Month: November 2018

Little Moments Thursday

Thankful for the little moments that made my week.

  • Coming home with the christmas songs playing as the christmas tree is being set up.
  • I made the mistake of telling Hari that I am lacking motivation to work out. And the child has taken upon himself to be my coach. “You can do it girl,” “Atta girl.” I moan and groan as he cheers me. 
  • Tinkered with my Linkedin profile, expanded my network, and got it in decent shape. This would be my gold star for the week as I have been procrastinating on this task forever.
  • Watching Ram and his Destination Imagination buddies problem solve and work on Instant Challenges. I can never stop marveling at how well children at figuring it out on their own.
  • Memorizing accham illai accham illai with Ram. There used to be a time when the poem was an inspiration, now the gratitication is from the time spent with the child.

Wednesday yoga

I went for yoga class today at work after a long break. Throughout the session, the instructor reminded us. To not rush. To pause. To ease into our body’s rhythm. There is a place of quiet within all of us, a place of sanity, and clarity that is available to us at all times. And those few minutes of savasana was utter bliss. No rehashing of the same thoughts or getting lost in the drama in your head. Just being there in that moment. 

For that one hour, it feels like you are transported to a different a world, a world where you are not running behind time or chasing deadlines or checking things off your to do list. It’s peaceful. It’s timeless. Much thanks to my workplace and the yoga instructor for this hour of calm. 

Online communities

“Looking for recommendations for places where I can get cookie cake for my son’s b’day party. Any suggestions? Thanks in Advance.” I post in the FaceBook page of my local community. Over the span of the day, ten strangers comment with references, pictures, and suggestions.

I am looking for daybed covers in Wayfair. I find one that I quite like but I am still not feeling confident enough. I see 52 people have given their reviews and overall it has a four star rating. My confidence goes a notch higher as I read the reviews. I punch in my credit card feeling like I have taken a well informed decision. All from the comfort of my home.

My thanks today goes to online communities, a bunch of people coming together to share their experiences and exchange ideas, so we all can benefit from each other. 

Long day

What am I thankful for today? The bunk bed on which I am lying down, the comfy blue robe that I am wearing,  and the luxury to go to bed early. There is no where else I would rather be. There is nothing I would rather do. More tomorrow!

Thanksgiving Little Moments

In this part of the world, we had a nice long thanksgiving weekend. It was much needed break from all things routine. I am very thankful for,

  • An early relaxed start to the long weekend. I took the Wednesday off and our friends arrived that afternoon. It set the right mood for the break.
  • A full house with four adults and five kids, all having their kind of fun. Late night chit chatting and movie watching, video gaming, some crafting and dancing thrown in the mix.  No expectations, no obligations. Just us being us.
  • Friends coming together to celebrate Hari, who is lucky to have uncles and aunts who bypass his parents to know what he truly wants for his special day, and buying it for him in a heartbeat.
  • Cold weather, which meant we were not tempted to step outside but spend quality time huddled together under the same roof.
  • A sickness free weekend. Didn’t want to send our little and not so little visitors with pesky germs.
  • Lots and lots of hugs, cuddles, kisses, and tenderness from twin darlings!
  • Wardrobe exchange. The clothes have had a good life doing their rounds from one child to the other.

Hope you are feeling refreshed and are getting geared up for the work week. Tudlu for now!

I Love Yous

“Amma, I love you more than you love me,” “Bye bye anna, love you so much,” “Love you appa. You are the best”

Hari and Ram are lavish when it comes to saying I love yous, and most of the time, they don’t say it lightly or for the sake of saying it. They mean it when they say it. They say it with love. They say it with gratitude. I know it because as someone at the receiving end I feel that I am loved and cherished. I offer my gratitude for the verbal expression of their affection for me.

Gratitude for journey shared

Today, my thanks goes to UL, a dear friend who I met through the blogging world several years back. Thanks to her, I have been writing everyday in the month of November for the past two years. As you age gratitude becomes a way of life, it is no longer just reserved for November or Thanksgiving. You feel it when you kiss your child, hug your husband, talk to you parents, or take a walk in the nature. But there is something special about putting your gratitude in words; you process and reflect as you write, so you experience it at greater depth.

