EBBS AND FLOWS

  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...