WHO'S BRINGING WHAT TO YOUR LIFE.. make sure you understand!

 One of the nicest feelings in the world is putting a smile on someone's face and making them happy.. right? Definitely.. for sure.. I agree 100%.. BUT.. Have you ever stopped to go out of your way to do something to make YOURSELF happy? Most of us would plead "Not guilty your Honour" to that accusation.. and THAT is such a sad thing! 

The way I see it, we grow up as children with everyone pampering us and doing things to make US happy and making US feel special (because we are children).. and then.. all of a sudden (and this holds more true for women as compared with men, particularly in India).. you're "all grown up".. old enough to be married.. old enough to take on the responsibilities of keeping not merely a husband.. but often the in-laws.. the staff.. children.. friends of the family.. etc. looked after comfortable AND happy as well.. That's what I call a really tall order! AND.. you're expected to just hop into the saddle and do it all brilliantly!

Okay.. so here you are.. at any and every age and stage in life.. trying your best to be super efficient obliging understanding and helpful to anyone and everyone around you! Overwhelmed? Exhausted? Irritated?  Frustrated? That's a given.. and here's the reason why (in my head at least)..

 This has everything to do with being aware about the people you have in your life.. and more importantly the people you ALLOW in your life!  Also.. do take some time to introspect about the people in your life in terms of WHAT they bring to it.. Are they bringing security and comfort.. stress and tension.. negativity and sorrow.. love and laughter? 

For the longest time I had this tremendous "need to be needed" and it overshadowed everything else.. I was a people pleaser and would go to any and all lengths to do things for others and make them happy.. at the cost of my health.. of displeasing my parents.. of people laughing at me.. it was almost like being desperate for a word of approval or a smile or a kind word.. I just WANTED to be liked and have people say nice things about me!

Not being exceptionally academically brilliant good looking or creative especially as compared with others.. it was an uphill battle.. I realized that I had the ability to communicate my thoughts and feelings clearly.. and to connect with people that way.. so I concentrated on making good friends! The good thing that happened was that my good side and good qualities came to the surface.. but the bad qualities still stayed put.. and I didn't realize that THOSE were the ones I needed to work on.. impatience.. being intolerant egotistical and having a short temper.. for a long time..

Life teaches us so much.. if we choose to learn and fortunately for me.. some people came into my life and helped by accepting (and rejecting) me JUST the way I was.. warts and all! They gently (and not so gently) held up a mirror to my heart and I realized that unless I was happy and accepted myself.. no one else was going to! 

A bad marriage taught me not to depend on anyone for my happiness.. good friends taught me to be optimistic.. some heartbreakingly difficult conversations taught me that it was time to change NOW.. and my good friend Porus taught me it's all about getting in touch with your inner self and your energies! 

He gave me two books.. some very insightful and thought-provoking conversations.. asked some deep questions and created the stepping stone to my journey of personal spiritual growth.. Ever since I started.. there has been no looking back.. every day is a day of some new thought.. a small realization.. some decision based on a better understanding.. for all of which he has been the catalyst and I will be eternally grateful..

We are surrounded by people.. friends family neighbours staff colleagues etc.. and EVERY single one of them brings something different to our lives! I have been hurt and learned the hard way that there are people who are "energy vampires".. seemingly very nice on the surface but am just drained after meeting them! They feed off our energy and go away energized and leave us completely depleted.. and others who are a quiet presence but who boost our confidence without seeming to do anything except believing in us! There are also the people who can bring a twinkle to our eyes and a spring to our step with just a message or a two minute phone call..

A doctor once told my father "Remember that lifetime medication doesn't mean lifetime dosage.. you need to check every six months because your body may start reacting differently".. and am going to draw a parallel here.. Human beings are dynamic and so are their relationships and energies.. so it's a good idea to sit down quietly perhaps once in six months.. think about the people in your life and the energies they bring to it.. and analyze who is bringing what to your life.. realize.. recalibrate your mind and heart.. and  THEN.. lift your chin.. square your shoulders.. be at peace with yourself.. and carry on being your highest spiritual self and live the most beautiful life imaginable because you KNOW.. you just KNOW.. and you come always from the space of consciousness and awareness! 

