Time Spent With My Daughter

The six days spent with my daughter was indeed good. It was time well spent with her. It is over, for 

today she left for Mumbai by the evening flight. And in another 4 days she would be leaving for London. I don't know when we might get together again. As they say, all good things must come to an end. However, I am happy for her, and wish her a wonderful life in London with her husband Ram.

They are both very good people, and I know that good people always do well in their lives.

The day she landed here in  Bangalore , she wanted me to make Vatha Kouzumbu for lunch as that is her favorite dish to have with rice, and my husband promptly went and bought Okra for her , which again is her favorite vegetable dish, which he himself made for her.
She dragged us to Phoenix Market City Mall in Whitefield, the same evening, both of us had a nice time there, only poor husband was bored to death, so we just had a look at what was on sale (which itself took us nearly more than 2 hours), and decided to come back again to do the real shopping/ buying.

The next day we had an appointment with the Tattoo studio, and we knew once we had gone there, we would not be able to return before 8.3 p m.
Tattoo artists are late risers, for they come late in the afternoon and work till late evening / night, depending  on the work they end up with. It needs lots of back bending concentration and precision in their work. They are really patient, and devoted in their work, one must really love tattooing to have all these characteristics. You would be surprised that some of them are studying engineering, some of them are doctors and architects and so on.
Once you see them working you come to appreciate them and genuinely feel that they deserve every penny they charge.
I had already decided what I wanted to get tattooed, but unfortunately the person who is supposed to be an expert in the field of portrait tattoo fell ill and so I could not get the portrait tattoo done.
However, I had other tattoos to be done, which would have been difficult to combine with the portrait tattoo, which I wanted to be done, so I decided to get the small tattoos  since we had an appointment with them. My daughter too wanted an Ankh Tattoo put on her ankle,( it symbolises life/ forever/ growth /evolution). So Sunday went off at the tattoo studio.

On the nape of my neck

You all already know my relationship with Time

BTW, (12.48 a m) that was the time I was born in the cold month of December

Mary Poppins just popped out of nowhere, and just got magically placed behind my ear: a real cute tattoo, just  the right size. Seeing my tattoos my dear friend  Padmaja wrote a poem on that, which I must share it here:

"Well after looking at the pics you sent, you energized me so much, I felt like writing these lines for you!

ZEST

The rainbow and the colorful butterflies
The dew drops on the rose garden
The sound of the splashing rain
The sweet smile on the new born's face
All remind me of her, her zest for life
Zest is the secret of her beauty
And that zest has a second name called Rama!"
Love Padmaja


Thank you Padmaja for this lovely poem. I will always treasure it.

Our Mall mania was not yet over, we decided to leave Ananth at home and go and shop peacefully. We went back to all the shops we had checked out during our earlier visit, and had a gala time trying out various outfits, and finally selecting the ones we liked. we had such fun shopping. Although I enjoy shopping alone, I also enjoy shopping with like minded people, and my daughter happens to be one of them.

Next we had to check out the just opened Starbucks Coffee in the same Mall. We got to taste lots of free coffee too, as we ordered our Espresso and Cappuccino.

My daughter had some wonderful time playing with her dog Loki, and also with our dog Bumbilli.
Though we don't allow dogs on bed, however, this once, I let her dog snuggle with her on her bed. I felt bad for both of them, for they were used to it, and  I did not have the heart to be strict now.
Anyway it was just for a few days: let them enjoy their bonding, for God knows when they would get to meet  once she left for London.
 I must say, her dog Loki is not fussy, he is very adaptable, he full of life and is always happy,  he loves to sleep  outside in his basket along with Bumbilli and the night watchman.
Here  is a picture of them together: bed-

sheets can be washed, but their love for each other cannot be washed away, it is there to stay forever, although they may not be together for long, so let them enjoy the  togetherness just for a little while. 

