Reader's Choice # Appreciate the living

Reader's Choice # Appreciate the living

(P.S. The name of reader in Reader’s Choice blog write ups is never disclosed. Any close resemblance to anyone is purely incidental.)

Many a times, one gets so lost in the memory of someone real close that one tends to ignore the living. The power of human mind has not been harnessed as yet. The memory of those who have crossed over into another realm outweigh the reality.  Thoughts of deceased one, keep on playing in one's mind and all the moments of association seem to be sewn together in a shorter time frame. The thought traffic is so much that it leads to slowing of neuronal signal traffic. A grieving heart cannot see beyond the grief. Many a times, one identifies the mistakes done with the deceased soul, and unknowingly repeats it with those living. It is of utmost importance to learn from past experience so as to not commit mistakes in the present.

Covid pandemic has been a witness to countless untimely deaths in various age groups. In my outer circle, a young death happened. Their family members were in a state of shock. The same shock in third degree relatives caused few whispers. Generally, during such times, the talk centre’s around destiny and fate. There is repetition of the course of events which lead to early mortal exit of a noble soul. Things get so whisked up and family tends to disconnect with present. It takes a man of great wisdom to break this spell and motivate the rest of the family to be aware of present and plan accordingly.

The grief should not outweigh the love for other living members. Else, it causes scarring in once so called beautiful relationships. Grieving is a let go mechanism and is important, but more important is to cherish the living, May God be with all of us and bless us a clear vision. Always remember, to be God loving and not God fearing. Love creates miracles.

Love,

Juju.

Reader's Choice # Fault in stars

Reader's Choice # Fault in stars

(P.S. The name of reader in Reader’s Choice blog write ups is never disclosed. Any close resemblance to anyone is purely incidental.)

It’s a normal human tendency to find fault exteriorly whenever something goes wrong in our lives. It’s so easy to look outside and needs immense courage to dwell inside. Gradually, one tends to label it as “It’s all in my stars, not my fault.” This one phrase seems to erase the guilt. Is it really so?

My work place’s tranquility was broken when a friend literally barged into my office, visibly disturbed and murmuring, “He always does this to me, it’s my fault, my destiny is star crossed, I have faulty stars and so on. As a pro active reflex, I played my favorite Buddhist chants and ordered two cups of strong milk tea. After pacing my office for few minutes, she eased and sat on my reclining couch. I did not utter a word and patiently waited for her to speak up. She started off with the usual difficulties one faces while living in a joint family, issue of maid servants, division of labor, mismanagement and so on. For every wrong doing, she was felicitated with the blame garland. Nothing new seemed to be coming up. I slowly sipped my tea and waited for the final volcano to erupt. Suddenly, tears started rolling down her cheeks and she uttered,” The fault lies in my stars. Whatever I try to do rebounds back and shatters me with a greater force than the previous one. Every time, I feel I am back to square one. Nothing seems to have changed over the past two decades.” I just listened quietly without any interruptions. Gradually, her verbal energy dissipated and she started sipping tea. Only glances were exchanged.

I spoke slowly and calmly, “Every time, you react in the same way, then how can you expect a different outcome. Why blame the stars?  Stop labeling these as problems and label them as situations.  Nothing is permanent. Be pro active and try to handle these situations in a different way. Stop looking at the same door. God has made many doors for you. You need to open other doors. And I promise, the outcome will be different”. Before, I could finish the last word she wiped her tears, hugged me and smiled. Further she spoke, “Now I know that I owe this and don’t have fault in the stars. There is no fault. All this while, I have been looking at the same door, ignoring others doors. Now is the time to open another door.” Tying her hair into a knot, she left my office. The stride in her walk told me she has finally learnt the lesson of “Walk the talk”, I have been endorsing since a time immemorial.

“A lot can happen over tea.”

Love,

Juju

Reader’s Choice # Father-son: the less spoken about relationship- Part 2

Reader’s Choice # Part 2

Father-son: the less spoken about relationship

P.S. This is not a gender based write-up. Name of the person on whose request this has been written is strictly confidential. It's a lengthy write up for a blog hence, it is divided into 2 parts.  

