On death

he was a good man....they all say....here today gone tomorrow...yes we take our lives so much for granted...though one day you are here and the next no more....having seen the last breath leave the body on two occasions... i believe we carry the essence of our lives in that last breath...
breath holds the key....when we take a few deep breaths we become calm and peaceful...when we are angry we breathe fast and hard
life goes on.... occasionally remembering those who have gone...for we know that they can never come back....the eternal mystery of life and death....

marathons

felt great to be a part of the mumbai marathon....though 18,000 of us did the dream run which was just 6 kms.....hardly gruelling....and for me it was part walk part run....yet the spirit of the marathon is what moves me to take part every year....to be part and parcel of the city you love and make your presence felt....
i have just one word for those who constantly grumble about life in bombay....LEAVE...
yes its that simple...

Of liftman uncle and watchman chacha

Yes that quintessential mumbai hallmark...people who have been in your building and know you since the day you were born...they are so protective about you and take pride in your achievements....

Vasudeva kutumbakam....the whole world is your family....yes the neighbouring "aunty" who takes care of you when your mum is not home....the shopkeeper "uncle" who keeps an eye on you when you are playing....people from all walks of life melt into yours leaving their mark and blessings

They say "rarely do members of the same family grow up under one roof" and in our family never a truer word could have been spoken...

Sunrise Sunset

How incredibly privileged I am to be able to see both sunrise and sunset everyday from my apartment windows.....saw the last sunset of 2006 and the first sunrise of 2007....most peaceful moments.....here we call these periods sandhyas...a time when our minds can easily become peaceful....have enjoyed seeing many spectacular sunsets....especially in the monsoons....shall plan my days so that i see many more sunrises this year...

Each sunrise heralds a new beginning reminding me to live more in the HERE and NOW and less in the past and the future...

"Overcome space and all we have left is Here. Overcome time, and all we have left is Now. And in the middle of Here and Now, don't you think that we might see each other once or twice?"
Richard Bach in Jonathan Livingston Seagull.

Time stands still

Yes it does.....i visited my college and first place of work after almost 30 yrs today....and believe me hardly anything has changed...it was just like yesterday i was there...i could see myself in the eyes of those new students and physiotherapists....to say i was appalled at seeing the poor conditions of the department is an understatement....though i know deep in my heart while the surroundings are dismal and dreary the work done there is uplifting and ennobling...it is the OPD of a free hospital where the poor and disadvantaged avail of treatment for a myriad of ailments...i know from my experience ,working there is most rewarding and gives a glimpse into the hardships and tragedies faced by so many....you can try and alleviate that with your sympathy and dedicated work...but you know you can do only a little and you desperately feel the weight of all that yet has to be done!!!!...
On and up to the wards...faces of those in pain and suffering....some facing the prospect of life without a limb....many with indefinable pain...it was as if i had never left..i still recall the faces of those with no one to care whether they lived or died....and some who despite their own plight were a beacon of hope to those around...smiling-cheerful-helpful....the heartache of hearing the cries of small children...
Why do i feel so powerless and helpless in our world of disparity between the haves and the have-nots.....faced with the enormity of the problem i am lost and don't know which way to turn...i go back to my daily life but know something inside me has changed once again...

Food for the poor

Usually we are only affected by events that happen in our own backyard or country....but i would like to be the kind of person who views the whole wide world as my backyard....
log on to this site before dec 31st and see if u can help in any way...
http://www.foodforthepoor.org/site/c.dnJGKNNsFmG/b.1425611/k.9BDA/Current_Appeal.htm