Mumbai .. metropolitan, buzzing, vibrant , dramatic, city that never sleeps . You can define this town in so many ways yet any number of words can never describe its essence , exuberance in totality.

This is where on our trip to India , we jelled as a family. Ever since we landed here it seemed like we were wide awake to the noise , to the intricacies of family ties, aesthetics, city lights, windy nights against the backdrop of heavy torrential pouring rain.

One thing that mesmerized us while we were in Borivali was the love of all the people like a rainbow in a sky of hospitality , warmth and generosity that only Mumbaikars can give.

A trip to Malad to my cousins house took me back memory lane when we were young. Back then and even now our get togethers are always about food, rituals, stories that weaves together a fabric of space, time, memories, and charismatic identities. Today was no different solkadi is what I needed after a spicy meal.

Amidst the travel, the get togethers , the shopping there was always an Aha! moment which still lingers even after days or months perhaps.

Our visit to Grant road by train was an experience to behold. We were running late, it was raining , my older daughter was sick, and next day we had a flight to catch back home. But we still were so looking forward to meet our extended family. The little gifts , the hot tea, the gala reception created a lasting spell that felt like a well bonded community of all ages frolicking together in laughter and excitement.

Our next destination was Pune ..romantic , laid back as if you are cajoled from busyness to solace. Its my hometown and that deep rooted Puneri culture is always a part of me. Here we experienced the seamless blending of tradition with modernity. The ashadi ekadashi procession reminded us of the inherent spiritualness of the people here. What if there are Chains of McDonalds and Pizza-hut all around aren’t they just flag post of recentness carved in ethnicity . To Punekars their afternoon nap is more precious than an extra buck of business and vada pav always trumps the most expensive delicacies.

It was raining in Pune too as if the city was letting go the mundane , the repetitive , hectic almost robotic leaving and just soaking itself in the bliss of nature with a legendary puneri attitude “chai first” everything else later.

And then there were family reunions ..all our dearies coming together as one big family. Yes we live miles apart but we share the same values and culture. Interestingly I love to see the younger generation. With each passing year they are an inch taller physically and mentally too with bigger dreams, stronger passion and skyrocketing goals.

Oh yes and how can I forget the dosa center that we visited .. just kidding it was the cozy , upscale home of my cousin who went out of her way to make variety of yummy dosas and fish. They were so delicious and colorful that it was hard to pick any one variety over the other.

Alas if I could bottle up all these experiences. Its like revisiting the moments by opening up the timeless wrappers of memory neatly folded just like unwrapping the artistry of my amazing niece.

Yet again nothing is ever complete without the blessings of the elders and so did our Mumbai- Pune -Mumbai journey pinnacled witnessing an iconic site.

Our pilgrimage started from “Mangalesh” umpteen years back and just like devotees we return year after year to see that somethings never change like the deepest love in the eyes of those who are still standing there on the pure land from where we all took off.

Worlds within world , journeys within journey , new ventures stack up yet we all come a full circle amidst the roots and the flowering branches.

“Moms are angels in training.”

Its slightly anecdotal that I am writing an article for my mom on Fathers day , but I think realizing and appreciating how our mom has been a role model in our lives, helping us thrive and succeed in every walk of life would be the greatest gift for my dad.

When I was growing up I used to feel like mom is my closest ally , my all time friend , one whom I could get mad at any time of the day and the very next moment turn over for a hug.

Fast forward it to today I still have the same feelings but much more, she is now my all time hero from whom I seek much more than I can ever give.

When I am standing near the stove preparing dinner for my kids asking them to get involved , I remember her simmering without the modern day amenities. I took all those umpteen meals for granted pointing them to be too spicy , too dry or too repetitive but I realize now that what she put together was real food, delicious, flavorful, always set on the table with a smile.

After all these years I can still feel the sizzling , the thickness of flat bread the magical aroma of her cooking like pure love always brewing my appetite for more.

She taught me attention (then may be it is for family or work or home) is the beginning of devotion.

Today as I ask my kids to sit down with us , they never come alone. There is always either a phone or an iPad or a laptop accompanying them. Are they even listening?

I wash down a big sigh and then remember my mother imploring with us for different reasons though. When she combed our hair, tied our shoelaces or packed our lunch she always reminded us to pray , to be good , to study hard , to finish lunch before we venture out to play.

Times change but the pleading never goes away. Perhaps in my frenzied busyness I never turned back to see what she was saying but today I look for the deep voice of genuine care as if it is the soothing piano note I want to hear over and over again.

She taught me patience , resilience, compassion and above all being optimistic in every situation.

I have seen my mother working hard all the time. The only time she sat down was perhaps for a cup of tea. She raised three wonderful kids while working full time till her retirement. She also had an extended family to support our cousins , relatives and friends.

Yet she always made time to fill the silent spaces in between the lines with so much beauty, harmony, vividness that when I nostalgically remember the chapters of our book of life its a masterpiece in itself written by the trembling , giving, soothing hands of my mom.