ACCEPT YOURSELF.. FOR EVERYTHING YOU ARE.. and aren't!!

"When I was just a little girl.. I asked my mother "What will I be?

Will I be pretty? Will I be rich? Here's what she said to me..

Que sera sera.. whatever will be will be..

The future's not ours to see.. Que sera sera.."

Doris Day's iconic song comes to mind so often especially in times of uncertainty.. which we're getting an overdose of these days! Is is the Delta? Is it Omicron? etc.. 

All little girls and boys dream of growing up to be pretty or handsome or rich.. meeting Prince Charming or their Queen of Hearts.. falling in love.. getting married.. and living happily ever after! Is it really that simple? Is it?

Let's start at the very beginning.. What will I be? The great big all-important I.. I.. ME.. and MYSELF.. Before we think of what we WANT to be.. let's think of what WHO and WHAT we are today! A number of us (including me sometimes) don't like looking at ourselves in the mirror.. We invariably end up thinking thoughts like "Ohmigod.. I've put on so much weight.. my nose is too big.. my skin is a mess.. my dark circles are even worse than they were a couple of days ago.. I'm having such a bad hair day etc.. etc.."

There is another mirror I want you to look at yourself in.. the mirror that shows you your soul.. your mind.. your thoughts emotions.. faults and failings and fears.. concerns.. insecurities.. and your deepest feelings.. look at the mirror WITHIN you.. and.. What do you see? When you sit quietly with yourself, do you see yourself as a happy well-adjusted and calm person.. or do you see a nervous wreck who's terrified of change.. the unknown.. possible illness.. a looming financial crisis.. or do you see yourself as someone who is lost insecure and struggling to cope with whatever life is going to throw at you next? Do you see a person who you wish was a little smarter.. better looking.. confident.. efficient.. a person who is ENOUGH? Or do you see your inner beauty.. your kind heart.. sensitive soul.. your organizational skills.. your cheerful disposition.. your wellspring of positive energy.. and all your incredible qualities that set you uniquely apart from others? 

The "gyaan gurus" (motivational speakers etc..) are always telling us "You can do it.. if you try.. You are capable.. just focus and make it happen.. To my mind, they're forgetting to ask us a couple of simple questions.. the first one is.. Do you love yourself? Do you think people accept you for who you are? Given a choice, what are the three things you would change about yourself? And THAT"S when you fall into the trap! The trap is self-doubt and it's a horrible place because it's infested with nasty things like low self-esteem.. insecurity.. tension and diffidence.. none of the things you need to live a happy fulfilling life! A number of us (including me until sometime ago) would often get the feeling of "I wish I was as confident as ABC.. or Why can't I tell jokes like XYZ or.. How come I'm not exceptionally good at anything?"

STOP!! Stop it right now!! Please know that the MOST important emotion in life is love.. and to be very specific.. self-love! Self-acceptance is the only way to truly experience self-love. To achieve this, you need to accept who you are and always be true to yourself. Then and only then will you be able to fully love yourself the way you deserve to be loved. Through self-love and self-acceptance, you will be able to set boundaries to determine how others treat you. If you show them that you are worthy and love yourself, they will treat you that way. This in turn ensures that they see that you won’t accept any treatment other than kindness and love.

Each and every one of us have some amazing qualities.. maybe we are fantastic cooks.. or have perfect bodies.. or are magicians with the computer.. have elephant-like memories.. are super high on empathy.. and ALL of us have areas that we need to work on.. maybe we need to be more organized.. lose weight (me).. remember to pay our bills on time.. are awkward in formal social situations (me me).. have two left feet on the dance floor (me me me)!! Just remember that you need to be AWARE of your strengths.. and challenges.. and ACCEPT them.. Once you accept them, the next steps of working on them and seeing things fall into place will just happen magically! Obviously, keep your goals and targets realistic and achievable.. and do it one step at a time!