 There  is no doubt that we are all going to miss her, but she has a life of her own, and we must let her go. We can see each other, talk  with each other through G talk/ Skype, : modern technology is there by our side. Her stay with us has come to an end today, however, she leaves behind pleasant memories to revisit again and again.

'F' For: Father, Dear Father!

                The greatest gift I ever had  Came from God; I call him Dad!  ~Author Unknown 

  

"Dad, there are some memories in life that remain for a short time while and others stick with you forever. All the times I've spent with you are going to be sweet memories for the rest of my life. Let's raise a toast today and celebrate the beginning of yet another wonderful year in your life and cherish memories that we can have forever".....

       He would always have a smile, and here he is smiling so nicely. (the photo is a bit blurred)

This post/re-post is for my father for he would be completing 91 years on the 15th of May.
I know it is still a few days away,  but, the letter 'F', was enough to make me think of my father, and I thought it would be good to share a few things about my father.

I have already shared this story with all my blogger friends a few years back, but I feel it is alright to share it once more.
So here I am sharing something interesting about my father....

 A  wedding in the family— I am excited for I hear my dad is coming to attend it. He is staying with me for a whole week— I can't believe it!

The minute he enters the house he starts chatting with us non- stop….. for there are so many things to ask, so many things to share etc. etc. He is a real store – house of knowledge …. we have to just ask him something, and he would give a detailed explanation, amazing us with his intelligence, sharp memory, and great sense of humour. He would go back to his younger days and relate all the stories of how he met and married my mother.

Those days marriage was not a matter of choice …. it involved marrying for various reasons. Marrying within the family was considered to be best option for everybody. For example if your father’s sister had 5 or 6 daughters to be married it is the duty of the father to bring home at least one of his sister’s daughter as his daughter- in- law, this way he was helping in reducing the burden from his sister’s shoulders. Similarly an uncle could marry his own niece.

 This was the custom followed for ages all over south, though now it is not so much in vogue, but still some people follow it . As long as it is not direct blood relation everything is okay. One can’t even think of such things these days.

Well, my father married his mother’s brother’s daughter, (which is my mother). According to him he was given the choice of marrying any 1 of the 2 daughters, who were suitable for his age. But he was in a dilemma, for both were good looking, and it was up to him to choose. So he changed the names of the girls in their horoscopes and also  changed his name in his horoscope, (because everybody knew everybody, the astrologer would not even bother to match horoscopes when it is in the family), so my father cheated a little and made him match the horoscope saying it was for a friend. Of the two only one matched, which happened to be my mother’s horoscope, and thus the choice was made. Another distant cousin married the elder daughter, in fact both my father and his cousin married the respective girls on the same day to save money. That was the way things were done in those days, one had to keep everything in the mind.

 But, although my parents remained happily married for 49 years, they were the sort of couple who could never see eye to eye on any issue, and since my father had the dominating streak, what he said only prevailed. My mother although loved him deeply, she hated this attitude. He had jokingly revealed to her, how he made the choice of marrying her, and whenever my mother happened to meet that astrologer, she would tell him that she felt like tying him to pole and give him 100 whip lashes.

 My parents life was full of ups and downs. Whenever my parents did get along, my mother would ask my father, to tell her the truth ….. that he married her because he fell for her, and he would always tell her it was not love. Now he is all alone, and he feels bad that he never told her how much he loved her.  He said he could have told her that at least once, but he was too proud to admit that to her.

But I am sure she must have guessed it long time ago, but simply wanted to know right from the horse’s mouth.  Now he feels her loss so much, that he would keep going back to the days when they were really happy, and he says they were made for each other despite their differences, that  the universe works in mysterious ways, though he thought at that time he could choose between the 2 sisters, and tried to hoodwink the astrologer, he must have known deep in his heart that it was my mother he always wanted to marry.

