Celebrations at home

The aroma of ghee had spread so far and wide that even before I entered home from school, I knew my mom had made something delicious that I couldn't resist asking!

"Amma, what did you make today?", I asked with an eager smile on my face. My mom was expecting the question. 

"I made something that you like, but first wash your hands and feet." Not ready to wait anymore, I quickly washed my hands, face, feet and came to the dining area. 

"Amma, now tell me, what did you make today?" Just then, my atha got me some tea and amma brought me a plate with yummy stuff. 

"Molu (as I am fondly called at home), atha made murukku. Mom always talks about what others did first. "I made ribbon pakoda, badhusha and mysore pak." She sounded little tired but very happy and satisfied. I sensed she must have had a real long day.

For every function at home, Mom always takes a day off prior to it and ensures that all arrangements are done properly. And to top it, she prepares the sweets and savories all by herself. And they were always delicious...slurrrp :) 

I always wondered as to why she spent so much of her time and energy in preparing all these snacks when we can buy it at the shop. What was the reason that in-spite of her busy schedule, she always tries to ensure that festivals are celebrated in full spirit! It took me few more years in life to understand the real reason behind it! 

The festivals that we celebrate at home are for family bonding and thanksgiving. It is also a time to remember and appreciate our inherited culture and values. Festivals bring in lot of joy and happiness. The preparations for any festival  starts much in advance and right from kids to adults everyone look forward to it. Every activity related to the preparations and our involvement in the same, brings in much more happiness which cannot be obtained by the act of purchasing from shop and eating at home. When cooking at home the entire family contributes to it, waits to taste the outcome, and give feedback. The mysore pak at the shop might be tastier than the one made at home, but the latter has all the love and care that someone puts in for you and it brings everyone together! 

Likewise when we do some pooja(prayers) at home, even the kids are excited to be part of it. Fasting until pooja teaches us many things, how to restrain ourselves from temptations, how to be self controlled, most importantly brings in lot of patience. It is not without any reason that our forefathers brought in many traditions and customs. The liberal intellectuals might find fault with many or even all of it. But finally all that matters is what brings happiness! In following the traditions, we also show our next generation the customs and rituals that we are associated with. 

When I took a bite of the sweet that my mom gave me, hmm...  delicious, it was hard on the outside, but yummy inside!! The perfect taste, the taste that I would never ever forget, for it was the hard work and love of my beloved mother.

Years passed by and now for this year's Krishna Jayanthi festival, as I am busy emulating my mom in preparing the food and pooja the way she does,  I hear a voice at the background, I turn and look. 

"Amma, what are you making today", my daughter asked me. My role has changed from a daughter to a mom and it is now my turn to give her what my mom had given me all these years!

Take it easy!

Take it easy! A simple but  powerful phrase.  How many times have we heard this or said this to someone ? Taking it easy is not something that all can do! I have seen many parents complain that their kids take things very easy, doesn't stress at all! These days I hear that more from friends who say the same about their spouse :)

Growing up in a joint family is a blessing in disguise; for you see different personalities even before you step out of home! Having seen different shades of people in the family and outside, I can vouch that there are very few whom I know have the true Take it easy attitude.

Each phase of life, we all have targets in life. Even when we were kids, we have had targets aka-milestones. Few weeks late in reaching any milestone, how many of us were not subjected to tests?
Start schooling, complete education, get married, have kids, take loan, buy a home and work for another 30 years to repay the amount; Right from birth to death, these targets in life make  us run all the time! The target never seems to end though!

If a target is missed, what next ? The answer lies somewhere, where nobody looks for! What if someone reaches the target before me? what will the society think of me that I missed the target? What if I can never come up in life since I missed the target? What if's similar to these are the ones that mess up our lives forever!

I am not saying that targets are unnecessary. For many achievers targets helped them achieve things that otherwise would have been impossible. But setting up a target should be something that comes out of own interest rather than being something imposed on. Getting a rank in 10th or 12th standard exams was always a target set upon students. The love and passion makes it easy to achieve targets. Imagine if a person is forced to play a game for some marks,would the person ever have the same passion for it? I doubt. Education, sports or anything for that matter done out of compulsion will take us nowhere.