In the words of Steve Maraboli "Love yourself.. enough to take the actions required for your happiness.. enough to cut yourself loose from the drama-filled past.. enough to set a high standard for relationships.. enough to feed your mind and body in a healthy manner.. enough to forgive yourself.. enough to move on.." You must do what it takes to be happy. This means cut the people out of your life that cause drama and let go of the situations caused by that drama. Expect your relationships to be fulfilling and joyful. Be willing to live a healthy life, both emotionally and physically. Forgive yourself for things that you’ve done wrong, and move on from the past.

Last, but by no stretch of the imagination is this the least.. start expressing love through your thoughts.. deeds.. AND words.. It worries me that people are so uncomfortable and reluctant to say "I love you" to their parents, spouses, siblings, family members and friends.. WHAT IS IT?? WHY?? Speaking for myself, it makes me very happy to hear these little words from the people I love! Indians are generally not brought up to be emotionally expressive.. and men even more so.. but this is something we all NEED to learn to do! It's so simple.. when we part from friends, we usually say things like "See you soon.. Drive safe.. Take care.. all you need to do is add a heartfelt "I love you" before leaving parting or hanging up!

I sign off hoping you didn't find my first blog of 2022 very preachy.. but it was a message I wanted to share with you all.. As always.. thank you for reading.. and know that you are loved and your presence in my life is cherished! God bless.. stay safe.. and keep loving yourself.. and those around you!

WHO ARE YOUR HEROES? Tell them!

When 2020 was over we rejoiced.. it was the end of the Covid 19 pandemic we thought.. now it's all over and life will get back to normal.. No need for masking.. we can freely hug our favourite people.. and no need to live in fear.. BUT.. as we all know.. THAT definitely didn't happen.. and NOW we have Omicron to deal with! "When will it end? We are sick of it.. We have had ENOUGH of it now.. We want our normal lives back.. We are sick and tired of work from home because it never ends.. etcetera.. " These sentences pop up and seem to have become omnipresent in every conversation we have these days! 

How do we cope and manage to stay afloat inspite of all these challenges? Are the people we care about going to want to meet us if we become "walking-talking complaint boxes" all the time?! Finding fault and complaining are the easiest things in the world to do.. and sometimes it feels like I know people who have a double Ph.D. in them! On the flip side.. I am also blessed to know people who say "It is what it is.. but thankfully we weren't locked down this year.. we got to meet friends.. also started going to office.. the balance sheets improved.. we are sleeping better.. the weddings were small but intimate.. we have understood how to cherish the special people in our lives etcetera.." 

Heroes don't always wear capes uniforms badges and masks like Superman Batman and Captain Marvel.. most of the time they are dressed just like you and me! 

THESE are my heroes.. to name a few.. ALL the frontline workers are jostling for first place at the top of that list as well - doctors.. nurses.. hospital staff.. and equally the BMC guys who work in sanitation and drainage to keep us healthy.. sweepers who clean the roads.. garbage collectors who barely constantly exposed to toxicity.. my staff at home who do everything they possibly can just to keep me happy and comfy.. friends who call just to check up on me since I live alone.. family who checks in to make sure I'm ok.. our soldiers at the borders protecting us from attack.. vendors who are thoughtful and kind enough to call and say "I have the freshest green peas of the season today.. shall I send some across"?

As I was contemplating my last blog of the year.. simultaneously I was thinking of WHAT to write as a new year message.. and Eureka! The thought realization and idea came to me.. let me do a mini analysis of WHAT I admire about the people in my life.. and WHAT is it that makes me want to emulate them at some level.. and WHAT is the genuine compliment I want to pay them that I have perhaps wanted to give them.. but just felt a little awkward about saying in so many words right until now? Let me overcome that little bit of awkwardness and just DO it

and so I started! 

