Reach Out

Note: This article is originally written only for the Sparking.Biz E-magazine

Distance is not always a measurement of gap or space between two or more points or places. Distance is sometimes an endless emptiness of misery within us or a silent space between two people that yearns to be heard and cared.

Are social animals (humans) losing out on the essence of understanding the meaning of trust, care, affection, and sharing their life in the right way? Is it essential, we frequently remind ourselves of the difference between being friendly and having a companion/confidant/friend? Why then does someone feel lonely amidst a friendly crowd?

Suicide is a decision that gushes up from the most vulnerable heart. Every child deserves to receive extravagant encouragement for the tiniest of achievements. Every word uttered by a child needs an adult’s undivided attention. Listening is caring. Listening to a child gives them the freedom of expression, the confidence to learn, and feel motivated to do better every time. Adults must feel obligated to make a child feel special & to help them grow into psychologically & physically secured adults. Checking with family & friends every day about their plans for the day, or volunteering to be of any help to them is just a small step that establishes faith in each other.

Busy-ness is just an excuse we give to our loved ones for not being able to prioritize our lives  

Each one of us has unique emotional capacities. It is essential to develop our emotional quotient to understand others first & then to be understood. Such an effort is vital for a better life. Empathy in life is like the sweetener in the lemonade. The only way to make bitter or sour taste sweet.

                                                                                             

There are zillion formulas to make life seem unfair & difficult, & infinite combinations of emotions to deal with every awkward situation. It is high time we made the best use of these combinations for a peaceful living. We are all blessed with sufficient emotional intelligence to cleverly help each other and ourselves to tackle life’s gambles. Problems in life are like playing the game of Hockey. You dribble the ball (problem) and make sure you pass it quickly to the player ahead of you to reach the goal faster. The more you intend to dribble alone the sooner you get attacked and defeated. Helping each other & working together using each other's strengths is the only means to achieve the goal of a HAPPY LIFE with ease.

An idle mind is a devil’s workshop. Anyone who can sense or knows someone trapped in this workshop, or parents who feel there is an opportunity for them to start a connection with their children, please remember Now is the Time.

Identifying & Recognizing the strengths of a child is more important than finding & reminding them of their weaknesses. Reach Out, before your loved ones go Out of Reach!

My Kiddie My Buddy

Note: This article is originally written only for the Sparking.Biz E-magazine

One of the most beautiful relationships the universe bestows upon a woman is her Baby.

My career aspirations inspired me for the last time in my dreams on the night of 15^th Jan 2009. The next morning brought a surprising twist to our (my husband & me) lives. I woke up with a desire to be a MOTHER. I guess I had spoken more than enough to surprise my husband that morning. After he ensured he wasn’t dreaming, his eyes lit up like an incandescent bulb.

The morning of Jan 16^th 2009 put me on the NEW TRACK of life. I was now hoping, to bring a new life into this world and my aspirations had evolved overnight. I was feeling ecstatic about committing to a LONG-TERM project which was going to fetch me priceless returns on my investment.

The next thing I did was to offer my wish at my GURU- Baba’s feet, during my routine morning prayers. As I headed to work, I soon got engrossed in the world outside. My life continued as usual for a couple of months after this. A sense of uneasiness had set in by then. There was a hollow I experienced within me, despite everything going my way. I had to address my state at the earliest.

A few months later, my husband and I had to attend a close friend’s party one evening. I felt unusually tired & lacked the enthusiasm to party. We drove back home early, and I slept like never before. The next morning, I went to visit my doctor along with my mother. The hollow I was experiencing filled with joy. The doctor told me I was going on a glee ride for the next nine months.

I felt I had very little time to plan for everything my TOT would need once he or she arrived. I read & gathered all the possible information about motherhood, child care, and financial planning to secure my child’s future. My husband and I were gracefully directed by the universe to make all the suitable arrangements. The time of my delivery came, and MY UMBILICAL BUDDY arrived!

My son helped me realize the value of patience for the first time in my life. Holding him in my arms, I experienced ENDLESS HAPPINESS & THE WORTH OF NINE MONTHS.

Life blessed me with a precious relationship. The only pre-requisite was unconditional love. My life had turned into a Fairy Dream.

There were so many simple things I learned from my baby. The first thing I learned was to communicate without using words & to understand things even without being told.

When the little man would make sounds, which baffled everyone else around, it always made perfect sense to me. It seemed like a language specially designed only for my baby & me to understand.

As he grew older by the day, he taught me the art of time management. His excitement to see me when I returned home from work always lit up every corner of my heart. When he toddled with me, he made me realize how to catch up with life’s pace.

