Love is… unconditional when it’s mother’s love!, originally uploaded by ѕняυтι.

The best thing that ever happened to me…MY MOM…everything that i am…i owe it to her…!! The countless smiles…the robust support…the happiest of all my memories…all given by her…Love you Mom..u mean the world..n much more..thanks for giving me “myself”:)

Happy Mother’s Day…Love you Mom
@Shruti.

It says... Eat fruits, be healthy

Happy St. Patrick’s Day Wear green, glo green

-Shruti.

C o l o r s . . .

Color… One of the most marvelous things on earth that God made possible for man to appreciate. A lot of animals cannot distinguish between different colors because of their biological limitations. Man, on the other hand, can see colors and enjoys the fact that he can see them. The colors in the festival of HOLI, the vibrant colors of nature in spring, fall, winter etc. seasons are some of the things that Man enjoys.

Can you imagine a world with only black or white colors? Absolutely NOT! We have been living this colorful life ever since we were born. So, it’s kind of hard for us to stay away from these colors that add more spice & brightness to our lives.

Its man’s psychology…White has always signified everything pure and clean and black has always been associated with the dark…Ok I don’t know why I mentioned that; but if you look at history all the colonies were ruled by white people be it the French or the English and in their servitude were the dark/colored people. This was not for a couple of years but for a few centuries. So the mindset that the white/fair people are superior is still present in today’s developing countries (those who were ruled formerly by the “whites”) albeit subconsciously. So everyone here wants to ape them or be like them. And this is just not limited only to color but to a lot of different things like clothes mannerisms etc.

I would like to share a poem which was nominated for Best Poem of 2006, written by an African Kid :

When I Born, I Black

When I grow up, I Black

When I go in sun, I Black

When I sick, I Black, and

When I die, I still Black

And U White fella,

When u born, u pink

When u grow up, u white

When u go in sun, u red

When u cold, u blue

When u Scared, u yellow

When u sick, u green, and

When u die, u gray

And——— —–

You calling me colored???

How far is it justified to differentiate between all of us who are God’s own creation?

-Shruti.

Happy Valentines Day..Xoxo

Happy Makar Sankranti

Makar Sankranti is perhaps the only Indian festival whose date always falls on the same day every year i.e. the 14th of January. Can you guess why? This is because the festival of Sankranti is based on the solar calendar unlike the rest of Indian festivals, which are based on the lunar calendar. Makar literally means “Capricorn” and Sankranti is the day when the Sun changes it’s position from one sign of the Zodiac to the other. Even though Sankranti comes every month, in the month of Magha (January) it is considered especially auspicious as it coincides with the harvest season and marks the end of the winter season.

Everybody wishes eachother saying “Tilgul ghya ani god god bola” by giving the ’tilgul’ which is the special sweet made on this day, which means “Take sweet, talk sweet and be sweet forever!” teaching us to forgive and forget, share and love.

Wish you all a very happy Makar Sankranti

Shruti.

This was the most favorite song of the Christmas of my childhood. Though very few people (only Christian families in our neighborhood) used to celebrate Christmas, I always had this fantasy to celebrate this very joyful occasion and this year it did come true… yes! We celebrated Christmas at our home Believe me you, it feels amazing decorating the Christmas tree with the cute ornaments, tiny li’l gifts, candy canes & jingle bells and it looks so wonderful with the clear, twinkling lighting and Christmas stocking with gifts for everyone underneath the tree. The smell of baked X’mas cookies coming from neighboring houses suggests that Christmas is near and no doubt why everybody prays “Let it snow…” as only the snow can make the whole atmosphere Christemasse!

We had a small Christmas celebration at our home with friends. During the party, one of my friend’s 10 year old asked me, “Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in the Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?”

I told her that her little friends are wrong. Yes, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and we know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. Nobody sees Santa Claus, but there is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but there is no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine that all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world. No Santa Claus! Thank God! He lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to spread love, joy, peace and happiness around the world and make glad the heart of childhood.

Wish you all a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Shruti

Foliage . . .

Red and Orange Trees, a whisper in the wind saying that winter is near… Fall is here!!!

Fall colors

A tree grew old or a bunch of marigold!

Enjoy the fall colors this season…

Cheers!!!

Shruti

Happy Diwali !

Wish you all a very Happy Diwali and prosperous New Year

@Shruti.

Typically women set up these double dates. When women became friends, we want our husbands to be buddies, too. So we ask each other questions and hope to find common ground between our guys. Maybe they both play cricket or they’re both into cars or they do the same type of work. We don’t really care what it is. We just need one little link of commonality to get the ball rolling.

So often we arrange the potluck parties, festival get-togethers, weekend day-outs, birthday/anniversary celebrations and women’s noon tea parties because we can get to know new people and if the “frequency” is matched…make new friends. I have observed a lot of shades in human nature through all these activities. Some people are so enthusiastic in the beginning that they would often arrange such get-togethers, call just to say “Hi” n converse friendly but after some days they would behave so reserved. Some of them would just talk about their kids as if that is the only topic left for communication in the world! – Which is so boring for newly married couples like us (This is just a general opinion…No offense plz) many fellows are so talkative that they hardly give a chance to others to talk or listen what others are saying while some of them are so introverts n quiet that a word from them is indeed surprising to the group! Gossip mongers, pessimists, sluggishness, enviousness are a big turn-off. That’s why I emphasized from the start about the “frequency” which should be matched for friendship.

Apparently, I have also seen people with good sense of humor, go-getters who make the environment pleasant just by being around, friendly without any “attitude”, willing to listen to others, helping and encouraging each other and enjoying each moment as it comes. Amazingly so many shades of human nature in We-the people!

I believe every one of us should be inquisitive enough or at least aware of common topics, current affairs to talk. The conversation becomes more enjoyable if the other party also has an ear for music, an eye for movies, good taste in novels/reading, interest in sports or indoor games and like to nourish their hobbies. We have got a nice group of friends; we arrange get-togethers and spend a quality time on weekend with good food

Last weekend was great. Weather was so pleasant; we’ve been at a lake with few other families. The kids had fun, so the grown-ups did. We had a pot-luck (generally “Pot-luck” parties are like treats for hubbys as they get to taste variety of delicious food ) we did boating there, played UNO, badminton and clicked many snaps. That was fun! We told them we’d love it if they come back again sometime and I hope they’ll take us up on it.

We stay here away from our country, our people, family, and friends. So it’s that much more important for us to build a strong network of friends – people to laugh with, people to learn from and people to keep us company on this adventure we call “Life”.

Happy Living

Shruti.