 This, coming from my father, now when my mother is no longer here to feel happy to hear it, was really moving.  However, this is not the first time I am hearing him say this, for I have heard this story many times from him, but only after my mother passed away, which was  almost 21 years ago. 
The moral of the story:

Don't wait until it's too late to tell someone how much you love and how much you care about them, Because when they're gone, no matter how loud you shout and cry, they won't hear you anymore. Well, this is just one interesting story about my father and mother, there are many, many more, but it would take volumes to write about each every interesting facets of their turbulent lives together.

Accidents and my father are made for each other, but he would never let such incidents bother him. He would pick himself up from the scene of accident, and bleeding all over, he would be back home in the same moped. Being a Pharmacy graduate he would know what medicines to apply and within 2/3 days he would be back to normal, with not even a single mark or scar to show how badly he was hurt.

Many times he has got hit by  somebody while he was travelling in his moped, left there in the middle of the road, to deal with it all by himself, and as usual he has got back on his feet and  come home riding the moped with lot of pain everywhere in his body, saying as usual, that, his time was not alright that he must have troubled the fellow who hit him and went off,  in some previous birth, and that it is all part of the game.......

Surprisingly not a single person has ever helped him during such accidents. Somehow God has given him the strength to pull himself up and keep moving without looking back. 

He can still walk faster than any of us, and would always take the stairs instead of the lift.
 He still likes to have everything under his control, like his finances, his freedom to live life on his own terms, and that dominating streak has still not left him, putting him into lot of trouble, unnecessarily.

                       This picture was taken last year when he had come to visit us

  I can only say that, I am proud to have had such a loving and patient mother, and I am equally proud to have such a wonderful father, who, may have been very proud at one time and still is  but is definitely a man with a very good heart and a great smile.   He has made it clear to us that after his death, he wants us to donate his body to the hospital for research purposes. I am sure he would be a good candidate for this purpose, for he has never had any surgery, he has never been seriously ill, in fact there are lots of stipulations for a  body donor but I am sure, he would be eligible.  He must have thought about these things and must be fully aware of the requirements: so if that is his wish, let it be granted.
He keeps saying, : I am waiting for the battery to go off any time.....

                                                       Appa you look so good

 He looks the same even after almost 4 years (this picture was taken at our daughter's wedding reception). The lady on the left is my elder sister.

Happy Birthday Day Dear Appa!

Break From The Past: the break ( Part 7)

There he was!  
I had to catch my breath for he was looking so handsome: nobody would believe he was 60, he looked like a 40 or 45 year old man, very successful and confident in  life--- I could almost feel myself melting, like a burning candle, just watching him. He was there right  in front of me, I felt like running to him and hugging him, showering him with kisses and wishing him, but I why was I hesitant, what was stopping me,  why and from where had this awkward distance  come between us?

I had slogged the whole day  in the kitchen, all the while, thinking tender and loving thoughts about him, reliving in my mind the wonderful life we had led, the unflinching love that we thought would never go sour. Where had all that love gone... why can't he be the one to come and hug me and be the one to break the ice, oh God, why not him?

Okay, I told to myself, I could be the  one to break the ice, for in love there can be no competition, there was no place for 'ego" to stand as a wall between us, and I was determined to make this a very happy occasion for both of us. Although, he looked good there was something bothering him always, and I knew it was his work, it was taking a toll on him and on our relationship. I was confident that a little TLC was what he needed: I must somehow make him loosen up and kiss away all his worries, provided if he would only let me..

 He seemed to be in a good mood, but only for a second, for as soon as he saw me watching that awful serial, (The B & B) I could see his expression change, a little too soon,  into disgust. Then his eyes fell on the Champagne bottle chilling in the ice- tub, the elegantly set table, the expensive crockery, and then he turned to look at me, sitting all decked up, as if for a party….then he  just went  rushing towards  the TV and punched the buttons in a fit of anger, and  before I could even open my mouth, he slapped me!

 I could hardly believe what had just happened …… he had the audacity to slap me….. me -- for no apparent reason. In all these years he had never done  such a thing, what had come over him all of a sudden?

