A Good start..

When Mr. Modi was proposing the one day janata curfew to be held on 22nd March, I was planning to spend the day with family as it was papa's birthday.

The thought of not doing so saddened me when hubby suggested to drop me off at home on 21st night and I rejoiced at the thought of having an awesome Sunday.

Morning started with an awesome workout on the terrace where dear Mr sun showered beneficial and harmless rays to restore vitamin D levels and boost my energy for a fun packed day.

A few updates on covid-19 followed. Although its available all over newspapers, news channels, WhatsApp and all social media, I am very choosy at reading any information as such and with so much being thrown at us every minute by way of memes, jokes, alerts and new remedies, it is foolish to binge on every bit.

So I was back to youtube on the led listening to gurudev songs. After decided the lunch menu, we were all set to quickly get ready and set to finish the kitchen chores.

A traditional rajasthani dal baati main course with delectable corriandar chatni (courtesy bhavana didi) and a variety of sweets awaited to be relished. We started with a delicious blend of baati, ghee and jaggery called churma (papa's speciality) and then binged into dal baati.

Post lunch, the board games that no one saw for years came out. A game of carrom, few games of Chinese checkers and cards took us all through our childhoods.

And while we were all so into our games, we heard claps and thalis. We ran out to see some people in their balconies and few others at their gates. It was a very happy feeling to be cheering on, clapping for and thanking those who are selflessly working for a safer India.

Not only doctors and nurses, we were extending our gratitude to those who took patients to hospitals, who ensured there was food and milk for us, to those who sanitised stations, airports and public transport vehicles, those who kept conducting the same test with hundreds of samples, those who made medicines available

We thanked those who kept a check on new entrants to India so they can be alerted before spreading infection to others and also to those who live with us day and night and still continue to work tirelessly so our holidays are comfortable and full of fun - the moms, sisters and wives.

Fresh lime and mint juice refreshed us after a 15 minute clapping and cheering session and the WhatsApp screamed as more and more videos of the special thanksgiving kept pouring.

All of us skipped dinner as we were all content with the togetherness that this worldwide emergency forced us with.

As the day ended, I silently thanked hubby and my family for this amazingly good start to the lockdown. I stood at the balcony again to see deserted roads, and how the little virus united all of us humans not only to fight against it but also to keep each others safe.

We all look forward to getting back to our normal lives, men to get out of homes and women to reduce their workload but while we are at home, let's share little responsibilities (strengthen bonds), let's teach the games we played to our kids (show them the pros of not being in the digital era) and let's all pray for those who are ill and those who are working to cure the ill..


CHEERS!!
GOD BLESS!


CHS

Good boy, Bad boy.

Cherry "Do you want to be called a good boy or a bad boy?" I ask Cherith. "Good boy mumma" he replies sincerely..

Sometimes I find myself repeatedly asking the same question. Moreso not because of cherith himself but because of what others will think or say about him.

We have always been taught to be the good one. Good in studies, in manners, in communication, in showcasing abilities. While I agree, there is nothing wrong in all of the above, I honestly feel that this whole good boy bad boy thing goes over the top sometimes.

Everyone can not be good always, everywhere, with everyone. There is no need to either. Being good is fine but it's not all that you need to be.

Infact, we realize as we grow up that many times being good to others means a great personal loss. So it's perfectly alright to be bad as long as we don't hurt anyone else.

Come to think of it neutrally, it is totally subjective. My understanding of good can be totally different from that of cherith, hubby, my family, siblings, friends or anyone else. We can not deny that all of us look at things individually, mainly focusing on what's beneficial to us out of it.

That is the reason why parents or society doesn't approve of someone people who are in love. That is why girls are restricted to walk out of homes at night or dress a certain way. That is why marriages that have no love and trust stay alive irrespective of the fact that neither of the two is happy. That is why children are asked to learn and write abcd like everyone else does ignoring the thought that they may have their own version to education.

So I calmed myself down and am trying to tone it down. I do not want to impose my interpretation of good and bad as I fear that his true self may overshadowed when I ask him to behave or do things a particular way.

He is a child after all and he will learn things in time, I don't want him to loose his mischief, his naivety and his creativity just so he can become "My Good Boy"

While I do want him to respect elders and women, I do want him to restrain from lying and cheating, I also want him to follow his heart, make mistakes, fall and get up.

Being selfish is food for soul sometimes, being straightforward is fine as long as you are true to yourself. Fighting for your love and standing by someone who needs it is okay even there are others in disagreement. Defying a few is fair when your actions mean to benefit a larger group.

Kabhi Kabhi Auron k liye bura hona apne liye sabse accha hota hai...

Good and bad may have many interpretations, let us all keep our variations as long as we all care for each other, appreciate each other and continue to illuminate lives in our own ways...


CHEERS!!
GOD BLESS!!

CHS

Womaniya...

Its woman's week and there is so much talk about women being successful, getting empowered, rising despite challenges, conquering the odds, living happily single and taking care of children and family single handedly.

What is not spoken about is a natural phenomena still widely considered a taboo.. periods.

