Fashion or up-cycling 

In times of quarantine

As per parents it's the education sector which is struggling hard enough to reach a survival state. Fashion industry including magazines and big fashion houses are on the other hand filing for bankruptcy. Workers in the garment factories have tuned the machines to make face masks and protective gears.The world is trying to gasp fresh air through masks, which is finally available to rich and poor alike. Husbands are happy that wives' can't threaten them anymore about utilising the services of credit cards. Women are worried about repeating their clothes, although no one is partying anymore. Growing kids are the only genuine part of the population who might over grow their clothes or might as well wear them out sooner than expected and they seem to worry less. They have always fantasised about sharing clothes with parents or have been eyeing their elder siblings favourite t-shirt.

Everyone is literally living in their lounge pants which will eventually be replaced by shorts pertaining to hot weather. Well, let's just confess
we have always want to wear shorts to work. I know it's the most comfortable outfit during hot summer days. I guess might even improve productivity as well.

Recycle and reuse have been around for some time. This led me to think about up-cycling. It can be done pertaining to our comfort level. Our discarded clothes can be utilised perfectly for this kind of DIY. The best take away would be nothing is spend and if it gets spoiled, it was as it is meant to be discarded.

Fashion as it is, repeats itself. I went ahead and gave it a try myself. My daughter was happiest, as I was at the moment trying to turn one of my old shirt into a shirt dress for her. The only limitation was to find a perfect garment which required minimum effort as i am not a qualified tailor. Everything ranging from threads, needles and scissors was taken into account. I was so excited to do my first makeover that i forgot to take the most important factor into consideration. Well i didn't own a measuring tape. But since the adrenaline rush to create had already over powered my brain, my hands just went ahead. Scissors did most of the work and my master piece was ready. Although it adorns a teddy bear, who didn't refuse my offer for a free gift.

   A Matter Of CHOICE

The fact that the whole world is dealing with a break it or make it moment, it is the need of the hour to get our acts together and keep it moving.
Let's make a space....That feels better than NEW. Present life.... should be   foundation for a beautiful tomorrow
Choices we make in life must be
Deliberate choices...
Not default options.....
The world at the moment seems to be in an auto renewal mode.Things are changing as they no longer serve the purpose. Humans are sacred for life, as they have not made healthy choices in past. A lot of things have added up. Even the little ones. Stoics were of strong opinion that our habits, our wisdom and virtues, everything is taken into account.We become what we practice.What we prioritise,either makes us or breaks us.

 In pursuit of moving ahead at a faster pace, we have actually ignored the warnings. Flora and fauna have suffered in equal measures. At this very moment we can just not sit back and think about our own needs. It has to be on a wider scale. While wishing for a better future, we shouldn't ignore what we have and can make the best version of us .. i.e. NOW.

Miracle happens to those
Who believe in themselves

We just have to take a plunge and believe in ourselves.The only positive thought that can open a channel of change is, I should be the change I want to see around me. A tweek in our lifestyle is required. Instead of saying why me let's say why can't I.Say it aloud once, then repeat it couple of times. You are definitely going to feel  change in your outlook and approach towards life and situations.Try and embrace a lifestyle of positivity.

We have to accept the fact that life cannot be perfect.We all try to achieve things which are 'nonessential'.The syndrome of know it all and have it all has brought us here.We are standing at a crossroad not knowing where to go further.Given the present situation, 'The road less taken' seems to be the best option.

More often perfection leads to imperfect emotions.We may look at it differently and say imperfection teaches us a different possibility.It lets us embrace and accept our short comings.
It is difficult to accept and let go.... only
Till we don't give it an honest try.
Things don't change
It is how we feel.....about them changes.
We have to make 'change' look beautiful.There is an absolute need to safe guard our future.

What to expect

When you have a growing child

(Part 1)

One really doesn't need to embrace motherhood to know about the perils of growing up child. Anyone who comes in close proximity with children, be it uncles or aunts, caregivers, extended family members has a choice. They can enjoy it or avoid it. I personally took the high road and accepted the challenge of becoming a mother in the year 2010. It was quite an overwhelming experience, to live with all the free advices and suddenly becoming lactose intolerant (hormones to be blamed not the growing kid ). I was blessed with a beautiful girl in March 2011. Holding her in my hands I magically forgot what all I went through in last 9 months. Journey so far has been nothing but humourous, difficult at times but mostly rewarding.