 Then he started his usual taunts and verbal abuses, and before I could even comprehend the meaningless  nonsense, he went to the dining table, picked up the Champagne bottle and smashed it on the floor. “This is my house",  he shouted, “knowing very well how I detest such idiotic serials, you never stop watching them day after day”,  he growled at me. “What is this nonsense going on in this house --- a party for your dancing students, behind my back is it?”

 I didn't bother to answer him….leaving him yelling there,  I quietly walked up the stairs to our room. I was not afraid of him, I could have stood and fought with him, I could have also taken some glasses and thrown at him, but : I did not want to stoop to his level. I felt there was no point in arguing about our miserable situation, the dreaded " Break" was staring right on my face, I had to accept it, with whatever dignity that was still left in me.  I felt so humiliated, I had such positive thoughts about us, and,  how confident I had felt just a few seconds ago: only to get slapped and insulted by him for no reason at all..

I quickly threw some clothes and a few other things that came to hand into a suitcase, and came down.  I said, “I am leaving you Chandran, I can no longer take this kind of behavior from you. Something is wrong with you, and it is time you did something about it, I am never going to come back”.  

I could still feel the sting on my cheek where he had hit me : tears welled up in my eyes, ready to burst out.  I looked at Chandran, and turned round to take one last look at our house which held so many good memories, and stepped out of the door..... forever....

(To be continued)

Break From The Past: Party Time (part 6)

The  venue chosen for  the party was absolutely amazing, with glittering lights, a specially erected stage for the music band, and below the stage we could see some couples dancing. It felt so good to be there, and everybody was coming and congratulating Chandran for relentlessly working so hard for the company's growth.
For me it was an honor to be by his side. Both of us had a really good time. The drinks, the snacks, and the food were great and so was the music, and the band had us dancing to their catchy numbers. We lost ourselves in the scintillating music,  and danced to the music changing  our steps and our tempo to the beat of the music : sometimes jive, then mambo, and then again….I don’t know what,  I didn't even care, there was a spontaneity in our steps, making us forget all our unsolved problems for the time being. There was only one thought dancing through my mind -  “may this night never end.”

One among several things I learnt after moving to America was dancing.  I loved dancing so much that it didn’t take me long to became a certified Dance Instructor.  It had been ages since, Chandran and I danced together. The fights between us had grown to such gigantic proportions that we never felt like dancing with each other ever again. But not today, for today we had left everything behind us . We danced and danced, literally setting the floor on fire. I recalled my dance teacher saying, “while dancing, forget everything, and only look into the eyes of the partner, make love to him through your eyes.”  

She was so passionate about dancing, that it was contagious : whoever learnt dancing from her  became as passionate as she was, about this sensuous art, and wanted to be as perfect as her.  If the partner happened to be your own husband, then, there was nothing to stop you from showering your passion on him through your eyes, your body movements.
 Oh! if there was bliss in this Universe it was here, it was here, on this dance floor. For once in our lives we were truly happy. 
 Soon, Chandran’s new responsibilities took him more and more away from me. But I did not mind it so much, for my dance classes  kept me occupied, and I was happy  doing the thing I really enjoyed doing.  Since Chandran's business tours kept him away for long periods of time, I decided to take some evening classes, for there were lot of people who wanted to take the class in the evenings.

When he was home, sometimes I used to reschedule my classes, thinking we could spend some quality time together.  But that was not to be, as Chandran always had some presentation to work on, or something else to keep him engaged and away from me. This kept on happening till I got fed up for neither was I  able to spend time with him nor was I able to take my evening dance classes . So I decided not to waste any more time, and started taking my classes as usual.
As fate would have it, I got busy when he got free, and then he started noticing my absence. He could have just told me he needed me,  and I would have rescheduled my classes, but no, he said nothing . Slowly the taunts started, then the accusation, then slowly it led to many unpleasant things, and  living with him became impossible. I tried very hard, but soon I realized there was no point in continuing to live with him like that: it was time to move on.