First of all I called an aunt who I don't speak with very often at all.. but I see her posts on Facebook very regularly.. I'm 58 and she's definitely older in chronological years.. but very young at heart! She's now learning ballroom dance and thoroughly enjoying it.. I love the openness to new experiences and that she's having so much fun! I called her up yesterday and told her in so many words and she was super happy! Am blessed to have another aunt who is gorgeous and a great dresser.. especially when she wears traditional Indian wear.. she is the epitome of charm and grace.. and someone I hope to be like perhaps 10 or 15 years from now.. so I called and told HER in so many words as well.. she was utterly delighted and we had a short and sweet chat!

For 2022 Happy New Year wishes.. rather than sending a generic or forwarded message.. let's try reaching out at a one to one level to the people who really matter.. and TELL them why they mean so much to us! Some of you (I know) will immediately think "Oh! I'm not good with words.. can't express.. don't know what to say.. etc" so I'm saying.. There's always a first time for everything.. and when you do it from the heart.. the words just flow! You'll never know what you can do.. until you try!" Reach out and touch someone's life.. put asmile on their face.. say what you FEEL.. and make their new year a joyous one! 

Seeing that this is my last blog for the year.. with tremendous love gratitude and folded hands.. I would like to thank each and every one of you for reading.. commenting.. texting.. appreciating.. and sharing stories of what the blog has done for you.. perhaps it's made you think.. smile.. laugh.. comforted you or started your day off on a good note..  Writing this blog is something I thoroughly enjoy and it's such a wonderful way to remain connected with all of you.. it's been a great channel of self-expression.. and it restores my energies! 

For now.. keep reading.. stay happy and just look ahead to another great year! Wishing you a truly magical 2022 filled with all your favourite things and people! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS - be in abundance!!

It's the 25th of December so of course the obligatory "Merry Christmas" wishes to all of you reading this blog! As I sit and type I wonder what it REALLY takes to make a Christmas merry.. actually we are celebrating the birth of Jesus who is widely worshipped as a saviour! Growing up in the United States and fortunately being born to liberal parents.. plus we rented and LIVED in a house that belonged to the local church.. I've even attended Sunday School classes for the longest time and loved them! Just for the record.. I've also attended Bal Vihar classes run by the Chinmaya Mission and loved those as well.. and this post definitely ISN'T about religion.. Religion and Politics are two topics that the wisdom (?!) of age has taught me NEVER to discuss with friends family or anyone I really care about! 

The word Christmas conjures up vivid images of beautifully decorated Christmas trees.. brightly wrapped presents.. striped candy canes.. sparkling baubles.. turkey dinners.. family meals and most of all.. to me.. abundance! Most of us find ourselves being more caring compassionate and generous around this time of the year.. with our time energy patience and emotions! We are definitely at our kindest and most receptive to whatever the Universe has to offer us during these days.. but the question I'm nudging you with is.. Are we truly grateful? Do we say grace before meals? Do we recognize and acknowledge our numerous blessings? Do we truly have the Christmas spirit?

Christmas is an exceptionally significant day in my life because my maternal grandmother (Nani) was born on this day! Although I was very young when she passed away I know from family stories how she was this extremely gentle loving and caring human being who came from total abundance (even though she hoarded like a magpie out of the sense of "why waste money on a new one.. we might need it someday!) 

Christmas is a "larger than life" experience so let's be MORE today onwards.. MORE aware.. MORE  patient.. MORE tolerant.. MORE open and accepting.. MORE generous.. and most of all.. come from MORE abundance at every level.. physical mental social emotional intellectual and spiritual.. Let's read.. process.. understand.. internalize and practice more wisdom from the great masters.. through whatever paths we choose to walk.. Abundance.. coupled with the joy of giving.. and heartfelt gratitude are what generate the trust Christmas spirit of abundance!