 

Many a times, father asserts his position and power which doesn’t go well with his children. There is hairline difference between being assertive and dictatorship. Many a times, father’s behavior is judged as dictatorship by his own children especially son. Daughter’s tend to bend /bow down whereas as a son may confront. It seems like you are against your own self (a thirty years younger version). 

Children learn by imbibing what they experience. Parent’s actions and conduct leaves a lasting impression than their words/preaching. In an attempt to prevent the child from committing mistakes, which parents did at the same age as that of their son's, usually an urgency or impatience creeps in which disturbs their mental state. The child's growth chart is always different from his parents. Let this chart be original. Everyone learns in his own unique style. 

“While you thought nobody was watching you: I watched you!’’ This silent message is in the mind of every child. So, be conscious of your own actions as a responsible adult/parent. If the child doesn’t see you respecting your own parents, no amount of schooling or motivation will let the child respect you. If a child doesn’t see you behaving well with your staff or general public, he will think of it as a normal way. Do lay down correct moral values. Be a role model for your child. In between father and son, none should try to enter, be it mother/wife or sister/daughter. A father's heartbeat can be heard in his son's chest. All pain vanishes if someone is hugged at the right time. Precision of timing is also important. A father should try to inculcate soft emotions too. 

“Angry young man “phrase has been always shown as a sign of macho man whereas a compassionate, lively man is always portrayed as second in lead – as hero’s best friend. I often wonder that during the entire film, the hero tries his best to be with his lady love and has to face all obstacles and villains. Whereas, the so-called chilled out friend hangs out with his lady love throughout the length of the movie. Although the friend is not glorified as a hero yet, he seems to be living a happy fulfilled life on his own terms. The hero under the ‘macho man’ burden spends his energy and time in fighting to live a peaceful life.

My humble message to all the fathers – Be the man/human being you want to see your son grow up as. Your son is watching you, imbibing your actions. You are under the radar all the time. Be more of a friend, more of a guide, more approachable. The time machine is ticking and soon your son will outgrow you in stature and position. Look at yourself and make the changes in your own good self, which you think your son needs to change. 

There is no perfect parenting book. No prefect father son relationship. It  is based on a concrete foundation of love, faith and trust.

Hope you elevate your relationship to the highest level.

Love,

Juju.

Reader’s Choice # Are we non judgemental enough !

Reader’s Choice #Are we non-judgemental enough! 

In this Reader’s choice series, request is to highlight body shaming

(P.S. The name of reader in Reader’s Choice blog write up is never disclosed. Any close resemblance to anyone is purely incidental.)

God has taken every bit of care to create unique living beings. We, the highly evolved human beings have somehow forgotten this and try to judge each and every thing, aspect and God's creation too. Birth and death, day and night, hot and cold, dry and rains, greenery to deserts, everything on this planet co-exists. The essence lies in the existence of other realm. Somewhere during the evolution, one part of being non judgmental has become rudimentary and being judgmental has hypertrophied.

Right from the time a soul takes a mortal form, so does the judgement of our society. One is judged on basis of color, sex, caste, creed, weight, height etc. There are different judgment parameters for age groups and sex. In males, height, weight, education and income figures top the list. Whereas in females, the toppers are color, weight, height, cooking skills, grooming etc. Education and income figures are towards the rear end in the list. Later on, the leading questions are age of marriage, children, post delivery weight gain issues and so on.

Body shaming has gained importance recently. Women are vocal about it and are boldly condemning it. A women’s body goes through a lot of changes from the time she enters teenage till child bearing. Each one is aware. Majority of the women judging other women have undergone these changes too. Surprising or shocking! (Can’t even think of an appropriate word).

In our beloved society, people care about us, much more than one can think about themselves, how one lives, and with whom etc ? How does one dresses up, their physical appearance and so on and on. They feel it is their moral duty to tell a overweight lady that she needs to lose weight for her own good self. Imagine! What a way to do social service? Most of the times, the person giving advise has BMI more than normal range. Such acts lead to undue building up of stress. This is evident as seen by rise in mental issues. 

I conclude by a quote which needs to be ingrained in every living mind, “If you have nothing nice to say to someone, better to keep your lips sealed and smile.” Every one deep down knows everything. Please refrain from making the person aware of it. The most soothing word is a word of appreciation. If you can’t appreciate, it’s absolutely fine. But, please don’t judge.  

