HOSPITALITY.. to the highest level..

There are times and occasions in life when you just know that the powers that be are smiling down on you.. and that you are blessed beyond measure.. I have been overwhelmingly blessed to have felt that way for the last 50 days!

Yes.. it has been truly magical.. the last 50 days of my life! I was on holiday with friends.. we travelled out of their city.. came back home.. travelled again out of their country.. and came back home again.. and now I'm finally on my way back home!

Family (theirs.. whom I have pretty adopted as mine too) came to visit.. The house was full of family.. friendship.. food and fun and it was truly fabulous.. we were all together.. and then each of us did our own thing as well whenever we felt like it..

It's kind of incredible when you think of ten (yes.. TEN) different ages and temperaments all having fun under the same roof.. but that is exactly how it was..

The hostess with the MOSTEST.. the lady of the house.. is the most relaxed person.. she is Superwoman (as I think most women who live in the Western world are).. everyone wakes up when they want.. everyone eats when they want.. everyone is free to do whatever they like! 

She is a phenomenal cook and her kitchen and larder are wide open.. just help yourself to whatever you like from an extensive variety of nuts.. fruit.. dessert.. chocolate.. ice cream.. bread.. cheese.. juice.. soft drinks.. and I could go on and on! 

The host and head of the family is warm friendly and a great conversationalist in addition to being a devout Buddhist who loves reading and then discussing spirituality.. we had some amazing conversations which I will cherish for always!

The daughter of the house is gorgeous both outside and in.. a masterchef herself she is charming helpful and has a hysterical sense of humour! She is extremely creative (like her mother) and has a definite flair for the dramatic which makes for an entertaining atmosphere!

The son of the house studies at University but I got to spend some time with him since he was on a short break after finishing his summer internship.. Quiet for the most part but extremely bright and a phenomenal Taboo and Rummikub player.. really put me under pressure to do my best!

And that brings me to the last (but by no means the least) two most precious members of the family.. the puppies! Adorable is an understatement.. playful frisky gentle and always hungry or else up to something.. they are the heart of the house and rightly so! 

We did just about everything.. shopping.. faffing.. going for massages.. pampering sessions at the salon and nail spa.. lolling around chatting.. sharing life experiences and giving each other life lessons.. really!!

Their home is a space of caring.. sharing.. warmth.. laughter.. gentle teasing.. silly jokes.. and full of positive energy! It was such a privilege and blessing to have spent seven weeks with them (which is also my longest holiday ever)! 

Bonds have strengthened.. mutual respect has been cemented and the love and affection have only grown! At no point did I ever feel the tiniest bit homesick.. but am obviously delighted to finally be going home to my own little bed now!

Am not naming names but this level of hospitality is rare and you have to be really lucky to experience it! Of course I am super impressed that they could cope with me and all my masti and incessant giggles and crazy jokes for seven weeks and have issued an open invitation to go and stay whenever I like as well! (some people like to give themselves grief!!)

Thank you my wonderful family.. so very much.. and remain blessed because thats exactly what you deserve.. today tomorrow and always! Missing the energy and positivity and puppies and all of you so very much already.. but I carry you all with me in my heart! God bless and much love always!! ❤️ 

Thank you for reading (as always) and do remember tonadd your name at the beginning or end of your comment (should you choose to write one)!

FRIENDSHIP DAY.. is a wonderful opportunity!

So today is another one of those very special red letter days in the year for me! For most people it is Friendship Day while for me.. it is a wonderful opportunity!

It is an opportunity to acknowledge and be grateful for the blessing of pure clean and solid friendships in my life! 

Being single and having lost both my parents for many years now.. life could have gotten very lonely and depressing.. had it not been for my friends..

Genuine friends are the people I can't imagine my world without.. the ones who always show up.. and just know when I need them!

Real friends are the people whose souls are connected inextricably to mine.. and that's the way I want to keep them..

Solid friends aren't the ones who say good things to my face.. they are the ones who won't believe the bad things said about me behind my back!

Pure friendships are the ones where there are no expectations from each other.. but integrity to for and with each other is a "default setting"..

Clean friendships are the ones where every conversation is rooted in love care and mutual respect..

True friendships are the ones where you are "partners in crime" and keep each other on the "straight and narrow" simultaneously! 

We don't need a multitude of friends to navigate life happily but we do need a few for sure..

We need them to keep our spirits upbeat and buoyant especially during difficult times.. 

We need them to help us keep our faith in ourselves strong.. especially at the times we don't feel so confident..

We need them to make sure we get to double the joys and halve the troubles..