And like they say.. give.. Give...GIVE till it hurts.. and beyond that as well.. so as a Christmas present (to the world.. not to me) please accept my little reminder to be in abundance.. and strive to be MORE at every level.. The only way to do this is of course to have our feet firmly planted on our spiritual path.. whether it is through yoga meditation reading worship or anything else.. all these paths only take us towards inner peace and understanding! 

Let's all overflow with the spirit of abundance so much that it washes away and wipes out all the negativity unhappiness anger and even Covid 19 AND Omicron from our beautiful world! 

Wishing you all a truly MERRY Christmas today!!

COLON THERAPY.. Fear is contagious!!

So here I am.. on my annual three week detox at Pema Wellness in Visakhapatnam.. It's a beautiful place.. serene.. green.. calm.. and has a pond of beautiful koi fish in the lobby! It is an experience I really look forward to.. twenty one days filled with a variety of massages.. scrumptious healthy food.. lots of walking.. interesting talks by the doctors.. and all kinds of therapies for various conditions!

Among these is the BIG C.. Colon therapy or colon cleansing as it is commonly known! Ever since I first came here everyone who talked about Colon therapy made a HUGE thing out of it.. said it was super stressful etc.. Me being me.. I had taken all my prescribed therapies as scheduled and was absolutely fine.. The evening before my first scheduled Colon therapy while I was at dinner.. everyone said things like "Ohmigod! You have Colon therapy?! You poor thing.. it's scary.. you will feel very weak.. your BP will go haywire.. you will feel nauseous.. exhausted.. etcetera.."

It must be confessed that I entered the Colon therapy room with some trepidation.. but.. as it turned out.. nothing could have been smoother! The healer (therapist) who administered it was kindness itself.. explained the procedure step by step and was very reassuring.. she even showed me a short video that illustrated exactly what was going to happen.. Basically, the machine flushes your digestive tract with 32 litres of water (gradually of course) and all your undigested food matter gas and other toxins are flushed out of your body! Yes I DID feel a little tired once it was over but was euphoric at the sheer lightness I felt as well.. most people looked at me as if I was crazy when I said I had actually ENJOYED the therapy!

Perhaps some people are a little more brave than others.. a little more receptive to trying new experiences.. a little less hung up on their sense of dignity (you sacrifice shame when you undergo this therapy for sure!!) But it gets a lot of bad press that it doesn't deserve! If you ask me.. taking an enema is way more stressful and anxiety inducing! Given a choice I opt for the Colon therapy any day - it takes just 40 minutes.. is completely painless.. and who in their right mind would want to walk around and live with multiple toxins in their body when there is such a simple option to get rid of all that and be completely cleansed and fresh?! The gut is the second brain - who wants to be knowingly brain damaged?!

Also.. I realize that a number of psychosomatic disorders start from the gut.. and that's probably because we all carry so much negativity within ourselves.. anger frustration jealousy impatience.. and it festers inside while we are trying to be polite normal (and civilized).. We may have been holding onto and harboring these feelings for a long time.. and finally they manifest in the form of mental and physical illness.. and that's why it's super important to "let go" of things and people who generate stress.. for OUR own wellbeing! Colon therapy helps us indirectly to do that.. negativity gets flushed out along with the waste..

On a larger scale, it strikes me that when we go into a new experience or a new situation.. we should just have faith that it will be good for us and embrace the novelty value and try to enjoy it! Sometimes.. no.. often the unknown is challenging.. fun.. exciting.. and HAS to be experienced with an open mind.. We are all unique with our own minds and intelligence.. WHY do we decide how we are going to react to something.. anything.. based on someone ELSE'S experience? Have seen so much stress and tension on people's faces here before going in for Colon therapy and felt that I absolutely MUST share my take on this whole thing!