I am also thankful to UL for sharing her learnings and journey through her blog posts. The wisdom imparted in those nuggets are in digestible form, and very tactical. You can practice them on a daily basis. I have benefitted from them immensely. Don’t take my word, check it out for yourself.

 

The Best Thanksgiving Present

Today, we are celebrating not only Thanksgiving but also our first born’s 14th birthday. I have to pinch myself nice and hard on this day every year to make sure I am not dreaming. It feels fresh, like he was born just yesterday.

I believe that each age and stage has a certain beauty, something special and unique to that phase. Teenage years are no exceptions. The drama, the rolling of the eyes, the stomping of the feet, the dismissal of whatever is being told to him… it’s cute in its own way especially when you understand that it does not come from a place of malice but from a healthy dose of rebellion and an illusion of knowing it all. A teenager is a grown up and a child at the same time. He is an extra pair of eyes and an extra set of helping hands that you can count on. He thinks on his feet, problem solves for you, comforts you, and sometimes even nudges you. Beneath all that rebellion, he is still a child who seeks for your approval and validation. “Amma do you want to watch me play trumpet,” “Do you think you can come to see me pitch.” While sleep overs are thing of the past, there is still that need to catch up at the end of the day. “So what’s up amma? Want to catch up?” There is so much you can do with your teenager – watching Sherlock Holmes, discuss politics, share life’s conundrums, be each other’s accountability partners, to name a few.

To my loving, kind, hardworking, smart, sports crazy child, a very happy b’day. Be you, stand up for yourself and for others, practice kindness at all times, work on your daily habits, always give your personal best, enjoy the journey, follow your interests, and pour your heart and soul into them. Seeing you grow up and blossom into the person you are has been a blessing that we hold very close to our hearts. Love you immensely, our precious!

 

Conversations

Recording some of conversations with little Ram that filled my heart and touched my soul. So very greatful to be at the receiving end of this sugary syrupy goodness.

  • His eyes well up as Hari and I talk about what just the two of us can do. He gets down from the car and confronts me. “Amma you do so many special things with anna. You eat out when you go to his doctor’s appointment, you go shopping with him, and after I sleep the three of you sneak up to the attic to watch TV. Tell me three things that only you and I do. I want to spend lots and lots of time with you amma. I want to have special things that only you and I do.” I wanted to list out our exclusive things except that my heart was already a pot of mush. I know I am his mommy and this is expected, still can’t take this pure unadulterated endearing expression of love for granted.
  • We are all heading back from temple and are giving feedback on what each of us need to work on. I tell Ram that he is very good at taking responsibility for making things that he wants happen but needs to improve on managing his emotions when things don’t go his way. “Use words kanna, not tears,” “I try amma but the tears won’t stop coming.” So genuine, so authentic, telling things as is without any pretense. What a privilege it is to raise little humans who are never afraid to be vulnerable.
  • Da and I were discussing extracurricular activities and unintentionally we were piling more on his plate. The child noticed and made it clear in no uncertain terms that, “Amma, I don’t like doing too many things. I want time to just relax, be lazy, and read. Can you not put me in too many activities?” Ha, very often without his knowledge the child gives instructions on how to raise him. Makes the job so much easier and abundantly joyful!
  • Sitting on his bean bag, Ram got all philosophical. “Amma, I just noticed that I have to work hard to get the things I like. For example, to get a Star Student Bear at school, I have to keep up with expected behavior. To get video game time, I have to do tamizh homework and guitar practice. If I want my room to be clean, I have to clean it up” It’s a gift to see a child grow, physically, mentally, and emotionally right under your watchful eyes!
  • Many nights Ram and I sleep in his twin mattress. He inches to me, puts his hand on top of my body, his legs on mine, and he asks for me to place my hand at the nape of his neck so he can use it as a pillow. The intensity of the day melts, all the stress evaporates, and I drift to sleep peacefully. Incredibly grateful that I have experienced this time and again.