There are few whom I admire for the very fact that they just live their life each moment;not worrying about anything in the future. Like cricketers playing for each session in a test match, taking things one at a time will bring lot of inner peace within us. Running around all the time, make money, pay EMI, get another one, run, run run , when do we live?

Post retirement, I have seen many elders saying that they have spent their entire lives for children; really? Was it the children who forced you to live a stressful life? Providing children with basic comforts is what is required. Teach them the lessons of life, make them realize the value of money. Show them how to love others. Your life should be an example for them to emulate.They need your support more than the savings that you make. Be available to them when they need you the most. Your present day will be a memory for them tomorrow, make it a cherishing one. Take things easy, worry only for things that you cannot change; not about the things that you can if you change your targets!


 Live life today like there is no tomorrow, your life will be beautiful!! 

The Good, Bad and the Ugly conversations ..

One thing that keeps me busy these days is the whatsapp app in my phone. I have talked about it in many of my posts. Still I keep repeating it because it has become so much part of my daily routine to send and receive messages in it. What once appeared as a boon to get connected with long lost friends and extended family, looks like a bane these days!

Sit across the globe, open the app, type the words of your choice; you can both make or break a day for the other person. Any quick question, you ask, you get instant answers; good things to share, the joy is doubled with lots of encouragement; bad things - the mood gets better with words of advice and concern. So far so good. But there is flip side as well! Were we not taught by the teachers at school to just read everything once before we submit our final answers? How many times has that been stressed? In reality how many follow that?  Before assuming anything, it is also important to understand that there is also something called asking. To err is human, it just takes few seconds to ask what was the meaning or why was something done? Who does it these days? I am managing 5 -6 whats app group as admin. Sometimes I wonder if managing school  kids is easier, for I know how to handle kids much better than the egoistic adults.

Some messages in whatsapp or any social media for that matter is meant to provoke others, no am not talking of all secular vs. communal ones. I am talking of the egoistic adults who try to do a one way communication more like a broadcast - In a TV or radio, you can only hear /see the news , you have the option to either listen or just change the channel. There are many silent ones in the group who do that. But there are few others who are least interested in such useless communications, and who respond back. When you have the right to speak out, be prepared to listen as well. I am reminded of the three monkeys - no see, no hear, no speak. What if the monkey closes ears,eyes, mouth and continues to write some utter nonsense, not willing to take any feedback! This happens many times. There are some who get pleasure in writing some real nasty stuff meant to provoke other members in the group, initiate a debate and prove a point or two! Social media groups these days are becoming either redundant or the active ones have some problematic people like I mentioned before.

When a group is formed initially, everyone gets so excited that they share all good things. It doesn't take much of a time in each group to get a person who spoils the mood of the entire group. A recent incident made me feel that I as an admin should have removed a person from the group long back to keep the spirit of the group going! That was a definite miss on my part! For I saw only the good even when the conversations started turning bad; But I never expected it to turn so ugly that the person literally abused many others in the group. Technology alone cannot make people join together, some are best left alone! holds true even for all social media channels. You  just cannot be friends of some people no matter how hard you try! 

Spa at home with the Shir home bath brush

I ordered this body brush for 2 purpose - 1. To help me reach places, I normally cannot 2- For the cellulite massager. This brush and massager looks nice in bright pink color. I really wish the package had some instructions for a first time user like me. However it didn't take me much of time to figure out.

First thing I tried was the cellulite massager. I applied some oil and did circular massage for a minute in the areas needed, I really felt good doing that. It would take quite sometime for the results to show up. But it does feel good when you start something nice. It doesn't work well for me on dry skin. With oil it does!

       

The next thing is the long handle brush, that has bristles which helps in opening the pores.Standing in the shower and brushing makes my skin feel fresh. Looks like there is a lot more blood circulation when I use this.

Bathing has become a spa experience now :) I would continue using this and would update the review for visible changes in my cellulite levels.