Parenting has many rules, the only one which doesn't apply is prevention is better than cure. The more foresight you give a child, the more he'll try for the forbidden fruit.
Children have a peculiar way of learning. The most sought after thought is 'not to learn from others mistakes' and second one 'not to learn from own mistakes'. Anyone who has had the luxury of spending time with kids will definitely second me. Incidentally the only word they don't hear and understand at any given point of time is 'no'. Also the first word they learn to apply is again 'no'.

We all go through different seasons of feelings, sometimes good others not so happy. We all have a Eureka moment once in awhile. Well for my child it happened when she realised that granny is older than mommy and she is the only one who can save her from mommy's wrath. Her life has become quite easy since then. I have been blackmailed couple of times on the pretext of taking help from granny. Secretly I am aware of the fact that granny also enjoys the attention and ofcourse the love. As per Granny the lure of interest is more compelling than that of the principal itself. No prizes for guessing, 'interest' here refers to her grand child.

What to expect

When you have a growing child

(Part 2)

We  humans come not only in  different shapes and sizes, caste and creed, colour and features but also in beliefs and personalities. Children are no exception to the rule. Every child is unique in his/her understanding of life situations. Growing up years act as foundation building stones. It totally depends whether parents let children be children or treat them as adults. More often, I had to remind my self that my little one is just 3 years old and not 30. She will behave as per her age and understanding. So at times, when no one was looking I too behaved like her just to give her company.

There was a phase when she had just started picking up new words and started speaking small sentences. Her vocal cords were getting tuned. We tried to teach her how to pronounce 'pyjama'. Every single time she said 'jamaya'. It kind of became every day drill, we used to say pyjama and she very confidently use to repeat as jamaya. It went on for several days, till one day we gave up and said ok you win, lets call it jamaya. To our surprise next moment she said pyjama. Three of us kept on laughing for next few minutes.

Another surprise came our way when our little angel learnt counting numbers. We had no idea she was keeping account of her toffees and chocolates kept in refrigerator. Earlier we would just keep sharing from her, ofcourse without her permission till one day things changed. There was howling and crying because few of her chocolates were missing. As per her count, the number should have been 10 and now 4 of them were missing. Oh! we blamed the monkey and cats for stealing her prized possessions. Swore in silence, never to share her things in her absence.

Truth versus Dare

Its generally accepted fact,that there exist two basic realms which govern our fate. First one being good and other one that revolts against being good. They are kind of yin and yang energies. One that is glorified while later one challenges every part of being there. This leads us to the very essence of life that is a relationship between a mother and her daughter.

Every girl has experienced that part where either she has lived up to the expectations or has dared to do the unthinkable. I guess once a girl becomes a mother, the dynamics changes abruptly. There's a kind of shift in the energies.

The entire thought process goes for  a six. The  focus of life changes and gets a new meaning. The revolutionary becomes a nurturer. Every woman who eventually becomes a mother holds a deep desire to be a little girl, all over again. Lucky few like me do get to do it again by having a daughter of their own.

This little creature when comes into our lives, brings with it loads and tons of goodness.As  mother, we realise that in reality it's the Truth versus Dare scenario. Mother wishes to teach her progeny, all mannerisms and  the nuances. Well prodigy declares herself to  be the angel  and asks for Dare.

Everyday i get to learn new things from my little one,who i truly believe is my own mini version. She actually does the unthinkable or rather i should say does things which i could only think of doing but never had the courage to do. Here comes the effect of dominating DNA from dad's chromosomes, hopefully none will differ on this with me.

Other day i asked my daughter what part of the word 'NO' you don't understand or is it that you are hard of hearing. As to why don't you stop doing a thing when i yell no or don't seem to give it a hearing. The answer she gave me was  polite and was rather amusing. I wouldn't have even thought of such a thing ever . She simply said " i don't want to listen " that's why i chose to ignore the direction given by you . My daughter was just 4 year's old at this time. Now i realise, she wanted to convey the message that  she too has a mind of her own and i shouldn't interfere. Till date i have absolutely no idea about how should i let her know what's wrong n what's right for her. My motherly instincts do guide but to an extent.


