Author: Laksh

Author. Parent.

COVID-19 Diaries: Yearbooks

Photo by August de Richelieu on Pexels.com I spied my youngest through the window. There was a bounce in her step and a book in her hands. Her backpack jogged along as she hopped, skipped, and ran her way home from the bus. The excitement was catching as I opened the door and she thrust … Continue reading COVID-19 Diaries: Yearbooks →

Unsure First Steps

Photo by Victoria Borodinova on Pexels.com This week, buoyed by stumbling on a couple timing techniques and some concepts not yet taught in my astrology class, I bravely agreed to look at the birth charts for a few friends. These are people I know online, meaning what I know of them comes solely from the … Continue reading Unsure First Steps →

What Is Wrong?

Photo by Anete Lusina on Pexels.com A few times a week, I am on the verge of blowing up. The things the people in my family do want me to break things, raise my hand, yell or cry. Thankfully, most of the time wisdom prevails. I hold back, breathe hard and, walk away. The few … Continue reading What Is Wrong? →

Anniversary: Twenty Years

Nostalgia is part of who I am. I meticulously track birthdays, death days, wedding days, and anniversaries of all kinds. I used to be able to remember dates. I used to call, email, text until my forties hit me with a vengeance. At my last annual physical, I had trouble recalling words in order. I … Continue reading Anniversary: Twenty Years →

Journeys Of The Mind

I stepped out in the evening sun with my three daughters. It is a ritual I look forward to each evening, at least when the sun is out and the temperatures are warm. We amble along the sidewalk, covering about a hundred homes. We stop and stare at beautiful blooms. We enjoy the birdsong. We … Continue reading Journeys Of The Mind →

Mother’s Day 2021

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com I am at my table, my laptop open to a multitude of browsers as I google health conditions, after effects, treatment plans. On the side lies a pile of paper caps with hand drawn dinosaurs on them. It is adorable. It is annoying. I love the art my children … Continue reading Mother’s Day 2021 →

Mother’s Day: Disenfranchised Grief

Photo by ROMAN ODINTSOV on Pexels.com All of this week, I have been going through the motions at home, at work, and everywhere else that requires my participation. My heart hurts. My head hurts. I feel like an imposter feeling a sense of sadness and bereavement about people I do not know too well. These … Continue reading Mother’s Day: Disenfranchised Grief →

Mother’s Day And Motherhood

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com "I'll get it Amma…" The snippet was part of some inane conversation in the morning as we bustled around getting ready for school and work. I would have missed it had it not been for the funny flips my heart did when I heard Amma instead of mommy. Motherhood, … Continue reading Mother’s Day And Motherhood →

Relentless

Photo by Roxanne Shewchuk on Pexels.com The words are relentless. They appear on my Twitter feed. They show up in my WhatsApp messages. They sneak into my FB Messenger. Sometimes, they even make their way into my now largely defunct email inbox. Each word, each sentence is a life. It is a friend. It is … Continue reading Relentless →

Moxie: Too Reel For Real

Sunday evening, I watched Moxie while my kids watched The Little Mermaid for the gazillionth time. The movie started well, was predictable, had good acting and by the time it was done, I was disturbed. The premise of the story is great, so why doesn't the movie deliver? This question has been in my head … Continue reading Moxie: Too Reel For Real →

So, You Want To Adopt?

Photo by William Fortunato on Pexels.com On average, I field 2-4 calls a month from hopeful adoptive parents. Sometimes, google throws up my name. Sometimes, they stumble on my blog and reach out. Most of these people are desi like me. They are away from the homeland and are mulling adoption for one of two … Continue reading So, You Want To Adopt? →

Scratching That Itch

Photo by William Fortunato on Pexels.com As we creep up on the end of Spring and anticipate the balmy warm weather, FB memories show me the lead-up to last year's book release, the back and forth between the publisher and me. The many, many edits, the trickle of illustrations from the lovely Niloufer. The marketing … Continue reading Scratching That Itch →

The In-Between Space

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com The pandemic and by association, the seclusion, has afforded me a lot of time to think. I think a lot most days. It is my default setting. I am either reflecting on the past or planning for the future. My thoughts almost always revolve around family or the future me. … Continue reading The In-Between Space →

Panel Discussion: The Pen is Mightier!

Join the Global Indian Professional Network on April 4th at 4:00PM EST for our South Asian Women's Leadership roundtable.  Our April roundtable’s focus is on writing to change the narrative of our South Asian Communities! We have a line-up of phenomenal women writers who will share their stories and writing journeys! Register for this webinar: … Continue reading Panel Discussion: The Pen is Mightier! →

A Fresh Start

Photo by Wallace Chuck on Pexels.com The weekend brings with it the Spring Equinox. It is that time of the year when the warmth returns in the Northern Hemisphere and the days start to length. The bare trees bud and the grass sprouts. It is the beginning of the thaw from the deep winter. I … Continue reading A Fresh Start →

6 Children’s Books by South Asian Authors you Need in your Bookshelf

As a parent of a 2-year-old and a 6-year-old, I survey my children’s bookshelf and see a collection of books by South Asian authors for our children. — Read on browngirlmagazine.com/2021/03/6-childrens-books-by-south-asian-authors-you-need-in-your-bookshelf/

Defining Success: Yet

I was logged in to work, early for a Friday morning that is, when Laddu, also logged into her school iPad in the same room, walked up to me. Her face was serious. I removed my ear phones and gave her my full attention preparing myself to send a note to her teacher whatever the … Continue reading Defining Success: Yet →

#LettersToKamala – Tryst With Fame

Early in January, the Biden Inaugural Committee put out a call on social media asking for children to write a letter to our VP-Elect Kamala Harris. I promptly bookmarked the tweet and asked all three of my children if they would write to her. My reasoning was simple. This is history in the making. VP-Elect … Continue reading #LettersToKamala – Tryst With Fame →