The real breaking point came when he started, spying on me, always asking me questions as to where I had been, who I was talking to over the phone, who came to the house while he was not there, and even controlling what I should be watching on  TV, and what I should not. Those days the daily soap opera Bold and The Beautiful had just started, and everybody was watching it .  I too was hooked into it.  Though on certain days it would be quite boring, still,  I would be watching it. He used to get very irritated whenever I saw that serial, and then he would go on and on cribbing about the serial. He felt that such serials were responsible for giving crazy ideas to people like me to flirt around with men in the name of teaching dancing.  He even accused that people like me had lost all sense of morality and dignity.  I ignored all these signals, thinking this too would pass.

Then, it was the day when he was to turn 60. In India especially in the South where we come from the, 60^th birthday of a man is celebrated with lot of fanfare. Man and Wife renewed their marriage wows in front of their children and grand children : it is a very happy occasion.  Since we were not going to have that kind of a celebration in the US,  I thought I would just do something special for him, and make that day memorable.

 I prepared all his favorite dishes, spent hours in the kitchen forgetting all our animosity and anger. I had even bought a lovely birthday gift for him. I set the table with the finest crockery in the house, lovingly collected by us on our various trips abroad.  The Champagne was in the ice tub getting nicely chilled.  My heart was on fire, I was excited, and was eagerly awaiting his arrival.  Somehow I felt that everything would be fine between us, for I still could not forget that time when we danced the whole night away, and we were so happy. I was expecting the same miracle to happen.  I kept picturing the same old Chandran, who dragged me from the crowded bus years ago: the Chandran with whom I fell in love the minute I set my eyes on him. I felt a flutter in my heart: Chandran had not really disappeared, I had not lost him, for he was there, he was very much there, and very much part of me as I was of him.
But why was it taking him so long, was it the traffic?
I switched on the TV, just in time, to watch the ever boring repeats of "The Bold & The Beautiful" when, Chandran walked in………

To be continued...

Break From The Past: When things fall apart... (Part 5)

We settled in sunny California. Life was good, we made lots of friends, went travelling around America as much as we could, whenever we could, we were happy in the real sense. Time, had moved very fast. Our children were now young adults,  the twins and the 3rd one were doing great. They were doing well in their respective fields, they were  grown up boys,  independent,  living in  apartments near their University. I found myself with lot of time in my hands, and embarked into learning the things that I always wanted to learn,  but could not because of being busy with home and children. Everything has its own time, and my time to learn had come knocking at my door.

I was pleased with myself, and I was truly happy. Unlike Australia, life was not so laid back, and I enjoyed every bit of it. I thought Chandran too,  would be pleased to see me learning to do so many things all by myself. But something was not right between us ---- something was seriously wrong ----- When did things go wrong, I cannot put my finger to it . Everyday little things were enough to spark a fight between us for no apparent reason, when previously one of us would always make up (and I used to love our making up so much that sometimes I would deliberately find reasons to fight with him). But alas, now none of us  bothered about making up, we were too proud to be the first one to say sorry....... the ego that was absent between us so far had somehow, crept into our lives.
Could things really become so bad between two people who were supposed to be so much in love with each other?
What went wrong, why????
I racked my brain to find answers to so many questions, that was plaguing me non- stop.

 Each time I did something interesting and praise-worthy he would only try and find fault with me. He even started to degrade me in front of friends though in a humorous manner .. it didn't hurt so much in the beginning, but when it became a standard pattern with him, taunting and always poking fun at me, it really hurt. I could not believe that this was the same Chandran whom I fell in love,  got married and had three kids with him. At first I let it go, thinking it was pressure from his job that was making him behave like that...... for it was true he was really working very hard, and was also doing very well in his company. He had to travel quite a lot, and when he came back he was always too tired for anything. I tried to be understanding, made his favorite dishes whenever he was home, did not depend on him for each and everything, and did not give him the chance to complain. But the more I tried, the more crankier and disgusting he became.