Let’s pledge to be non judgy.

Love,

Juju

Reader’s Choice # - Father-son: the less spoken about relationship- Part 1

Reader’s Choice # Part 1

Father-son: the less spoken about relationship

P.S. This is not a gender based write-up. Name of the person on whose request this has been written is strictly confidential. It's a lengthy write up for a blog hence, it is divided into 2 parts. 

 

Father! a person who readies the child for the world, who is generally busy in working to provide a comfortable life for his family. A figure who spends most of his time working out of the comforts of home while his wife looks after their house and family. The relation between father and son is multifaceted and multi dimensional. There is a popular saying, “By the time, I realized my father is right, I have a son who thinks I am wrong.” One realizes the depth of this as one attains maturity. If one goes down the pages of history, one can find innumerable stories about mother’s love, but there are very few about father’s love.

Men are not expressive by nature. The actions like hug, embrace or kiss are in dictionary of only a handful few. The heart yearns to embrace the son, but some unseen force, stops them from doing so. This can be attributed to their upbringing. Normally, a child rushes in arms of the mother, very rarely of father. If one gets hurts, the first exclamation is of mother’s name. Men being outdoor personality and providers are made to believe they are strong and infallible, whereas on the other hand, woman who are nurtures and care givers are thought to be kind hearted. This has lot to do with their single hormone which governs their masculinity. Women are governed by two hormones which make them vulnerable.

A father often sees his younger self in his son. In order to prevent his son from doing the mistakes which he did in his younger days, a father tends to be more assertive and tries to dictate his son. He fails to remember that though his son is chip of the old block, he is an individual too. The son’s primal need to be recognized and accepted as an individual, if not fulfilled, leads to many tiny areas of conflict.  

My Popsie says (in context of father),” One needs to understand that, while narrating incidents which happened twenty or thirty years ago, one should ponder, do they hold any relevance in the current scenario? Are they in any way beneficial to his children? Do remember, the times, the circumstances were entirely different from what your children’s generation is facing now. ” If one tends to see things in this perspective, there will be less communication errors with the next generation. Another point my Popsie advocates is ," Be a listener. Let your child complete what he/she wants to share. Do not interrupt or be in a hurry to answer. The child should feel at ease while talking to his father. Learn to listen patiently. Don't listen to answer."

Sharing a cute incident, which happened few years ago. I took my little monk (my son) to the doctor's clinic for an injection. The nurse casually remarked, “Don’t even think of crying, men are numb to pain (mard ko dard nahin hota).’’ My monk embraced me and said, “Mom, I am afraid and I do feel pain. Is it something to worry about?’’ I hugged him and said to ignore these baseless talks. As humans, one tends to feel pain as it is nerve related. It’s time we stop labeling man as strong and woman as weak. A child should be brought up like a child and not as son or daughter. Once, this change happens within us and around us. Gradually, we will hear more of father son stories too. 

Hope you elevate your relationship to the highest level.

To be continued as Part 2...

Love,

Juju.

Mobile in Mobile World

 Mobile in Mobile World!

This term struck me, as I waited along the side of road at zebra crossing, waiting for my turn to cross the road. Almost every vehicle rider, be it a two wheeler or a four wheeler, almost everyone had a mobile phone in one hand and other hand on the wheel.  They seemed oblivious to the ongoing traffic and pedestrians. All the expressions and thoughts seemed to be in sync with the person on the other side of the mobile. It seemed scary to me to cross the road. A thought struck me, “Why are human beings in so much hurry? On which race track are they running? Is multi tasking a good thing? If the answer is yes, then, at what cost?”

They are already in a physical mobile state. To add a cherry on top, the mind is also in mobile state. How can anyone focus on the work which requires one’s total attention (here, I refer to driving). One has to act sensibly when, the life of others is at risk besides one’s own life. Every day, we witness these scenes, many a times, are enacting these scenes too. All of us are fine actors. God has given us a beautiful life to relish and cherish. How can we put our life at stake for that one moment of urgency to answer a call?

In this digital world with developments at breakneck speed, human being has forgotten to enjoy the journey along the way. Please apply brakes, steer your vehicle to one side and stop to take the call or to enjoy life. For once, practice immobility in this mobile world. Disconnect to connect! See the difference and choose. One always has a choice. Choose wisely.