Applying this to life in general on a broader and larger scale.. the way to live life is to come from passion.. compassion.. zest.. enthusiasm.. but never ever from fear! Be brave.. be strong.. be adventurous.. be a risk taker.. be impulsive.. be whatever you want.. but please don't be fearful! Do your research.. read up and be informed.. ask an expert if you must.. but (with apologies to Nike).. JUST DO IT!! 

GIVING THANKS ON THANKSGIVING!

 Thanksgiving is a day to recognize  the sacrifices and blessings of the past year.. and it is celebrated with family friends good food bonhomie and good cheer! Most people in India don't celebrate Thanksgiving on a particular day.. but everyone who says grace before a meal.. offers the cooked food at the altar before consuming the meal.. or even just says a silent "thank you" to the farmers who grew it.. the person who prepared it.. the person paying for it.. or just a simple acknowledgement to the Almighty is celebrating Thanksgiving!

This year Thanksgiving is especially important to me simply because it falls on the fateful date of 26/11.. Most of you know that I was sitting INSIDE Cafe Leopold when the terrorists opened fire and ran for my life! God was kind and I was luckier than many others who fell victim to the barrage of enemy bullets.. an absolutely tragic night and couple of days that jolted us all bigtime! It's been 13 years now and I still like to stay indoors and safe at home on this particular evening.. unless I am travelling..

There have been so many sacrifices and casualties in the past year.. thanks to Covid.. work from home.. companies paring down on staff.. businesses that went under.. families losing their breadwinners.. doctors losing patients.. and yet.. I take my hat off and salute the medical frontline workers who went above and way beyond the call of duty to cure patients.. emergency helpline counselors who saved lives..  garbage and sanitation personnel who did their jobs well to keep us safe and healthy.. people who gave food.. clothes.. money.. time.. a listening ear.. a caring heart.. and did whatever they could to ease the burden of the multitudes who were suffering.. God bless them all.. for they are the blessings!

Today.. I am grateful for so much.. a healthy body that functions well and lets me do whatever I need to.. friends who have become family.. a comfortable home (two actually).. wise people who guide me well.. sincere and caring staff.. a reasonably kind heart and enough to be able to reach out to people in need and help them when required! I am thankful for this beautiful "second life" that has been bestowed upon me.. am thankful to be alive.. and trying to be the best version of me that I possibly can!

A number of people have told me and asked me at the same time (with the best intentions in the world) "Why do you give so much? Why do you go out of the way and do so much? Why do you always want to make the other person happy etc.. etc..?" Today I finally have the answer to those kind of questions.. a plain and honest from the heart answer.. because I CAN.. and that's all there is to it.. Giving caring and doing are what make me happiest.. today and always!!

The way I see it.. life isn't easy for anyone.. and somewhere.. we are all struggling.. and if we are ever in the happy position of being able to give something - be it a smile.. money.. a hug.. moral support.. food or anything else.. let's just do it! The opportunity may not come our way anytime soon again! And if we are in the even happier position of being able to DO something for others - be it family friends colleagues or those less fortunate.. let's just DO it! A warm fuzzy feeling inside is guaranteed for sure! 

Most importantly.. let's practice active gratitude towards the Almighty.. the Universe.. our friends families and everyone we meet.. and make every single day special.. and make every single day our very own version of Thanksgiving!!

A heartfelt THANK YOU to each and every one of you for reading my blog.. although I may not ever tell you in so many words.. but.. it means the world to me!!

WHEN YOU FALL DOWN.. AND YOU'RE HURTING.. WHEN YOU'RE FEELING SAD..

The iconic movie "The Sound of Music" with the charming song "These are a few of my favourite things" is pretty much on everyone's "most liked songs" list.. right? It's definitely been on mine too.. ever since I was a little girl who watched the movie enraptured and was immediately whisked away (metaphorically speaking of course) to Salzburg with the Von Trapp family children! Listening to this song a little while ago, the realization dawned on me that this song contains a hidden mantra for happiness.. "I simply remember my favourite things.. and then I don't feel.. so sad".. How wonderful are the magical musicians and lyricists that allow us to heal ourselves with their words and music.. if only we take the time to LISTEN.. properly..