We need them so that they have us as sounding boards.. sheet anchors and anchors during the storms of life..

We need them so thatour faith in the essential goodness of human nature remains intact!

We need them so we can be witness to the events of their lives and they are witnesses to the events of ours..

Best friends are the ones you can call and say "I'm hungry and coming over.. what is there to eat?" or "Life feels crappy today.. come over" or "No one understands my words.. how do you understand my silence"? or simply "My life is so much better because you're in it"

And then there are the friends who you HAVE to talk to everyday.. because your day doesnt feel complete otherwise!

All those of you who qualify in any or all of the above categories know who you are.. so for a change I won't add your namrs here and embarrass you.. but Happy Friendship Day to you all and to all those of you reading!

Know that you are truly loved appreciated and cherished for being who you are in my life.. and that I am so blessed and grateful to know count and love you as a special friend! 

Today I am grateful for the opportunity to share my life..time.. thoughts.. words.. feelings.. love and life with you!

Thank you as always for reading and do please add your name at the beginning or end of your comment (should you choose to write one)!

WITH HEARTFELT GRATITUDE.. to every one of you!!

As a schoolgirl.. English was my favourite subject.. I loved the magic of words.. learning new words.. what they meant.. the context in which they could and should be used and so on..

My father was a wordsmith as well and encouraged my huge love for words.. and seeing that the apple never falls too far from the tree.. here I am writing yet another blog to you.. but this one's for me!

All of you who read my blogs also read my "morning magic" and you know that gratitude kindness and compassion are the essential core components of my life.. right? 

RIGHT!! 

So let me share something special with you.. it's my birthday soon.. on Friday the 25th of July! Growing up it was always a big deal and there was always a big birthday party with great food (I can see some of you smiling and wondering.. so what's the big deal? It's still like that!) 

This time it's not about what I want.. but about what I have received and am grateful for.. 

This time it is to express my gratitude to you all for indulging me and reading what I write..

This time it is to say it is such a privilege and honour when any of you trust me enough to write in to say "Thank you.. I really need to read this today" or "Your message helped me cope with something tough" or "It gave me another perspective"..

This time it is to let you know that I am so grateful for the reader base of almost 225 family.. friends.. and friends who are more than family where I had started writing with perhaps 5 to 7 people..

This time it is to say that there are no more "Monday morning blues" in my life.. because I look forward to starting the week by hoping for inspiration and sharing some "words of wisdom" with you..

This time it is to say thank you for allowing me into your phones and days and lives just to "share the sunshine" for those few minutes daily!

This time it is to say thank you for sharing your stories struggles challenges joys and triumphs.. it touches my heart in a special way to be a part of your story..

This time it is to share that I feel incredibly blessed to have the gift of expressing my thoughts  feelings and emotions which enables me to connect with the people who matter to me at a meaningful level..

This blog is especially close to my heart because it is the landmark 100th blog I have written! Every blog has been inspired by something that moved me deeply.. and today I would like to know your thoughts.. Should I stop or should I continue writing? 

And saving the best for last.. thank you all for being my most wonderful birthday presents!!

Thank you as always for writing and please remember to share your name at the beginning or end of your comment (should you choose to write one)!

GURU PURNIMA.. the best day in the year!!

Everyone who knows me knows that the 25th of July is a very important date on my calendar.. actually.. birthdays are special for everyone..

Celebrating the anniversary of your date of birth is when you feel like king or queen for a day.. everyone pampers you and makes you feel special and important.. and it is truly a wonderful feeling!

I like to believe that we who are exceedingly fortunate and blessed get to celebrate another birthday in life that is even more important and special.. the day we meet the person who is meant to become our guru..

That is the day of the most beautiful beginning.. the tiniest opening of the tightest bud of our soul which is meant to awaken and bloom as we embark upon our spiritual journey.. 

A guru is someone who comes into our lives when we are ready to be "awakened" and brought onto the path of spirituality to learn soul lessons.. to face our true selves.. to work on building our inner strength.. 

It is someone who explains to us the significance of kindness and compassion.. and how to integrate them into our daily lives.. our guide on how to live the highest quality spiritual life while vibrating at the highest frequency..

A true guru doesn't force us to change.. but they embody the qualities that we should aspire to achieve.. unshakeable faith.. internal purity.. unconditional acceptance of circumstances and selfless love to the Almighty God and Great Master..

Our lives are never the same after we find a true guru.. we are empowered to let go of fear and worry.. and encouraged to build strength and resilience.. We know that we are in divine protection and no matter whatever challenges come our way.. we will always be safe! 