After having been married to him for more than 20 years, I suddenly started to wonder if something was wrong with me ------- why do I blame him only, maybe I need to change myself. I  was literally killing myself mentally,  trying to figure out what was it that was not right about me.
Then one day,  Chandran came with the good news that, he was made the Director of the company, for the board was very pleased with his work. He was so excited and happy. He said, that the company was happy with way their business had increased, and to celebrate that, they had organised a party, and we were to attend that. That day, I saw my old Chandran who I had thought, I had lost forever.
He lifted me, and held me high and said he was able reach this position because of me. I was shocked to hear such nice words from him.....I was moved to tears,  hearing him say such lovely things, which were music to my ears.......... I loved him so much that words were inadequate to describe the joy I felt in his strong arms.......I thanked the Almighty for all that was happening at that particular moment.. I was not going to let this God sent happy moments to pass by. No point in brooding about the bitter past, for in the present everything was fine, and  we must be fully happy and enjoy the moment, without any resentment.

He immediately took me shopping, saying I deserved a new dress, and that he would love to help me in my selection of dress.  We had always shopped together till things started to go wrong  between us. Now he acted as if nothing was wrong between us, as if we had never fought. I was ready to let go, and I felt that maybe I was right to think that all the bitterness between us was caused by the tensions in his job.
Well, he took me to the best boutique in town, and helped me try various outfits, all of them so beautiful that, I didn't have the heart to leave any of them. Then when I wore the black shimmering dress, and came out to show him, he just kept staring at me, as if he was seeing me for the first time. It was indeed a beautiful dress, with a wide deep neck,  that highlighted my broad shoulders beautifully. It  had a gold lace wrap,  that had to be worn as a shawl/ stole, and gold sandals to match it. It was too good!
 The look in his eyes told me what I wanted to know, and  we asked the sales person to pack it. That indeed was one of my best days in a long long time. I decided to enjoy every bit of it. 
The change that came upon us was magical, and unbelievable, as if the bad period was just a pause in our relationship. What brought about this kind of drastic change, all of a sudden, why was I ready to accept this change without any thought?
I had no answers. I pushed all these silly questions from my mind,  wiped the slate clean, and looked forward to happy times ahead.

The day of the party arrived. Chandran was looking so handsome in  black suit, with the white shirt, and the beautiful tie I had bought for him as a birthday gift many years ago. We were all set to go ......

(To be continued)

Love is in the air....

Dance like no one's watching,
love like you'll never be hurt,
sing like no one's listening,
live like it's heaven on earth....William Purky.

"Spend time in a flower garden. Stay there as long as you wish, but make sure your visit is long enough to take in the various charms that the world of blossoms and petals provides. You can sit in a chair or on the grass, lie down looking up at the flowers from below, or walk around. However you choose to spend your time, be aware that you are a guest in someone else's home — nature's — so act accordingly.

Love has many colors

"I am the dust in the sunlight, I am the ball of the sun . . .   
I am the mist of morning,  the breath of evening . . . .
I am the spark in the stone, the gleam of gold in the metal . . . .
The rose and the nightingale drunk with its fragrance.
I am the chain of being, the circle of the spheres,
The scale of creation, the rise and the fall.
I am what is and is not . . . 
I am the soul in all."
-  Rumi

A garden isn't meant to be useful. It's for joy. -- Rumer Godden

Lighting of the lamp of love (source:The Speaking Tree).