Let me ask you a biology question. What is the most important liquid in human body? Water. yes. Blood. Yes...

When it is ok for someone to bleed when hurt, what is it that's wrong with periods?

I have come across women shying their daughters to a corner in house, elderly ladies treating girls like untouchables, not let to do things they usually do and the worst thing women not educating their sons about the most basic issue that a girl has to deal with every month.

Bleeding is just a part of it. There is so much more that girls and women go through including mood swings, cramp, pain, lethargy, fatigue and what not, everything to be kept to herself.

I remember how I hated holidays that collided with my periods in school and college. I loved going to school and being one of all (than sitting seperately at home) I loved to play and give high fives. I liked to share the same benches and sofa as the others, enjoyed sharing lunch with friends (than eating alone), I was happy being a part of the crowd (than being looked at as if I had a contagious disease). Best was when I had them during school and college trips where I could sleep on the bed (unlike on the floor on a  mat at home)

I came across this tradition followed in South Indian households where a girl's very first period is celebrated. She is pampered and decked up like a bride, friends and family gather, the elders bless her well. It was such a new angle to the whole issue, it intrigued me always.

We, on the other hand were raised with the ideology that it is best to stay home, not touch anyone, not to attend functions or marriages, not to travel, not enter the kitchen and going to the temple was taught to be a sin. Never raised a word against all of this, its a taboo to talk about it remember?

I once asked my mom "God is the one who created us, he made us girls and it is natural for us to have periods. Then why is it that we can not pray to him during these days?" "Paap lagta hai" is what she said. I wondered if what the south indian women did was paap...

My view on periods changed when we had a candid talk about it with our school biology teacher. She pointed out that it is completely alright to go to the kitchen, cook, play, do the all the usual things during periods.

I went back home and asked mom "When you go to a shop, would you ask the salesgirl if she is having her periods, would you not purchase what you need if she is? or if you go to a lady doctor, will you not get yourself checked if she was menstruating?" she had no answer to my questions, but I had got mine...

There are women everywhere and all of  them lived their routine lives everyday, then how do we differentiate between the ones who are "Pure" and the ones who are not? May be there is not need for this segregation.

My husband did not know a thing about this, but when he did I realized his behaviour towards me during my special days never changed. He did not mind sharing food with me, he was okay with tarveling in the same vehicle. He also fought with me to make me sleep on the bed and not on the floor.

All the ideas that I was raised with regarding menstruation was nothing but someone else's convenience. Its time to make it convenient to girls and women too.

I am going to educate my son about periods in time and I request you to do teh same with your girls and boys. this is the only way we can help them have unbiased and uninterrupted mental and physical growth. There is nothing impure about periods. It is organic and healthy and there is nothing to be shamed of.

Proud of being a womaniya!!


CHEER!!
GOD BLESS!!

CHS

Baiting the rats...

Pick up the newspaper, switch to any news channel, there are more incidents than information. 

Rapes, robberies, assaults, murders, crime seems to have taken away the good in humans at large. While the crimes against girls keep stirring my soul, there is a recent chain of events that has affected me deeply. 

Our nations capital and lives of our fellow Indians are burning. Though I can not comment much on whether a law should be enforced or not, I no for sure how we should treat our fellow citizens.

People have been attacked by mobs, women molested and forced to flee their own homes in scanty clothes, security personnel and civilians killed by stones thrown by a few who were paid to do so.

1st, how does violence on innocent ever solve an issue? It becomes a serious issue on the contrary.

2nd, how and why do we have to spoil public property and life for the benefit of some who have no value for those very people who bring them to power?

3rd, when every Indian, loves India equally, and wants to live in harmony with everyone, who are these extraordinary animals and why do they showcase animosity?

After the riots, when police takes charge and helps to get lives of people back to normal, there are neighbours of victims stretching a hand outward to ensure their tormented neighbours are safe. They also endure that we all do stand as one together.

I wonder how traumatized the minds and souls would be. If I had to walk out of my home and have a mob throw stones at me and my child, manhandling or abusing me, I would be petrified to leave my home ever again.

But like witnessed hundreds of times before, our resilience comes more as a habit rather than a choice.

There are hundreds of people stuffing into vehicles, leaving the only homes they ever knew, for the safety of their lives.

Is this the India we really want? You would say what can I do?? Apparently, there are a few things we can do.

Be aware. Just because our lives are normal, we needn't become blind to the disturbances in our surroundings.
Talk. It is futile to have a voice and not be heard.
Spread Love and care. That is what all of us crave.
Share. Share basic necessities with the ones who need them and share the truth with as many as possible. When we have the time to posts hundreds of pictures on our social media, we can definitely spare a a few moments for our countrymen.

Stop baiting a few rats with no conscience to hurt hundreds and thousands who sweat and bleed just to live and sustain their families for another day.

In this age of revolution. Lets not wait for big people to make small changes, let's take small steps to make a big change.

Long live India, longer live Humanity.


CHEERS!
GOD BLESS!!

CHS