Echoes in Joy and in Ashes

As I made my way through this last week, I reflected on what had happened exactly a year ago - my weekend visit and stay at home and my dad's passing away at that visit. This particular week (with its days and dates), this year too is lined up very similar to last year's and it has been a week of retracing last year's steps as I made my way home to be with the family. To our father who is now in heaven! A year has gone by and it has been an "unusual" experience to have to do some of the year activities without you. As much as we'd look forward to the visits to our home, the realisation that you're not there has been saddening. We have sat around the dinner table and felt "one more of us" should come only to realise it will not be so. We mourned and grieved, but the best thought has been that you're home and at rest. The Book tells of the ancients who passed on to the next life as being "gathered" to their people. That expression o...

A couple of days ago, a dear friend (also known as lil' sis) joined the world of blogging-a whole world of writing possibilities. She very graciously attributed the new venture to me. However, she had already entered this world of writings on another platform, just that it was deleted while trying to learn the ropes of operating one. So while the venture had already begun, the honour was given to me in the first post.  As I read that post again today, I thought of writing a post of gratitude but nothing seemed to inspire. But then as I thought, memories of some pictures sent to me came back. So in this post I use four pictures that she took (without telling her and I pray lil' sis don't sue me; it's for a noble cause, please just this once) through the course of her field trips as part of her study. These four pictures cannot summarize her whole journey, neither will it do justice. But still these are four pictures and the thoughts drawn from it will hopefully reson...

I have often heard the complaint "I am not living for others" most often in the context of an unpleasant comment (or right critique) that had been made. The irony is that we want the "other" for the praise and adulation but not the critique. While I will admit that there is a shade of truth in the statement, it is not "true enough" (to borrow the phrase a professor would tell us) to be a "foundational" statement to build our principles of social relations. Our unwillingness to acknowledge the influence of the "others" in our lives will in no way lessen the reality of their existence and the manner in which they relate to us. For instance, I may not live for others and pursue my own wild dream, but that does not negate or nullify the sound judgment of others who would want me to "tame" it a little. What I as a person could do with that complaint (that I don't live for them) is to attempt to rob the others of the opportuni...

And what you will read below is a write-up by a friend that featured in a local newsletter. These are nice thoughts on the idea of 'waiting' and hopefully it/they will resonate with you. Happy reading... IN THE WAITING Vikhietuonuo Rutsa Whether it's waiting in a line, waiting in traffic, waiting for food service, waiting to get a job or waiting for someone you've been expecting, we say waiting is the "hardest part" and this resonates deeply in my life. This time of the year made me retrospect how 2017 started for me and where I stand today. Surely in the process of waiting as my goals aligned one after the other, I had expected everything to fall into place but disappointment crept in. However with time, my perspective of 'WAITING' changed knowing one thing is certain- before God moves suddenly, we will wait. So the question is not if we'll wait, but rather how we'll wait. And I believe how we wait will determine how long we w...

In the midst of the many readings that come along, there are those that stands out for its own worth. Some because of the depth of thoughts, others the expressions and the command of language used, still others because of a desire it triggers and so on. It could be for a single reason or manifold for which they are noted. Here's one that is being posted for its simplicity and yet the feeling of "likeness" that it triggers. For all its simplicity, may it bring back to your memory the feelings that you have had similar to the writer's. Happy reading! The Exam Cycle Viphrünü   Funny how everything gets interesting when exam is just round the corner and you know that it is time to get serious with your books but still keep it for every “tomorrow.” Every little thing seems important, things that you have never done before suddenly becomes your favourite pass time. The “hi” and “bye” passerby becomes your best friend, going for walks appears to be the main concer...

Courage is the virtue that endows a person the ability to stand strong in the face of danger and look it straight in the eye and not flinch (maybe that’s not always true). Such would be recognized as being courageous and be looked upon as a “brave” among the people. Whatever the degree of courage, what a courageous person does is that he or she gives courage to others – helps courage grow in others. Their presence makes all the difference. The popularity of superheroes in a way points to our desire for courage. They are our perfect models; with immeasurable strength and abilities nothing seems to stop them. Except for a small flaw or weakness which can temporarily cause them to weaken but they will not be stopped at anything. At the risk of their lives they will jump into the chaos. This is the world of heroes, a world that depends on their heroes for the balance of life to be maintained. But as much as they inspire us, in a way we know it is not real – the outcome of the battle is ...

Words and its meaning have evolved over the course of time and the process still continues. For instance, "gay" is not "exactly" what it usually used to be; "excited" could drag the conversation into an entirely "forbidden" direction; "hot" is no longer about the weather only. Conversations move around innuendos and subtle suggestions of an "unintended" meaning. Words while understood perfectly in a conversation, can also be twisted and a "hidden but perfectly understood" dialogue run parallel to it. Unfortunately, sometimes, this "hidden conversation" seems to be more "exciting" than the normal one. Do words have an inherent meaning or are they infused with meaning? Just a lay thought, it seems to work both ways. However, we seem to "infuse" it with meaning so much so that a word that perfectly stood for something before can now stand for quite the other. If words could once be use...