She built a nest and we all were secure in it till we learnt to fly. Yes we all flew to more aspiring lands to make our own future but our feathers are still rooted in her creative abundant love that cannot be found anywhere else.

Happy Exploring:

1.Good Book : Every breath – Nicholas Spark

2.Good kids movie : What a girl wants

3.Micro-adventure blog https://www.alastairhumphreys.com/microadventures-3/

“Being a dendrophile (person who loves trees and plants) is quite amazing. The nature has its own beauty which others can’t understand. – Yashi M

Out of the many passions that my hubby shares cricket and plants reign topmost , sometimes I wonder which one is over arching the other.

Surprisingly summer is the best time for both. After his cricket he plunges right into his garden , only this time dainty little plants capture his attention than the ever so daunting cricket field.

While he is working in the backyard we are on the sidelines , doing our own cool things. I am usually sitting in the swing and sipping my tea. My older daughter is with her laptop or phone and younger one is probably running around or practicing gymnastics.

As I come to think about it seems like our backyard is a miniature ecosystem with each one of us playing a role.

Dad being the gardener (like the sunflower head above the rest). He stands tall and watches his seedlings grow. The yield of his tomato , zucchini , cucumber , squash , lemon , and bell peppers is important to him. He nurtures them with the right proportion of soil , space , water and fertilizers. Perhaps he knows all along that the secrets are in the plants, to elicit them you have to love them enough.

Mom like the blade of grass bending , enduring , trampled upon sometimes but still stands upright with dignity dancing with the wind . She can make beautiful flower arrangements, cook a fiesta colorful meal but above all her act is to bring and hold everything together on a platter . After all happiness is homemade.

The teenage daughter like the creeper trying to find identity in a world of speedy climbers. She is probably in a constant tug of war with herself more than anyone else. Its the age or is it part of growing up? I see the same in our vines, each one has its own way of surviving in the wild. Sometimes they are resistant , sometimes dormant but blossom they will like the roses giving you thorns before the bloom.

The youngest kid is like the butterfly, apple of the eye for some reason she likes the birds who makes a nest each year in one of our trees hoping that they will never leave and be our extended family for ever. But just like the kids grow so do the birds ..one day they will fly but the land they treaded on has been truly enriched for ever.

As you go out into the nature trying to feel Mother earth , consider the question that Antonio Machado so eloquently asks ” What have you done with the garden that was entrusted to you? ”

Happy exploring:

1. Morning Altars – Day Schildkret

2. Year of Wonder – Clemency Burton Hill

” A teenager is always too tired to hold a dishcloth, but never too tired to hold a phone.”

The other day I saw a message on my daughters phone “I love you more than that.” , enough to shake me to the core … barely thirteen was that some kind of joke. I freaked out, found out the source and took steps that a normal parent would take to keep their kids safe. But amidst all the drama of interrogation, back talking, retaliation and tears I realized one thing.

As parents we want to be protective , we have their best interests in mind , but to a teenagers brain which is not fully developed our every action may seem too strict , unfair taking them away from their friends and peers .

After all everyone spends maximum time on Instagram, texting or liking every hour perhaps every minute, girls are looking for avenues away from home and guys are looking for easy solutions.

In such a frenzied world full of chaos, how do I explain to my daughter that everything that sparkles is not gold , life is not what happens on the screens of iPhones , attraction is not real love and constant texting may lead to a medical condition called “text neck” which may cause the distortion of necks natural curve due to constantly holding it in a downward angle.

Teen hues

You see glamour in shiny cars , trendy clothes

Love an unchanging withered oak too

You see fashion in ripped jeans ,shorter clothes

Love an old fashioned eternal style too

You spend time texting , liking , posting

Love an handwritten poem too

You may want to be popular and famous

Love the monk who is neither, yet so peaceful and pious

You crave to be an adult unchained , free

Love the bud , because when it blooms it is expected to nectar the birds too

Good Reads:

1. Year of wonder – Clemency Burton Hill

2. Forest bathing retreat – Hannah Fries

“The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.” – Michelangelo

Have you ever been around a great artist , how does it feel to be surrounded by art and culture, can somebody’s presence elevate the level field of otherwise ordinary moments.

These were exactly the questions I was asking myself when we were at my daughters art exhibition event and happened to meet the great artist Kartik Trivedi.

At the venue we saw paintings of different genres by kids and adults adorned with splashes of paint , creative images , fusion and astounding artistry.

As if all of them were being blessed by the presence of the Renaissance man of our times. Trivedi’s paintings are so vibrant with jewel tones of red, greens and blue as if plucked from the rainbow.

His composition of natural elements with mural like details and impressionist style instills a sense of devotion and balance no matter which angle you are looking at from.

Sometimes you run into such magnanimous people like a tree towering beyond the flares of our limited vision. Yet they are the simplest and humblest souls you ever met. They seem like a current that just changed its direction to grace our own backyard.