Love,

Juju

PES !

PES!

I am sitting at my workplace. A known friend comes and reaches out for my hand. She holds it. I am taken aback by this. Sensing my discomfort, she blurts ‘” I have come to take positive energy from you!” “Are you a PES?” I retorted. She gave me a blank look.  I explained to her, “PES implies positive energy seekers or sucker, either way. Which category do you belong?” She smiled and said, “Obviously, seeker.”

Our conversation over cup of tea transcended from trivial things to life altering experiences. After forty five minutes, she stood up seemingly charged and confident. Heading towards the door, she looked back and smiled, “I am in love with this word –PES, important is to be seeker. “ Swaying her ponytail she walked, there was a spurt in her stride. I felt charged and filled with positive energy too.

In my day to day life, I am wary of suckers and inadvertently invite seekers. There is a hairline difference between the two. It is of utmost importance to recognize this difference. Watch out for vibes and energy around you. In case of suckers, one feels uncomfortable and suffocated whereas in seekers, the air is light and fresh. Two alphabets “uc” make all the difference from “ee”.

It all depends upon one’s frame of mind. A happy, peaceful mind attracts seekers and a sad, restless mind attracts suckers. Important is “uc : you see” the suckers, almost always. Avoid them at any cost. If at all, the circumstances are unavoidable, keep the meeting as brief as possible. Have a circle of seekers and you will always feel your battery is charged up. Don’t let your battery drain.

(With inputs from my Popsie & Dr. Merchant , my mentor) - With a seeker the flow of positive energy should be both ways so that you are not drained,  whereas with a sucker the flow is one way only. 

Next time, do ask yourself whom you are dealing with! Learn to differentiate PES (seeker) from PES (sucker). Charge your mind’s battery every single day.

Happy charging

Love,

Juju

T&C apply

T&C apply

In all important documents, all of us must have noticed that terms and conditions are mentioned in very small size, barely visible to naked eye. There is a reason behind this strategy. What is appearing large and obvious is relevant, but the small alphabets at the bottom form the crux. So often, one tends to ignore the small written content and reads what the seller wants us to read.  The seller knows the mind of the buyer way too much than the buyer himself.This is one of the most time tested technique for allurement.

T & C is applicable to every aspect of our lives. In every work sphere, every relationship there exist terms and conditions. Mother nature, functions in an immaculate way by its own laws. Any species, who challenges the laws, tends to face the wrath. There are innumerable incidences which one can read and must have witnessed too in their lives.

To harness the wild energy of man, certain terms and conditions were laid down by learned sect of the society. From childhood, these are slowly incorporated. In the house, everybody has a assigned role, which works towards the common goal of peace, security, happiness and progress of family. School works on different terms with regular attendance, assignments submission, examination etc. As one grows, accordingly the terms and conditions change. 

Work culture and marriage has its own set of terms and conditions.  The larger script deals with all the positive, motivating values like hard work, health, happiness, joy, serenity, etc .The smaller script mentions all the negativity like failure, disease, sadness, stress etc. If one focuses on the smaller script, one tends to feel skeptical and afraid of life. However, if the larger script is read out loud and with full convinction, one tends to live life more meaningfully. Here the seller is God and he is selling a beautiful life with certain terms and conditions to preserve mother earth. 

Do read up terms and conditions but keep focus on the larger script. It’s time to introspect the t & c in one’s own life.

(Word of caution: the terms and conditions of reading this write up, is to share this in maximum groups).

The truth is, I  love all my readers without any terms and conditions.

Love,

Juju

Through a child's lens ! Born to rebel!

Through a child's lens!

P.S. This write up is written in a light vein to add humor to real life anecdotes as perceived by me as a child. If one is true to oneself, you will echo the same feelings. 

Who is a rebel? There are various ways to define this depending upon the sphere of activity. I define myself as a born rebel, giving my Momsie a real hard time. I challenged her ways of expression of showing mother's love by pouring extra ghee in meals or filling (almost overflowing) cup of milk, adding grated bottle gourd in yogurt, chopping vegetables so fine and tiny, that they cannot be picked separately by spoon or fork. And one ends up eating them. This conduct seems like a heinous crime to a small child.  In spite of asking what to cook for lunch, my mother prepares some entirely different meal, also accounts to breach of trust. To a child (here I refer to myself) mother seems no different than a Jai Chand, many a times.  

