Category: Personal
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Stars and wishes
“Good friends are like stars. You do not always see them. But you know they are always there.” Admiration, Annoyance, Affection, Frustration, Pride, Envy, Freedom, Insecurity, Hurt, Guilt and Happiness. A friendship that has seen the spectrum of emotions from good to bad and then more. Sixteen years of knowing, growing and evolving together. An…
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Just the journey. Never a destination.
I flip through the pictures in our wedding album. Loud. Vibrant. Chaotic. Happy. Each picture tells a story. Of expectations and dreams. Behind the powder caked face lies unexpressed fears and hopes. I watch my appa bend back as he holds my weight. As you tie the thaali around my neck, I notice my dad’s…
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Weathervane
The clock inches past six in the evening. I slice and dice tomatoes, my ears alert for sounds of the garage door opening. Even as I turn the stove on, I hear them. A smile plays on my face as I open the door. Saathi wordlessly hands over lunch bags, banana peels and art work…
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Things my toddlers teach me
Ammu and I sit on the recliner, our heads side to side with matching smiles that light up our faces. It is a Sunday afternoon and in that gray zone between lunch and nap time when I have no idea how to entertain the kids, we discover something new. Armed with a flashlight each, we…
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The lightness of being
I set my laptop on the kitchen island, set the saute pan on the stove and turned the music on. As I tempered and seasoned the vegetables, I swayed to the music. I let the music possess my soul and let go of inhibitions. “Mommy look! I do just like you!” I turned to see…
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Midsummer Musings
Waving the spouse and kids off, I walked around my home. The weeds and the tall grass stood out in sharp relief. Sighing, I made my way inside as the sight of the rose bushes by the front caught my eye. The profusion of color made me stop and the weeds merged with the background.…
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Bubbles and bikes
The clock showed a minute to 9:00 PM. The sole light in the vast expanse of our first floor came from the low hanging fixture above my head. I folded clothes. Mechanically and without thought. The evening had been rough. Potty regression? Check. Power struggles? Check. Yelling and screaming? Check. Haggling and cajoling? Check. Crying?…
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Room with a view
I look at the clock. It is a quarter to 3:00 PM. A little late for lunch I decide and whip up a churumuri kind of snack. Salad veggies chopped, a pinch of masala, a spoon of chutney and leftover mixture. I settle back on my chair and work while I eat. I could get…
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Stark reality
In the past few months, a new kind of fixation has taken hold of me. Articles on how women can have it all, cannot have it all, should have it all, should not have it all. All parts of the spectrum have been written, blogged, discussed ad nauseam. As I read each one, I nod…