Other day I happen to ask my daughter, why does she keep on repeating her mistakes and once again I was stumped by the answer she gave me. All she said was "it's a talent".

I guess the scenario of truth versus dare is going to continue forever.

Everyday i try to be compose and humble as a mother but end up taking up the challenge of either truth or dare. Life will continue with all its humour, it's simply upto us to find ours.

Beholder's  Eye

Humans are blessed for they can  think, sometimes aloud and at other  times in peace. Just a thought worth your time, what makes broken look beautiful. It's the beholder's eye cause we have varied perceptions about beauty.

Most often we end up judging things on their face value and not looking beyond how they look. Not taking into account the journey it took to become it's final self. Every bit of you and me started from scratch,some adapted, a few got lost in high tides rest fought and molded through experiences.
It's time we stopped having opinions about good and bad. Each one of us has gone through a different journey walked through a different path might have traveled the road less taken. Our destination is also distinct.

So what makes each of us beautiful...it's the journey we undertook, the whole process of becoming you ...worth your existence.Every day should be a part of learning process, to become what you strive to be at your final destination. Learn from a child to smile without expecting it back, just reflect your happiness. Master the art of holding your ground from trees when a storm passes by.

Most of us have heard that the word Impossible itself says I M possible, let's take another step ahead and say I M perfect instead of saying imperfect.

Reach out and spread the word that it's just the perception.The way we deal with any given situation depends completely on how well we understand it. In all it can be achieved by having positive conversations, by reaching out to people in distress. It always add to the beauty of a broken piece, the way it is appreciated by its beholder .

Being a PARENT

To be or not to be

Being a parent  under no circumstance is less than being spell bounded. The child who is our own blood n skin, creates an aura of happiness and astonishment at the same time. Child is the father of man holds true to its very core at all times. Every parent tries to relive his/ her childhood through their children. Some of us take out time and play the games we could never win in our younger days. Others try to explore the ones' they were denied as a child. Few of us try to instill the same values which are imbibed within us, while quite a few become adventurous and let children be themselves and learn the harder way. They feel it's important to have individuality and an identity, a child can relate to while growing up and be proud of as an adult. We are not suppose to make clones but a responsible human beings.

Parenting is the toughest, when the fear of unknown grips.The situation when spelled out loud as when ..where ..what..how ..who arises. It  starts from the days of playgroup and continues for a lifetime. Everytime we come back from parent teacher meeting and my daughter's teacher is nothing but all praises about her. For a moment self and the daddy dearest look at each other and wonder, more like are we talking about the same child here. Trust me it amuses us every time.

Most of the days my daughter wants to exchange me with her granny. Mostly I am to be blamed for this one. I was the one to tell her that while growing up nobody ever scolded me. In pursuit of leading by example I ended up being the bad one. Although I confess I have a short temper and desire everything to be magically perfect. My  daughter feels  completely opposite. As per her theory its boring to keep things in place. Most of the days l run out words and not to mention patience completely. Other day I happen to ask my daughter, as I was curious to know that how hard it is for her to behave properly at home. The answer that followed was not expect, never could have crossed my mind. Every bit of it was worthy enough to give a thought. Well very candidly she asked me, as to why can't she live and behave in her house the way she desires. After all it's her house too. She has the right to feel comfortable in her own space.

Problem arises when as a parent we are forced to draw lines. Lines about cleanliness, eating nutritious food and ofcourse reminders about getting good marks. Aren't these the same parameters we kind of were not easy with while growing up ourselves. In our race of having the perfect kid on the block, at times we miss being a generous parent. We fail to acknowledge a fact that every child is different. Our children too expect us to be perfect, while we live within our own limitations. Cohabitation should be more fun and less of adjustments. We as family should practice gratitude for it helps in building up of character.

Strong foundation builds a basis of beautiful life and it is what a heart desires the most.

Soulful

Being soulful in itself is a beautiful realization. It is a very optimistic reality of life, actually a journey through trance. We are all born with a naive soul,what we feed it, is what we become. Choices we make and dreams we build should always be in sync with the purpose of making our soul happy. It's simply called soulful approach.

Life as we know , depends upon  basic fragments of hope,desire and opportunity. Simply by taking turns they come and tease our senses. Our soul keeps longing for purity of emotions which are filled with love. The moment we attach our state of being happy to one of the aspects,it leads us to expectations.