His curious eyes when I read a story to him, helped me find the deeper meaning of simple words. When I decided everything for myself after making him the priority, I discovered the true meaning of HAPPINESS.

Every moment of his victory, every miss of his, all his achievements, every tantrum of his, & the expression of his love only makes me a better mother each day. The garland of his arms around my neck and his whispers in my ears are all my energy chargers.

I CANNOT THANK MY CHILD ENOUGH FOR CHOOSING ME TO BE HIS MOTHER

Over Seven years now & for the remaining life, I pray my Kiddie & I remain Best Buddies!

Loads of Love

Mommy!

Don’t Let Your Loved Ones Disappear

Note: This article posted on my Blog is originally written only for Spark.Biz E- magazine

Tiny and small things in life contribute to the majority of happiness we experience. The greatness of life is sometimes experienced unexpectedly or as a coincidence. The most intricate as well as the simplest of questions have an answer. Pay attention to experience life’s unique ways of answering.

I wondered how to explain to a tiny mind (my child), why we framed our loved ones when they left us and went to an unknown land. As a child, when I lost my Grandma my thoughts were the same as that of my son on the day he asked me the question. I earnestly wanted to meet my grandma just once more then, to let her know how much I loved her, and wished, something magical happened, and she jumped out from the photo frame so we could speak to each other again.

During my growing years, I followed the family tradition of praying to the departed souls of friends and family mechanically on their (Death anniversary or All Souls Day) and offered my prayers for their souls to rest in peace. I always wondered how the prayers offered to the dead only on All Souls Day or on their Death anniversary made them feel special in their heavenly abode when they remained in their family's prayers even on other days. All that was indistinct became distinct to me when my curiosity led me into understanding the facts and the purpose of acknowledging the All Souls Day, through some reading of books, and clarifications which I had sought with my elders in the family.

 The elucidations I gained about this day as a youngster, broke its silence when years later my son asked me the same question on the day of his great grandmother’s death anniversary.

 A simple question my son had asked had put me into thinking. I paused a bit and bargained for some time from him to think about different ways to help him understand the purpose of praying to the dead family members. After he had agreed, he soon got excited to visit the movie hall to watch the animated movie COCO. Little did I know the movie had a surprise in store for my son and me. We entered the movie hall to experience sheer joy. Our Fun Date was on. In no time I momentarily forgot about gathering stories and examples to answer the question later in the day.

 As my son and I entered the mall and headed towards the movie hall, I planned to think about the answers to my son's question while we watched the movie. I mentally prepared myself to sacrifice my part of the excitement partially.

 As we sat down in our seats to watch the movie after the National Anthem was over, I quickly dropped a note of prayer to my Grandma to help me with examples to quote to my son when I would explain to him about why we pray to the departed souls and worship their photo frames.

 The Universe is ever aware and planning on your behalf, for you to execute the right actions and intentions. The same happened to me. While I was trying hard to gather information and best examples in my mind to help my son understand what he wanted to know. The universe offered the solution to me in the form of cinematic brilliance.

Disney pictures ensured that my love for animation was not disturbed. COCO was the answer to my son’s question.

Every new generation that stems from the family tree tends to forget about their second last ancestors who existed before them. The nuclear and busy families are left with little or no time, and sometimes with little or no idea about their ancestors. The latter generations as a matter of limited choice occasionally accommodate the ancestors in their hearts by offering a mass prayer.

My son was glad to understand from the movie COCO that every family keeps the pictures of their ancestors to remember them, and to understand the truth, that Death was a path on which their ancestors had walked upon to reach to the other end of life, where the land of the souls exists. The ancestors living in the Spirit-land are the spirit guides who continue to bless their family members living on earth. The Spirit guides wait for their family members until they complete their lifespan on earth and join them back in the Spirit-land to celebrate the eternal reunion.

The picture of a departed family member is the strength which keeps them alive in the other world. Memories of the deceased family members create an eternal bonding between the two worlds. The memories of the ancestors among the newer generations that stem from the family tree will eventually fade, and the Spirit-Guides will then disappear from the land of the souls. To keep the Spirit-Guides alive and safe in the other world, their families on earth should make an effort to pass on the legacy of their ancestors to the future generations. The legacy of love, and memories.

Logically and emotionally, the movie COCO helped my son and me to establish a relationship with our ancestors. I could feel the lost connection with my grandma coming to life after several years.

Through this article, I intend to awaken the child within everyone and the hope, that one day we will all join our Spirit-Guides and loved ones at the other end of the life's bridge.

 Let us ensure not to forget our departed loved ones and make them disappear from the Happy Land of the SPIRITS…

I would love to conclude by saying fiction is the reality of happiness… Smile a mile…

Love

Deepthi Musley