Things have been a little topsy-turvy in my life lately.. I had a bad fall on Dussehra and have been in considerable pain ever since! It looked like a badly scraped knee and some impact injury on the lip (since I fell flat on my face) which was ok but as the days passed, my hand started hurting and so did my ribs and all this "shadow pain" started! Cherry on the cake (?!) was that I got some redness indicating an infection on the injured leg.. just below the knee.. so am taking an antibiotic for ten days.. definitely NOT fun! Good thing is.. today's the last day of the antibiotic.. Yippeee!!

More than a few people have been telling me "What's wrong with you? You're getting angry so quickly and completely out of sorts.. this is so not like you.. What's going on?" Found myself also feeling listless.. worthless.. and as far away from my usual sunny (?) self as it's possible to be! Clear screaming in my face signal that it was time for some serious introspection.. so I went into a virtual "vanvaas" and sorted out some of the clutter in my head.. went through a mini meltdown with my bestie Parul (who's always my voice of reason and good sense)! She heard me out.. sat me down and gave me some incredible advice.. and now I am well on the way to becoming my usual self very soon!

When realization dawned on me, it was made up of a number of factors.. this meltdown and fall apart wasn't triggered by one single incident.. but a culmination of a number of small things! As my friend Porus laughingly and frequently admonishes me, I am an "empath" to a high level and THAT is a major reason..  if and when people I care deeply about are going through stress.. and share it with me.. I tend to internalize it (almost subconsciously).. it builds up over a length of time.. and then I start feeling overwhelmed! Detach.. look at it objectively.. don't get emotionally involved.. don't take ownership of someone else's problem, etc..etc.. Yes.. I know all that is great advice.. BUT.. actually putting it into practice.. much easier said than done! 

Friendship is the most important relationship in the world to me.. and I feel completely blessed that there are friends who play the different roles of friend philosopher guide critic mentor etc.. so willingly and happily for me! It is such a comfortable and comforting feeling to have people with whom we can be our "best" and "worst" selves knowing that they will love us no matter what and will NOT judge us! The gifts of acceptance understanding sympathy empathy support faith confidence loyalty affection and love are infinitely precious and lifetime gifts that cannot be bought with all the wealth in the world!

It's been over two weeks since the fall and last night was the FIRST time that I slept well and uninterrupted thanks to a strong painkiller.. God bless whoever invented Myospaz Forte! A good night's sleep is actually miraculous - I woke up feeling rested happy at peace positive and full of energy.. after 15 nights of tossing turning restlessness and pain.. Resuming my walking in the house from today as well.. my knee just wouldn't allow it until today! These past two weeks have given me a little glimpse of how it can to be OLD with constant aches and pains.. and am very clear I want to avoid that as far as possible! Walking the straight and narrow and trying to be as good as possible!

With Diwali almost upon us, this is just my way of reaching out and letting all you wonderful people know I'm okay.. happy and pretty much back to myself! Thank you all for the wisdom and clarity I get from you.. the faith and trust you have in me.. the sunshine and smiles you bring to my life.. the laughter and positivity you bring to my days..  .. the love you give to my blog.. and.. to ME! Thank you all for being very important and special in my life.. and making it special and exceptionally meaningful with your presence! On the rare occasions that I am sad.. I simply have to think of ANY.. or ALL of you.. and there's instantly a sense of pure joy and upliftment.. and this is the absolute TRUTH.. Love you all so much!!

Wishing you the radiance of smiles.. happy times.. joyous meetings.. get-togethers with friends and family.. funny stories and laughter.. and most of all.. above all else..

Wishing you abiding peace and contentment.. and light and love at Diwali (and always)!!