Here comes the part where we need to be aware of situations. Being realistic towards what life can be and what we want it to be is required. Seeking answers from universe and beyond is one aspect of expectations we humans do on a regular basis. Whether we get answers or not,but we still  keep looking for them. By understanding the essence of being soulful,we can understand the path we wish to follow. The path of realism and mindfulness.

Journey of being soulful leads us to healthy lifestyle choices. The more positive changes we adopt ,

healthier our mindset becomes. Lastly a healthy mind is more content and expects less.This particular realization breaks the vicious circle of expectations and it's consequences.

Here comes the most sought after question 'how to judge a situation' and secondly 'how to come out of it'. It is actually not as easy as it looks. We all have different understandings of morals and values.

We all tend to follow or bend them as an when they are compatible with the present scenario. No two people think alike as every single human brain is unique.

This is exactly where being soulful helps. When we feel the need to ask ourselves 'is it right or wrong'. Whether my decision is going to help me reach my dream destination or going to divert me. As per my understanding one needs to be sure of their life path before jumping into any given situation.

A very simply fact which can solve a lot and save us from misery  is  clarity in thoughts. Let's face it .....we can not have it all. This illusions of achieving everything....is false, it happens because we tend to be selfish. After all we are human being, over the years we have programmed our brains in such a fashion.

Well .....being soulful teaches you,to control your mind ,your thoughts and more over your emotions. Life goes on, whether we like it or not. It's always better to be mindful of our thoughts rather than let them fly.

Trials and Errors of Homeschooling

In times of quarantine

Each one of us has a different opinion about ways of schooling our kids. Most of us preferred a regular school going program over home schooling. Former approach has been in vogue ever since the need arose for universal education standards for one and all. Schools whether private or public, turned out as a boon for parents and children alike. Both the parties wanted some ‘me’ time and independence. Although mother happens to be the first teacher for a child, still the fact remains that she prefers a regular school schedule for her kid. There have been a few exceptions around where parents want to home school there kids and yes that too without any online classes. Such parents let their children learn from nature and life lessons.
Few months back, majority of us would have shrugged at the approach of home schooling our kids. Well who knew it would become the new normal and we would be left with no choice. For mothers who are homemakers, situation is no different than working mothers. The only help in hand is the internet connection and teachers who are willing to teach via online portal. It is the need of the hour. Challenge is to monitor it, keep up with it and make sure the child reaps the maximum benefit.

Home schooling in present time is like returning are daily timetables.
Readjustments are required urgently not in our daily lives, but only in perception. The more we try to see it as a difficult situation the more our minds will rebel. Try and trick your brains by reminding it that the situation is temporary and I am not the only one dealing with it. Let’s just be more mindful of our thoughts. Students irrespective of their age and class around the world feel that they are having extended holidays. That their prayers have finally been answered. They want to get up late and sleep late. Kind of watch television and play around. We as parents need to understand that in a way children are trying to avoid the stress which has been created by the ongoing pandemic. They are the ones who are actually undeterred by it. Despite maintaining social distance they are doing better than adults.

Discipline needs to be maintained but we can be little lenient.

Barter system can reap magical outcomes. Let's say, two hours of study time equals to half an hour of gaming or one hour of drawing. Gardening and other house hold chores can also be added to the list.
Reward point system can be formulated and the chart may be maintained. Be futuristic and enlighten kids about many gifts they might get in exchange of their points. Don't forget to update them about negative marking as well. Together we can and we will make a difference, keep motivating your kids towards a better future.

The art of doing nothing

Time for rejuvenation

The time has come, time to sit back and enjoy what nature has in store. It is a life lesson which teaches us to appreciate and value what we have. So instead of wondering about what we can't have, let's just appreciate what we can have. The lockdown in most parts of the world has created a dent  and many are staying indoors out of choice while quite a few are forced to. During this time we should reflect on what we desire. Choice is ours whether we see the glass as half empty or half full.

Earlier we used to wish for days to have more than 24 hours. If only time could hold still, so that we may make time for ourselves. Once in a while  wanted to savour some family time and relish our meals.We  desired to unwind and inhale the freshness of flowers. Just wanted to pause and enjoy the aroma of coffee and even at times just wanted to switch off and take a guilt-free nap.