Our  " Raath Ki Rani" tree looking so pretty

Oil lamps and candles

Pretty, pretty candles

One doesn't have to spend much in lighting up the house

Simply lighting the house  with candles and earthen diyas makes all the difference

The traditional breakfast

An antique mirror we got it cheap from Ooty

Our house glittering with lights

Ram, Sita, Lakshman,and Hanuman: the victory of good over the evil A colorful festival that is celebrated by all Hindus worldwide is Deepavali, which is also known as the festival of lights. This festival usually falls around late October and November. One important practice that the Hindus follow during the festival is to light oil lamps in their homes on Deepavali morning. By lighting the oil lamps, the Hindus are thanking the gods for the happiness, knowledge, peace and wealth that they have received. The Hindus consider Deepavali as one of the most important festivals to celebrate. Rangoli There is even an interesting legend behind this festival. The story goes that Narakasura, a demon, ruled the kingdom of Pradyoshapuram. Under his rule, the villagers suffered a lot of hardship as the demon tortured the people and kidnapped the women to be imprisoned in his palace. Seeing his wickedness, Lord Khrishna set out to destroy the demon and the day Narakasura died was celebrated as Deepavali, the triumph of good over evil! If there is one occasion which is all joy and all jubilation for one and all - the young and the old, men and women - for the entire Hindu world, it is Deepavali - the Festival of Lights. Even the humblest of huts will be lighted by a row of earthern lamps. Crackers resound and light up the earth and the sky. In northern parts of Bharat, (India) Deepavali is associated with the return of Sri Rama to Ayodhya after vanquishing Raavana. The people of Ayodhya, overwhelmed with joy, welcomed Rama through jubilation and illumination of the entire capital. Well has it been said that while Sri Rama unified the north and south of our country, Sri Krishna unified the west and the east. Sri Rama and Sri Krishna together therefore symbolize the grand unity of our motherland. In Hindu philosophy darkness is compared to ignorance and lighting the lamp has significance of driving away ignorance and gaining knowledge. Hindus begin their prayers and rituals by first lighting an oil lamp. For an oil lamp to burn, the wick has to be in the oil, yet out of the oil. If the wick is drowned in oil, it cannot bring light.  Life is like the wick of the lamp; you have to be in the world yet remaining untouched by it. If you are drowned in the materialism of the world, you cannot bring joy and knowledge in your life. By being in the world, yet not drowning in the worldly aspect of it, we can be the light of joy and knowledge. Lamps are lit on this day not just to decorate homes, but also to communicate this profound truth.  Every human being has some good qualities. Every lamp that you light is symbolic of this. By lighting the lamp of wisdom in you, you light up latent values and by acquiring knowledge; you awaken all the facets of your being. When they are lit and awakened, it is Deepawali. Don't be satisfied with lighting just one lamp; light a thousand, for you need to light many lights to dispel the darkness of ignorance.  Another profound symbolism is in the firecrackers. In life, you often become like a firecracker, waiting to explode with your pent-up emotions, frustration and anger. When you suppress your emotions, cravings, aversions, hatred, you reach a bursting point. Bursting crackers is a psychological exercise to release bottled-up emotions. When you see an explosion outside, you feel similar sensations within you as well. Along with the explosion, there is so much light. Let go of these emotions, so serenity dawns. You can experience newness when you discard these pent-up emotions. Deepawali means to be in the present, so drop the regrets of the past and the worries of the future and live in the moment.  Sweets and gifts symbolise the dispelling of the bitterness and renewal of friendship. Deepawali is a time to throw light on the wisdom you have gained and welcome a new beginning. When true wisdom dawns, it gives rise to celebration. But don't let celebration make you lose your focus and awareness. To maintain awareness in the midst of celebrations, the ancients created rituals: puja brings sacredness. For the same reason, Deepawali is also the time for pujas that add depth to the festivities by infusing the spiritual aspect.  Celebration includes the spirit of seva or service. Share. In giving, we receive. Celebration also means dissolving all differences and basking in the glory of the atman. Happiness and wisdom have to be spread and that can happen when all come together and celebrate in knowledge.  Deepawali is the celebration of the wisdom thus born. For the one who is not in knowledge, Deepawali comes only once a year, but for the wise, Deepawali is every moment and every day. This Deepawali, celebrate with knowledge and take a sankalpa (intention) to serve humanity.  Our Cashew tree is glowing with lights. It is making her blush with all the attention...    Happy Deepawali To One And All!