EBBS AND FLOWS

A  Window  Seat  to  Everest Human life is far more important than just getting to the top of a mountain  – Sir Edmund Hillary.   The Itch for Everest Base Camp I’ve had this wish—no, this persistent itch—to trek to the Everest Base Camp (EBC) for a while now. I consulted Google Baba, bothered friends and family for info who had ticked it off their lists, and even tried to gently coerce a few comrades I believed to be fit—both in limb and in mind—to come with me. But alas, while their reasons ranged from the practical to the philosophical, my own body had different plans. Orthopaedic issues started waving red flags like traffic police in Bengaluru during peak hours.  You see, in college, I was quite the mountaineer—scaling Shivaji Maharaj’s forts in Maharashtra like a spirited goat. So this, truly, was a blow. Still, I’m not someone who gives up easily. I stretched, walked, did yoga, buttered up my bones with supplements. But each time I push...

  She sprouted love like flowers, grew a garden in her mind, and even on the darkest days, from her smile, the sun still shined.– Erin Hanson I brought the Easter Lily bulbs from my mother’s pot after she left us. Every year, she would wait for them with such joy—and they never failed her. They bloomed faithfully, right on Easter, as if they too understood the importance of the day. One of the last pictures we have of Mom is of her moving that pot, filled with the lilies she adored. That image is etched in my heart. Although, someone took away the remaining bulbs from her pots, I had hoped something might still push through the soil. But nothing came up. I quietly told Mom that this year, I would miss the blooms she so loved. Last year, mine bloomed for the first time—though they were late, … past Easter. Still, I was just so happy to see them. They kept blooming all the way to my birthday, and in those quiet moments, I felt as though Mom was sending her love, flower by flower....

  Death leaves a heartache no one can heal. Love leaves a memory no one can steal-on an Irish Headstone. It  is  hard  to forget  someone  who  gave  us  such  strong  memories  and  with them, I  go on. I am still learning to live as my mother always advised... to love others  regardless of  their ignorance and faults. In the 66 days  that  my  mother  has  not  been around, not  a  day  goes  by  expecting  to  hear  her voice. Nothing  can  prepare  you  for  this  phase  of acceptance. Although  a  priority,  learning  how  to  live  without  her  who has been of  a  massive significance  in  my life, doesn’t come  by  easily. It   is   painful    and    very    few  ...

Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well ―  Theodore Roosevelt A person works hard and strives for achievements in fields of their choice and is proud of them. I too have worked hard but the achievements have been of a different kind, incomprehensible and baffling... appendectomy, cholysystectomy, hysterectomy and now vitrectomy! That is excluding the C-section, D&C and hospitalisation for issues that needed close monitoring. Phew! Yes, I had the honour of adding a name to the list of surgeries, in 2020...Vitrectomy! 2020 has been a year of learnings of a different kind as you would agree. One of the many learnings has been when I developed a macular hole in my right eye. None in the family had any clue about it when it was diagnosed. Going in for surgeries with the implications ex...

  I am writing this piece for two reasons. Firstly, to make you aware of a condition and also let you know, in detail, the sequence of events leading to my surgery. This would also be helpful to us, as a family, in response to your calls or messages. Secondly, if any one in your respective circles has gone through this condition, it would be of immense help to let us know how they dealt with the post-operative condition, which we have been told by the doctor himself, is difficult. If you can post your suggestions here, on the blog, even an unknown person searching for information on the same, could benefit.      I had been having headaches on and off last couple of weeks. I attributed it to not being able to sleep (menopausal stage?), and also to reading. Somewhere around 10-12 Aug, I could see one of my eyes (don't remember which one), sclera to be specific, changing colour around evening and by next morning it was blood-red. The redness was visible in the other...

  “Kelly was a seaman, and his life on the water followed a strict routine, which meant observing all the safety rules that had been written in the blood of less careful men.” –  Tom Clancy, “Without Remorse”   Each one of us has been bombarded with loads of information on the Corona virus in the last few months, more so in the past few weeks. We had a lockdown to protect the citizens of our country and we were able to contain the spreading. I always believe there is scope for improvement because if we think we have done everything, then we will never move forward with any new ideas and just stagnate. Looking back, I feel, we could have prevented some of the deaths if only we were careful on a personal level. In today’s world, most of the time what I see around the city is all about I, me, myself. If and only if we were in the habit of washing our hands, maintaining personal hygiene and keeping our surroundings clean we would not be feeling burdened at what we are ...

  Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving - ALBERT EINSTEIN It has been two months to date since I stepped out of the gated community or interacted with people. It is an achievement of sorts for someone who likes to meet people. Maintaining physical distance is one thing and social distancing is another. Thank God! There are smart phones to keep in touch with friends and family. I am also grateful for the location of my home which lets me enjoy the nature being nestled in a valley. The Bs... birds, bees and butterflies have been my constant companions with some even entering the home for a few seconds and getting me excited. In the beginning, the washing and cleaning did seem like a chore but soon it became a way of life taking my husband and me to the time when we didn’t have a domestic help; but with a difference. We couldn’t step out to mingle; we had to CONSTANTLY wash our hands but also everything that was procured with husband pitching in...

Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something- Plato I was expecting that I would post regularly. The fear of writing on a topic that would not make any sense, if written without thought, prevented me from writing on the next. So I followed Mark Twain ... If you have nothing to say, say nothing. Then there is the fear of arguing and loosing the peace of mind as there is a  perpetual fight with the husband when I am in the mood to write. Promises made post marriage are meant to be broken but the wedding vows are taken very seriously. We shall share love, our strengths, the same food, the tastes and so shall we, the laptop!! Just when I finish my household chores (I find them tedious now) and enter the room brimming with thoughts, I find the laptop already hitched!

Starting my very own blog ... A desire for many years now. O ne of the reasons that delayed in getting the blog going was the topic for my first post. I guess the universe conspired to make it happen in 2019 on my birthday. Its not a milestone birthday but nevertheless I am grateful for being alive and ticking till now; enriched with varied experiences and getting to spend time with family and friends. These are some incredible blessings in my life. I wish to share these very experiences in this space. Perhaps, I could inspire or offer comfort with my words. Just after the clock started ticking into the 19 th of May, some friends stayed awake to send me heart-warming wishes. I received so many wishes from everyone around me that I started to feel a little overwhelmed! As the sun started making its presence felt in this part of the globe, more wishes got the phone clucking and I was wide awake! Lo! I knew what I would write about...GRATITUDE. We come across people who take pl...