One really doesn't need to fall sick to reflect, where he has gone wrong. It should be done on a regular basis , we all can and should master the art of doing nothing .Doing nothing does not equate to laziness or being inactive. It simply means taking out time for yourself , to allow your mind and soul to unwind. It enables our minds to get rid of any negativity and helps in rejuvenation of our soul. As a result our body gets healthier and happier.
It reflects on our face and makes us more attractive.

A gentle reminder - in our daily endeavours we do a lot more and actually live a lot less . The effortless acts of kindness , smiling bathing , meditating and just listening to the blowing wind helps us to relax. These humble acts of actually doing nothing holds a precious lesson. It  kind of gives  consent to our minds to be one with the nature and offourse ourselves. It is easier said than done but if we don't try, we won't know where we are in our journey.
Most of us merely exist not live.Schools teach art and science but none in the world teach  how to deal with life situations. At times our bodies crave to go on a  vacation, so does our soul. Be gentle with yourself and allow it to live not just survive.

Listening to the silence can be like personification of mystery unfolding itself. Dealing with emotions can act like catharsis. It could be more like being aware of your own secrets, the ones' we shy away from. Instead of being opinionated try n be more mindful of your thoughts. The art of doing nothing actually connects us with our own self. Go ahead and give it try, who knows a different you is waiting to be found.

Being human

(In times of quarantine)

I like to see moon up in the sky
Don't want it to be close by
I am kind of a person
Who likes things the way they are
Just want things to be done
Simply the way they are

Life around the world seems to have come to a stand still. Roads that were once buzzing with noise have become static. Although we fall short of considering, things that are still in motion, undeterred by the present pandemic. The sun and moon rise as usual and planets go retrograde as per destiny. Trees are full of new leaves and glaciers are covered with snow. Meals are being cooked and relished more.Offices and school curriculum are being run from home. So much so the doctors and nurses are working overtime, but not from home.

All of us are simply trying to be human. Try and see the bigger picture here, we are buying only essentials and eating less of junk. The air around us is clear and water in rivers is cleaner. This is something which as human race we were trying to achieve but were falling short of effort and implementation . Today nature has taken over the charge, to keep itself  healthy and nourished. God forbid, incase of unavailability of vaccine against Covid 19, human race is at risk contamination. At the moment it feels like survival of the fittest is the ultimate theory. Nature has taken the lead and gone into auto correct mode.

In times of crises we wait for super humans or Avatars to save us from perishing. On contrary we forget to identify our own potential of simply being human. A little effort goes a long way. Maintaining health n hygiene, less use of petroleum products, living within the means basically following the ever green rule of 'simple living high thinking', might help us deal with the present situation. It can be beneficial for us in the long run as well . The time has come to learn from our mistakes. We need to stop taking things for granted. Nature has a way of teaching us a lesson. It is better late than never.

Mind over matter

(In times of quarantine)

As kids we all have more than couple of times prayed for an unexpected holiday, teacher falling sick for no reason, cancellation of exams, extension of holidays etc. This list of excuses can go on and on with more variety being added every year. God's above must have laughed out loud after every  innovative thought, about closure of schools was mentioned. Children seem to be more focused about not attending school rather towards academic excellence. All this must have really amused the   God and his helpers alike.

To add on even the housewives prayed and prayed that their husbands should be more involved in house hold chores. Should spend more time with them and children. Well and how can we not mention the office going crowd. They too more often asked for a day off, may be at times became greedy and ended up asking for luxury called work from home.

Humans kept on including requests like traffic free roads, clean rivers, pure air in their daily prayers. How can we omit the fact that men as a race irrespective of caste, creed and colour, prayed for zero  shopping encounters. Women on the other hand secretly desired to double their monetary assets.

Lo and behold, God accepted every ones' request. But it came with a down side. We completely forgot about moral lessons which came along with Bruce Almighty. We kind of forgot to take responsibility for our actions, in this case desires. Totally ignored the fact that every action has an equal an opposite reaction. At some point all of us are accountable for our aspirations.

At this turning and testing times, there are two basic life support systems which need to be embraced by one and all. First one is immortal - change being the only constant and  second one being more important -  feeling of contentment. He who understands the two life governing principles, never judges any situation that life throws at him. He simply deals with it, learns to grow with it rather than complain. He who accepts and adapts fares well.