Under the glare of lamps in an almost deserted parking lot, our family of five stood in the night breeze, savoring the chill and, watching a beautiful fireworks show. The fireworks capped a lovely day spent shopping for back to school clothes, bags and supplies. As our older children picked out outfits, Saathi and I…
“It’s easier to be crazy than explain something that people can’t understand. It’s more convenient that way. It’s better to be crazy than pathetic.” I fell headlong into the trap that is kdrama in July. My latest obsession is this lovely show called “Because This Is My First Life” that explores relationships. It takes on…
For a brief few hours last evening, I sat on the porch of a friend’s home chatting, ordering pizzas and watching a group of over ten kids walk to the park, chat and interact with each other. My gangly twins and the stocky youngest fit in seamlessly. They made their own sub groups, congregating and…
It’s a Thursday. I am feeling optimistic, the trait Jupiter is synonymous with. I am excited when I am on the phone with Amma when she stops me in my tracks with “why are you delving this deep into astrology? isn’t it enough for you to have a passing knowledge?…” My conversation with her meanders…
Nope. I am not moving. My book baby is. Why is my Hair Curly? is officially now part of the Pratilipi family under the Westland/Red Panda banner. What has changed? On the surface, not much. The book will soon be available in paperback, ebook and, audio. However, being part of the Pratilipi family makes it…
It is quiet in the morning as I unload the dishes. There is enough light to make it seem like it is later than it actually is. A deer is cavorting in my yard. The vegetation looks sinfully lush. A baby deer gambols outside the fence waiting for the mother. Amid the greenery, I spy…
The smooth flow of cars on the highway, the towering trees flanking our roads, the ease of exit from the immigration all made me wistful. Returning from over three weeks of travel in India, the contrast was stark. We (our family of five) left to India early June. I had a spreadsheet filled with all…
I watch my gangly girls walk out the door, laughing and ribbing each other. Their hoodies make them indistinguishable from each other as I see them walk away. I swallow a curious lump as they make the bend and disappear from my vision. An hour later, I wave bye to my youngest, still pudgy with…
The yearning to go back to the place I once called home has been deepening, solidifying into something tangible in my body. When writers and poets talk about the pull of the land, I feel it these days, the weight, the tactile feeling of being attached to land, smells and, the memories they bring with…
Tomorrow will mark one week since Politico published the leaked draft opinion overturning Roe V Wade. It has been one week of raging, puzzling, crying and wanting to burn it all down. As the days pass and we as a collective, get used to the notion that our children will live in a world with…
It is Friday afternoon and my social media feed is already showing Mother’s Day ads and wishes. I am irked, annoyed and sometimes, downright angry. My mother lives with me. I raise three daughters. This Mother’s day feels like it should be a day for all those who are tangentially connected to the act of…
One of the moments from our trip is this picture of white sand/gypsum flowing freely from my husband’s hand. The loose grip, the easy flow, the few grains of sand stuck to the hand after, all gone after a wipe down. Often in my open adoption journey, I am asked if I worry about my…
“I have something for you” she says, handing a black box the size of a shoebox. My eyes widen at the gesture and I take it from her gratefully. A book lies on top under which there are layers of soft tissue paper. I gently remove each one until this gorgeous doll swathed in maroon…
So, I am breaking my hiatus to announce a giveaway. No purchase necessary. Please comment on this post below to be entered into a giveaway for one winner. The winner will receive the following from Universal Pictures. Must be a US resident and be willing to provide address to receive the goodies. Please share with…
Like most other fans of Bridgerton Season One, I had March 25th marked on my calendar. I sat down last night after dinner intent on at least watching one episode and then savoring the episodes over the week. Instead I ended up walking up to bed at 3:30 am, my head so full of thoughts.…
I clocked 7000 steps this morning as I circled the first level of my home talking to a friend. We have fallen into this habit, texting and calling most days as I begin my day and she ends hers. Most days, it is a recount of our days, the inane details that I am sure…
I wake up most days around 4:30 am, without an alarm startling me out of sleep. I stretch and make my way through the day in a rested state. Until today, I did not realize how much of a change this has caused in me. For years, I stayed up late at night, devouring books,…
I woke up this morning to an email outlining how many unsold copies (approx 1700) of my book Why is my Hair Curly? is languishing in a warehouse somewhere. The notion of time ticking while Westland wraps up its accounting and brings its life as an entity to a close, lit a fire in me.…
“Please can we talk today” The message launched a flare of hope in my heart that had me leaping out of bed and brushing my teeth. As I caught up on the day’s news while I waited for her to respond, a cold chill wrapped itself around me. My Twitter timeline told the story. Our…
The euphoria of the new year, the promise of a fresh start has faded. Omicron has done its rounds. Masks are second nature when we step out (if we do). We are pros at swabbing our noses and testing at home. In the year three since the plague, the ‘before’ part feels nebulous, out of…
The New Year started with a wave of positive COVID cases around me, in my neighborhood, in my family and possibly in my home. As we rode out the cough, cold and the seemingly common cold like symptoms, I was beginning to feel like maybe, just maybe, this new Omicron could be the vaccine the…
Lakshmi Iyer 