Happy links:

1. Kartik Trivedi: https://indiacurrents.com/artist-musician-mystic/

2. Good Read: https://gretchenrubin.com/2019/02/reshma-saujani-interview

“Thats the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.” – Jhumpa Lahiri

Did I tell you’ll how I love my books. Sometimes just the title of the book rings over and over in the mind like “Dandelion Wine”, as if the two words were made for each other.

Ray Bradbury’s novel is a metaphor for packing all the good things in a single bottle of wine made with dandelion petals and other citrus ingredients.

Its a metaphor for life too day after day we have a plot , then the characters, the destination and the drama leading to ecstasy and emotions. The trick is to love it all every word , every stanza and the silence in between the lines.

As Stephen King said “Books are a uniquely portable magic. So true because from it I borrowed the petals of laughter and innocence to add a touch of exuberance in otherwise rainy day of February.

And so continues my search for other great novels with prominent duo in the title .. Arabian Nights , Don Quixote, Anna Karenina, Oleander Girl….who knows might be even Harry Potter.

” A bookish me, page after page, a bookish you, can we get along in the book of life.”

Weekly links:

1.https://zenhabits.net/childs/

2. Good Reads: Oleander Girl – Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

“Let me swing more higher because this time I chose to love myself before the world.” – Mysterious Damsel

Who doesn’t like to swing? In fact the higher you go the better you feel and the better you feel , lighter is your spirit swaying you away from the worldly cares and to-do lists.

“Somewhere out there is a swing that misses you.”

Lets ride on it just like my girls . “Push me harder , higher more higher”, says one of them. I push her , watching her soar towards the sky wondering how blissful these carefree and breezy moments are just like the swing with all its ups and down yet ecstatic and cheery.

Happy exploring:

1. Children’s book – Sleepless Beauty – Frances Minters

Vacation the word itself seems so wrapped up in some kind of magical experience. Its a journey to explore new places, try out new foods , take walks with your loved ones or sometimes be surrounded by total strangers. The element binding us with the freshness of a new place is perhaps the joy of just being and absorbing the scattered moments.

Furthermore if you are lucky there are possibilities of a road trip a detour perhaps you didn’t mean to take. The BAPS Akshardham temple not only mesmerizes your eyes but also your soul with timeless devotion , history, origin and culture.

And then there is adventure may be just a few hours of observing the younger generation climbing heights , pushing boundaries giving their best on a furrowed terrain.

Also blend in the playfulness getting better each day recognizing it , so that the spirit of vacation doesn’t just end with the tour but pervades long after , the feeling that whatever happens is okay if you have a playful heart.

And surely what fun there is if we do not have grandpa and grandma around , the awesome food , wishful advice , everyday blessings, a tiny stitch inserted to mend a piece of fabric with their trembling hands our grand angels do it all.

We may not have a lamp or genie but we sure had a magical experience on the get go .. New York , Virginia , Washington DC, New Jersey and the beautiful Long Island and their natives we salute thee.

“One cannot think well , love well, sleep well if one has not dined well. ” – Virginia Woolf

This weekend wasn’t that busy. We did not have to go to any get together or host a party or run errands or transport the kids back and forth for classes.

Also the weather was cold and breezy to the point where staying at home seemed all the more enticing.

Thats when you indulge in your senses and tastebuds. A simple aromatic , slowly simmered meal perhaps in the comfort of your home is all that is needed to beat the winter blues.

Winter is on my head but eternal spring is in my heart – Victor Hugo

Hugo was right ..comfort food surrounded by your loved ones in the glow of sparkling scented candles is the spring during some of the longest icy cold winter nights.

Happy exploring and weekly links:

1. Good Read : Vinegar girl – Anne Tyler

2. Kaccha Limbu ( Marathi movie) – Director Prasad Oak

3. Poem by Adi Shankaracharya http://meditativemind.org/nirvana-shatakam-complete-lyrics-meaning-chidananda-roopah-shivoham-shivoham/amp/

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” – Lao Tzu

My daughter recently bought a skateboard and was practicing all the while in our garage. Today I thought it would be great fun to head out to a skate park especially so when last few days due to continuous rain we mainly stayed indoors.

Perhaps it was just an excuse but sometimes if we ponder a little bit more and listen carefully, nature is enticing us to be with her.

Its like a calling , you have to take that walk to experience pleasant feelings , you have to see the clouds drift to feel lighter , you have to see the leaves fall to get a sense of what it means to let go, you have to see the sunrise for new beginnings , may be get soaked in the rain to feel the union of dewdrops and petals , look up at the rainbow to see what it means to come out of a storm.

She heals , soothes, restores , connects all in one breath. Is there any better therapy than the grandest of all our Mother Nature?

Happy exploring and weekly links:

1. Vedanta : http://www.advaita-academy.org/blogs/teaching-children-vedanta/

2 Great movie: Sui Dhaga

3. Children’s book : The Miracle jar