Category: Happiness
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Letters To My Daughters: Birthdays!
Dear Ammu and Pattu, The house is quiet today, kind of like the calm before the storm. I open the packages from Amazon that line my study. I sort the gifts in two piles, one for each of you. I bag it up, discard the boxes and put the bags away to be opened by…
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Sillier, Gigglier Me
Earlier this morning I sat with my middle child on a low bench giggling over some silly BTS edit. My face was flushed, my smile stretched from ear to ear. I felt light and giddy. My laugh was loud. My husband who was watching something serious on TV turned to look at me. It hit…
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Pontificating On Happiness
I bite into my sandwich and for a moment I feel the texture of the bread in my hands. I notice the sponginess, the pores on the surface, the color of what I eat. I hear the hum of the various electric appliances in the kitchen. It blows my mind, this acute awareness of all…
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Something In The Rain
My middle daughter and I stood by the entrance of the studio where we were for her voice lessons, looking out into the pouring rain. Our car was a short walk away. Mulling over whether to wait for the rain to stop or get wet, I asked her if we should do it kdrama style…
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Mother. Daughter. Mother.
“Skipping time” Amma calls out to my prepubescent youngest child who is upstairs talking to a friend over Facetime. I am in the kitchen doing dishes, amused by the interaction. I hear the sound of jumping upstairs as Laddu counts and jumps a hundred times. She is out of breath but rushes proudly to her…
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Ending The Year On A High
Last night, after a dinner made by my husband, we drove through our neighborhood gawking at the holiday light displays. Some were classy, some gaudy, some muted and other blingy. As we cruised around slowly, I got to see twinkling lit up trees through the window, families gathered around the dinner table, TVs with some…
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COVID-19 Diaries: Kindnesses
I walk around my home, moving my body as I walk, nudging my heart rate up. The view out the windows around the home is bright and cheery. It is cold outside. It has been a while since I went out of my home at all. Outside of the one time in a day when…
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Dreams: The Long Story
In a few days, “Why is my Hair Curly?” will officially be out in the world in paperback. In itself, this day will be no different from the day the Kindle or Audible versions were released. In the words of a wise friend, “the story is no longer yours, let it fly”. Last year, after…
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COVID-19 Diaries: Pockets Of Happy
I woke with throbbing pain behind my right eye, the premonition of a raging migraine for later in the day. I powered on, hoping the pain will go away. By mid-day, the light from the screen, the smells from cooking, the sounds of my children happily playing all clashed, clanged and reduced me to tears.…
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Empathy
I remember to wear my turquoise fleece top to my dental appointment. The office is well appointed and lighted but cold. I check myself before I get in the car. Insurance, HSA card, and license are all in there. The wait is short and I am in my chair before I know it. It is…