Meeting my guru has been unquestionably the greatest blessing of my life and although a day late.. I would like to say a heartfelt thank you and say how very grateful I am for your presence in my life GKG..

Thank you for helping and guiding me.. inspiring me to think and introspect.. to learn and grow.. and for all the gifts of trust kindness protection and love.. I am truly blessed!

Happy Guru Purnima also to P2 and to all those who lead by example.. teach me.. share your knowledge.. and shine your light to illuminate my world with your light and wisdom!

Wishing you all the joy of finding a true guru as you navigate through life with all it's highs & lows!

Heartfelt gratitude as always and thank you so much for reading!

WHY DO WE COMPLICATE THINGS.. and overreact?!

Most of the time.. I consider myself to be a fairly practical and calm person.. There are however.. times and occasions that are the exception to the rule.. and one of them occured just a couple of days ago..

I had had a pretty much non-stop day.. the kind my closest friends often teasingly refer to as a "Pallu day" and one that didn't allow me to get my little "horizontal" time and by 10:30 pm I was totally exhausted! 

It was an extremely wet and humid evening so I put the airconditioner on 22° and medium  speed.. my head on the pillow.. and in less than two shakes of a puppy dog's tail I was fast asleep! About four hours later.. I woke up because I was FREEZING.. picked up the remote to raise the temperature and the whole screen was filled with funny symbols numbers and whatnot! 

The bloody remote wouldn't let me raise the temperature.. lower the temperature.. adjust the flaps or the direction of airflow.. and it wouldn't even let me switch the airconditioner OFF! There in my (no longer) sleep befuddled state was me.. desperately pressing every button on the remote to get absolutely NO response to anything.. AND my bedroom was still freezing cold and it was driving me crazy!

Finally after a number of abortive attempts I succumbed and switched off the main switch.. and managed to fall back asleep under the steady and comfortable whirring of the ceiling fan! 

First thing in the morning I called the service company people and launched into a litany of the woes of my night and they promised to send a technician to check.. I even went to the extent of asking if the remote was a genuine one or fake.. imagine my face when they later confirmed that it was indeed fake! 

The guys came in the afternoon and checked the remote only to find that ALL four of my airconditioner remotes had batteries that were on the brink of dying and in a matter of literally a minute each in their hands.. worked perfectly normally! 

These are the times when you feel dumb and sheepish and I was not an exception! I apologized and remunerated them for their efforts generously and was in return given a piece of advice.. ac remote batteries MUST be changed every 3 months or else the battery liquid leaks out.. as it had done in my case!

It set me thinking and made me wonder why we (assuming I'm not the only one) rarely think of the simplest solution to a problem! There was a perfectly ready and comfortable bedroom I could have gone to sleep in (with a properly functioning ac remote) but I didn't take that option.. Probably because my Gujarati baniya genes wouldn't allow me to run two airconditioners all night for just one person!

My learning from this episode has been to stay calm and try to find the simplest solution to the problem and call in the professionals if and when all simple options fail.. I started looking at the worst case scenario thinking maybe the ac was dying and needed to be replaced etc..etc.. 

Am I usually a "drama queen"? Not really but this just reinforced that I NEED my little siesta or "horizontal time" to be able to function at optimum and take these little niggles of life "in my stride"!

So now the mantra is.. calm down.. take a few deep breaths.. think of a solution.. and most of all.. don't take it personally and remember there is almost always a simple solution.. if we just stop to think of it and look for it! 

Just a fun little sharing before the weekend starts.. so thank you as always for reading!

Do please remember to add your name at the beginning or end of the comment (if you should choose to write one)!

THE IRONIES OF LIFE.. can be so tragic..

 THE IRONIES OF LIFE.. can be so tragic..

A lot of sad and bad things have been happening in the world lately and it really makes me wonder.. WHY do these things happen?

How does a happy picnic spot become a graveyard all of a sudden? Why does a wife on her honeymoon give a contract for husband to be killed? How does a Dreamliner crash and erupt into a ball of fire almost immediately after takeoff with everyone (except one person) dying?

What makes that same Dreamliner collapse on top of a medical college mess where young "soon to be doctors" were enjoying a short break from their arduous duties to have lunch? Why were those who are actually "life savers" killed? Are there any answers? Not really..

BOEING as a company will be taken to task.. inquiries will be made.. AIR INDIA will come under the scanner for questionable security measures (or rather.. the lack of them).. Ministers will mouth platitudes and give lengthy speeches.. families will be compensated with money.. and it will become an old story soon..

I just want to share my feelings about this horrific episode.. because I believe that in everything that happens.. there is a lesson and a takeaway..