As my journey around the sun increased, so did the rebel in me started raising  it's fang. At times I feel, I was instrumental in premature wisdom highlights in my mother. It must have been a very difficult for my creator to handle such a child who challenged her nearly every belief. I remember distinctly, I was very vocal about a board outside Dilwara temple, Mount Abu, Rajasthan ,India. It clearly mentioned, "Women, who were having periods were prohibited from entering the temple." Believe me! my Momsie could not make me understand the logic behind this statement. 

As a child, I have locked myself in the washroom on some miniscule thing. Then, cried my heart out, when I could not open the latch. My Momsie had to make our house help (luckily he was of small frame) squeeze through the bathroom window to help me get out. I didn't get any scolding (though I know now, I deserved to be spanked). Rather my mom was concerned about her child's well being. 

Once, my mother cut off few labels off my favorite frock while I was attending school. She must have never imagined, this action by her scissors would yield an unpleasant noon and evening. When I returned from school, I felt hurt and betrayed. I slipped under the double bed and wailed my heart out. Out of all the dresses, why did she chose my favorite dress to be sacrificed. I cried for nearly two hours. I vividly remember, my mother bent down on her knees and trying to spread her arm under the bed to reach for me. I kept moving away from her. My elder brother and sisters got irritated to the core by my monotonous, sharp wail. They kept telling my mom to leave me alone. But my mom said, "She's hungry, how can I leave her?"

Exchanging school tiffin with my Malayali friend was a routine. Parantha/ poori / pickle were exchanged for idli chutney. Then I  learnt “Barter system”. My mom would pack extra paranth/ poori's as she believed idli were not fulfilling.

Although a rebel at heart, I could always feel her unconditional love and support all the time. One incident which is very vivid in my memory is of a train journey to my maternal grand -parents. I was given the impression that Popsie was accompanying us (I am very close to him). My siblings knew that Popsie had come to just drop us at the station. When the train started, my heart beat skipped, my dad was on the platform. I thought he had missed the train. I screamed for help, requested mom to pull the chain, but to no avail. She kept telling me, that Dad had boarded the next coach. At every station, I waited to catch a glimpse of him. I cried for full six hours, throughout the duration of journey. On reaching our destination, I felt betrayed and back stabbed. I made a pledge with myself, never to believe my mother and siblings. Suddenly they seemed alien. How could they do this to a seven year old child? I wept myself to sleep that ill fated night. 

To make things more difficult, my siblings tried their level best to make me feel like an adopted child. The story they always told me, goes like this. All of them had gone to a pilgrimage place. My parents spotted a very fair, cute child in arms of a beggar seeking alms. On threatening the beggar with dire consequences, the beggar gave the child.  The child was adorable and my parents didn’t feel like leaving the child. This way, I made an entry into my family. Can you believe it? My mother literally had to show the hospital records where I was born. There are so many other tormenting incidents (Really ? no way) which are now a part of my treasured memories.  

Fast-forward many years, these incidents became cherished memories which we would joke about. Often my mother recalls, “Raju! what a tough time you gave to all of us. Only if God blessed you with a child like yourself, then only you would realise that parenting is an art!"

Through a child's lens, all these incidents were life altering as it had elements of breach of trust and dishonesty (Ha ! Ha!). Looking back I feel, I deserved a little more strict upbringing. My parents and family’s unconditional love and support helped me in shaping up the way I am. I pray to God, when my children are in their forties and they look back, they say," Mom dad, you have done a wonderful job. You are awesome."

Like I want to convey to my Momsie- Popsie, “You are wonderful parents and have taught us ways of life, both in our personal and professional front. Pray that we can become like you or somewhere near ”.

Keep reading # keep sharing # Keep inspiring# keep shining.

Love

Juju.

The Closure! Part 2

P.S. This write up is dedicated to all the souls who left their mortal form suddenly, who were alone in their last moment or did not get a proper farewell as per their rituals and customs. Dedicated to my school friend who is unable to come to terms with loss of her parent and seeks my help. Pray this helps !

