna story, but apparently, this became her favorite bed time story :)

Good night folks :)

My experience in jail...

Her name is Angel... Couldn't forget her! She just completed one year when I first went to that jail... Her mom asked me to take chocolate, very candidly, who was a prisoner there... I didn't know why initially; couldn't managed to find out as the "Isha inner engineering class" was about to start in a couple of minutes.

Well, that's the reason I went there. When Swami Vishnu called up and said the previous night, 'why not you come as a volunteer for organizing the Isha yoga class?'... I immediately said 'yes'. But there were some slight discomfort in me. How will the people be in jail, will they be harsh, cruel, dishonest! Will I return safe? All these questions just surfaced in my mind... But I am not a person to give up new experiences for socially inflicted fears! Somewhere in the corner of the mind, I probably knew this was false fear! So I managed to get up early the next day and headed for the 'Puzhal' jail, where Isha Yoga conducted a Yoga program for Women! Inner Engineering program for women in Jail!

Angel's mom Julie was one of the many participants in the yoga program. She handed over the kid to one another volunteer(Naga akka) and attended the class. She managed Angel quite well... However I couldn't resist taking care of Angel as kids are inseparable part of my life! So, went there, relieved Naga akka and I took Angel in my arms! She's falling asleep as I rocked her gently! Finally she dozed off and I managed to return to the program class!

When the 3 hours class was over for the day, kid woke up. I thought Julie will run to pick her little one. Much to my surprise, she was not anxious and I found her playing volleyball! I was stunned for a moment and quite didn't understand what was going on there...

Julie is an excellent volley ball player and when she found the ball there (which was brought there for Isha games), she couldn't but play it!

Angel was born in jail, she was brought up by e'one there! She belongs to e'one. She's brought up in such a big family. She takes food from e'body there. She easily get along with strangers! My heart sank when I came to know that Angel was born in there, she's even having her first b'day there... I don't know why, because both mom and kid seemed to be happier than many people I see outside.

May be because, Angel doesn't enjoy a life that Isha enjoys (my 2 year old daughter)! I dont know exactly... But the pain continues to be there...

A glimpse at Isha's 2nd B'day party

It started wtih a hasty return from work to take care of the arrangements at home for a small celebration. I was worried about Isha's health; on the eve of her b'day, she showed up 101 degree Fahrenheit, and we took her to emergency at 3 AM in the night. She was prescribed crocin and another medicine for setting bowel movements right. So with all this in mind, I went out of my mind all through the day at office and during my return home, until I saw Raj. [He's always been my morale booster... He's always convinces me things are ok.] When I anxiously asked him, how the kid was doing. He said, she's sleeping and just doing fine. Finally, a moment of relief! Happy to know that her illness had not progressed. We set out in full swing to prepare the house for a small party, if I can call that so... Balloons, decoration papers, hangings on the wall, paper cone caps written 'happy b'day', cake, snacks etc etc set the celebration mood at home :) We decorated the hall to whatever extent possible with the little ones (Isha and Anush) around... They went on and on in extending my patience level :)) As I blow a balloon, these tiny ones will be in the queue to take it from me. Finally managed to stick a few in the walls and moved to the next phase... Dressing up the party princess... All of us almost failed in this one single event! We succeeded just to make her wear the panty! not the party dress from aunt, the one from mom & dad couldn't stand longer than the photo sessions... so the cake cutting ceremony happened with isha on her real b'day suit with just the old trunk around! Lets look at the highlights! Highlights of the event: 1) Decoration truned out to be simple and beautiful 2) Bonus balloons for the kids 3) Isha cried her tonsils out for wearing the b'day dress, liked just her shorts 4) Grandpa got another big cake for all of us (so totally we had about 3 boxes of cake) 5) Cutting cake was another big mess 6) Cake was made into a cake crums at the end 7) Photo session was absolutely random (Poor dad was missed out in the mess that happened) 8) Girls liked their toys (Teddy and Tigky) and accepted them as their doubles partners. 9) Heavy thunderstorm and rain, followed by cool night (A much wanted break from the zapping heat) 10) And a dinner for all of us bought from some ABC hotel :) which Prasad managed to get it in the heavy rains! (Special thanks to him :) )

My BF told 'I love you'!

No no no... it's not 'Boy Friend', it is 'Best Friend'... my BF told 'I love you' to her date (if i can call him so). She seems to be set well into the groove - "Courtship with her would be husband!" A perfect relationship, ideal couple, they look like...

As I turn back, and walk along the memory lanes of the times I spent with her, I know, 'Romance, love, longingness, anxiety of separation' were all once 'Greek & Latin' to her... Now this thin lady is dancing in love's rhythms! I can't tell you how happy I am and definitely not how happy she is :)
Mind is capable of doing many things that you wouldn't imagine, and Love will be a key player in the game... My dear lady is doing/saying unimaginable things for her stature and character!

Wishing tons of luck to her 'would be' ;-), couldn't resist pitying him :) as he nods his head for e'thing she says!

Once the romance wears out a bit, its gonna be fun to watch them! But I hope they live long with the freshness of love and romance for many many years :)

Good luck buddies!

Pogaadhe...

Guess what! today my little one told me 'pogaadhe' (dont go)! I was taken over by surprise for the little brat finally learnt to utter that one killing word! Out of the non stop talking she does like me, this is the first time she used this one!

Its a big achievement for her and me too... A number of days I have wondered and talked to my friends in despair, when I started going to work after exhausting maternity and e'other leave "I wish my kid opens her mouth and tell me, 'how is it for her when I leave to work?', but alas, she couldn't communicate... should i take it as OK or not OK... I don't know"

Now after more than a year, she sprouted that little mesmerizing word - "pogaadhe"... I just smiled and went back and asked her, ' what is it?', she blushed and burried her face into her hands and repeated it!

Oh! What a moment it was...
Know what!! My tiny one was saying it for fun :)) when I was just going to the kitchen to get her meal!! and she knows the running around is about to start anytime...

Ain't she smart!?!

How does it feel?! :-)

Its gonna be almsot 2 years since my little one came to this world, or in other words I became a mother...
How does it feel?! It feels like e'thing... Yes, e'thing in my life... So far what ever feeling I felt in me, every bit of it has intensified. Happiness, tears of joy, love, compassion, passion, anxiety, disturbance, resentfulness, loneliness, helplessness! It was a different 'me' altogether to me! I never thought Isha will take Raj's place in terms of energy, attention & time... May be I took it very hard on me - The Parenting.

Not even 2 years and I kinda feel exhausted emotionally to bear her every mischief, every smile, every laughter, every hug, every illness, every cry, every tantrum and what not! It is so overwhelming... Having said all this, I feel so intense! very intense!
Intensely joyful, intensely compassionate and intensely sad too... It is like swinging from one end to the other end...
And you know what! I am enjoying the ride! (I better do! :-)) )

So with that,

I am saying 'Congratulations' to me and to all mothers in the world!

They deserve much more than what they do now!