Through my life of almost 62 years I have lost no less than SEVEN family members to air disasters.. having said that, I never think of that while boarding a flight! 

As I sit to think of those that have perished.. I wonder what their last thoughts were before the crash.. unrealized dreams.. goals that would never be achieved.. people they would never meet again.. promotions earned but never to be received.. vacation plans that would never see the light of day.. proposals that wont be made.. the baby that won't complete the family.. it was just too late..

And when I sit to pray for the families and friends of those who have been lost.. so many possible scenarious run riot in my head.. Are they regretting something nasty they may have said.. Did they fight about something trivial? Were they rude or unkind in their words or actions? Was there a secret they wanted to share? An apology that should have been made in person? Is there a planned celebration that won't take place? A family holiday that will remain as a dream.. It is just too late now..

We really need to count our blessings and be grateful that it's not TOO LATE YET.. to say thank you.. to tell the people we love that we love them (in so many words).. to send those flowers.. to make that call.. to write that email.. to say that prayer.. 

What an incredible lesson there is to be learned from this tragedy.. watch your thoughts.. choose your words carefully and no matter what happens.. be kind.. At the end of the day.. no one should ever live with regrets for what they "could have and should have done".. for others as well as for themselves..

The difference between life and death is one breath.. just ONE breath.. If you have been at all affected by the crash of AI 171.. please stop taking your life and the people you love for granted! 

Make time for people.. meet them.. TALK to them.. about your hopes and dreams.. whims  fancies and desires.. Celebrate your birthday with your friends and family.. it is a blessing to be surrounded by love!! Realize and give thanks for waking up every morning and simply being alive.. for it is a privilege denied to so many! LIVE every day of your life the fullest happiest and most beautiful way you can.. 

Do it simply because.. in the truly immportal words of the brilliant poet Javed Akhtar..

Har ghadi badal rahi hai roop zindagi

Chaanv hai kabhi, kabhi

hai dhoop zindagi

Har pal yahan

Jee bhar jiyo jo hai samaa

Kal ho naa ho

Har pal yahan

Jee bhar jiyo jo hai samaa

Kal ho naa ho

Thank you as always for reading and do remember to please add tour name at the end of your comment (should you choose to write one)!

CREATE THIS DOCUMENT TODAY.. it’s really important!!

I’ve never said it before but please read this blog very carefully and do the needful at the earliest (if what is written resonates with you)..

There are days when I stare into space.. reflect on the day week and month that’s gone by and occasional flashes of insight (am not being conceited enough to call it brilliance) come to me.. This happened to me one evening last week and it seemed important enough to warrant a blog and so here I am wanting to share it!

A dear friend had come over for dinner and he happened to mention that he was travelling to Goa tomorrow.. Amit is one of my “bubble friends” – my name for friendships where we only know each other but no one else in each other’s lives..

These are precious friendships but not always the most practical kind.. whether it’s the fact that Operation Sindoor happened.. whether war broke out or not.. it suddenly hit me that God forbid.. if there was to be a crisis situation, neither one of us had any means of getting an update about each other! Life is unpredictable (to say the least) and we discussed and decided that we should do something about it for sure and at the soonest!

For starters.. we are both single (and happy) but we agreed that whenever either one of us is travelling.. tickets and itineraries have to be shared! Upon safe arrival at destination, a WhatsApp message must be sent as well so that other is at peace.. especially considering the frequency of flight delays and cancellations nowadays..

Once we agreed on this, another thought followed in quick succession.. and it was like this.. Oftentimes even for people who live with complete families.. nobody really knows ALL your details.. What if you need to be rushed to hospital or you are stranded (horrors!!) without wi-fi.. someone needs to know important information about you so that they can help you out! Right? You bet!

Am sure everyone has that one person (bestie.. family.. really close friend or an ICE (in case of emergency) who you trust completely.. if you do, you need to create a document with all the most important information about you and share it with them! Am going to try and make this easier for you by sharing the details I think should be shared..

·       Passport copy

·       Medical insurance policy copy, insurance agent name and contact number

·       Car/s insurance copies

·       Bank account number, name and branch

·       Bank locker number

·       Credit card/s details with pin/s

·       Email ID/s with password/s

·       List of medications taken with a brief medical history

·       Family doctor & specialist names with mobile numbers

·       Staff names and mobile numbers

·       Close friends and family names & numbers to be contacted (in case of an emergency)

 

Do feel free to add whatever you’d like to this list and please do it at the earliest.. am sure it will come in very helpful and handy some day!

As always, thank you so much for reading and do please add your name at the beginning or end of your comment (should you choose to write one)..