Human beings live life as if, they are immortal. The awareness about mortality has been deeply buried. Time and again, the vulnerable aspect of human life strikes and the slumber is broken. Some handle it in a stride, few tend to remain shaken, for  others, it may take a long time to come to terms with reality .

Covid pandemic has been one of the greatest tool in bringing this fact on surface. Human beings are vulnerable and mortal. Yet, many  people tend to forget this. Last eighteen months have witnessed many instances. So many people were half way across the globe when their loved ones left on higher journeys. The pain of not being in their last moment or in being a part of their last journey has given rise to many psychological issues. The feeling of helplessness is a very strong emotion. 

One must need to accept the fact that, "In the court of God ,there is no appeal. One must accept his will gracefully". My Popsie's sentence when my mother left on her higher journey. There should be no space for guilt. The moment is decided by God. When the time comes, there is  no way, one can postpone it. This phase is very tender, tiring with numerous ongoing inner conflicts. The events tend to replay repeatedly in one's mind. One tries to find areas of mistakes or moments where a better decision could have been taken so as to beat death. It is of great importance to remind oneself that the decisions taken in those circumstances were the best. 

Gradually, each one finds ways of closures. That closure is near complete healing. Some like to keep few things of their loved ones as memoirs. Few cook meals, which was the deceased one's favourite. Few try to identify the habits in their siblings, some try to carry forward their legacy or give a meaning to their unfinished tasks. Or few dedicate a book to their loved ones, just like me.

My book Momsie Popsie Diary -Tea time chit chat on living life, is my closure. Now I can talk about my mother and my eyes don't get wet. It took me nearly five years to find my closure. Hope all of you find your closures!

Just a fleeting thought ! Is this really a closure ? Or we are fooling ourselves into believing it! 

Don't analyse life, enjoy life. 

The show must go on. 

Love, 

Juju.

Indiscipline Vs Discipline

Indiscipline Vs Discipline

A baby is born in this world, free, natural and pure. The entire family tries to inculcate discipline in the little child right from the next moment. Be it feeding schedule, bathing schedule, toilet training etc. Somehow, what the newborn learns depends upon the learning experience of the teachers - parents and family. 

During the initial years, the carefree, natural soul is conditioned as per family's and society values. Everything seems black and white with no transition zones. It,s either right or wrong. Gradually, the child becomes a disciplined and cultured person. The situation changes when the time comes to fly from the nest.

Welcome aboard ! the arena of life - big world. There is exposure to different culture and traditions. Many of us start to feel suffocated in our disciplined moulds. Lucky are those ,who can control/modify the breaking of their cast and embrace life as it is. If this spell is broken, indiscipline is bound to make its way. It is always right there, waiting for a chance. 

Indiscipline has many alibis. Like a slow poison, deterioration starts to happen in all spheres, be it health, financial or  personal. For nearly four decades , I have lived a disciplined life before I was suddenly hit. It changed my perspective towards life and indiscipline creeped in. My mother, my Momsie left for her higher journey in my lap six years ago. 

My thinking changed and I started doing things, like I had never ever done before. The excuse was ," Finally one has go ! No body ever walks to his/her pyre/ grave. So, live life as if there is no tomorrow." The philosophy was correct, but the means to achieve it were not right. 

Gradually, I gained extra kilos, became withdrawn from social circles, became an introvert. This reflected in my overall behaviour, my dressing sense, my eating habits etc. I was jolted out of this phase by my angel in heaven. She came in my dreams and remarked, " What have you done to yourself? Is this your way of expressing that you miss me ? No, you are just finding an excuse to justify your indiscipline!" 

The next morning rays brought clarity and hope in my life. My vision was crystal clear. My life of indiscipline moved back to life of discipline. Now, it shows in my all spheres - personal, professional and social. The journey of discipline is a tedious, rocky terrain with lots of green meadows and breathtaking waterfalls on either side. No matter what, just don't budge from your path and enjoy the journey.

Our nature works in a disciplined way, in complete harmony with all elements of life - land, water, sky, fire and spirit. We, human beings should learn to live in discipline and in harmony with nature. 

After a wobbly half decade of indiscipline , I am back to my disciplined ways . Hope all of you chose your path wisely.

Love , 

Juju!