Have you ever come across a touch-me-not plant? And have you touched it and observed its leaves shrivel up and collapse? When I was little, we spent our summer vacations in Kerala and the sides of the mud road from my grandparents' house to the main road were full of touch-me-not plants. The walk to … Continue reading Stop Shrinking to Accommodate Others
This Thanksgiving was different just like this year was. I spent it away from my kids and family in the US. I didn't cook a Thanksgiving meal with mashed potatoes and pie (both regularly feature in my Thanksgiving feast). It's not a holiday in India although Wednesday was a public holiday thanks to cyclone Nivar … Continue reading 30 Days of Gratitude (Chennai Edition)
Years ago when I was in India without a job and without my own place, I was under a lot of stress. I was eating and sleeping well and generally healthy. But I was losing weight. An aunt suggested that I start drinking Ensure to improve my health and increase my weight. I consumed bottle … Continue reading 7 Tools to Deal with Stress
Imagine yourself on your deathbed. No, really! Take a moment and imagine that. Will you be happy that you lived your life in the best way possible? Will you have a sense of satisfaction that you pursued all your dreams and made them come true? Or would you be wringing your hands in despair thinking … Continue reading Living Life to the Fullest
Ganga's gone. Physically gone. Her obituary appeared in the Manorama newspaper yesterday. So it must be true. I find it hard to believe, because I wasn't there when it happened. Chennai was in a lock down and Dad and I couldn't travel to Palakkad for her funeral. How cruel is this life that we couldn't … Continue reading Hello From the Other Side and Other Signs of Afterlife
I ran and I ran, not knowing what I was running from, I thought it was the people in my life I was running from, I thought it was the place I was running from., I thought it was the problems I was running from, I did not stop until I was several continents away, … Continue reading Runaway
I have a one-way ticket home, No clue where I'll go from there, Definitions of home are blurry right now, Is it the place you share with people you care for? Or is it the place where all the people who care for you live? I've been cut loose after being anchored for so long. … Continue reading Driftwood
They say you can choose your friends but not your family. It is also normal to have two grandmas. In my case both are exceptions. I have a third grandma who isn't related by blood but chose us as her family. Her name is Thankam or as my sister fondly christened her Ganga (alluding to … Continue reading Ganga, My Third Grandma – Guest Blog by Dinesh Damodaran
Ten days after I landed in Chennai, my parents and I packed ourselves into a car early one Monday morning and started off for Rajapalayam. My dad wanted to fly to Madurai and then drive from there to our destination. I was the one who insisted on doing a road trip so we could spend … Continue reading A Slice of Paradise
I've been doing this for three years now and feel like gratitude is one of the best practices you can incorporate in your life. And not just say the words but feel it deeply in your heart. Here's what I am thankful for this year. Day 1 I am thankful for being alive. Several incidents … Continue reading 30 Days of Gratitude (2019)
Punctuate Life 