“A young IT professional commits suicide in New Jersey”

While watching yesterday’s news, this very small news line flashed across the screen for a few seconds. I went through the whole news on the web and I was shocked to find that he had lost his mental balance after losing his job as an IT professional. He had become a loner homeless after losing his job. It set me thinking how much a job could matter to a person. What sort of people are we raising these days? No doubt people these days have vast amount of knowledge(read information), high paying jobs and a glamorous life. But what beyond that? What about moral values, family values, perseverance, tolerance and contentment? Can't we raise people who feel safe and secure with the thought of a family? Why did this person not feel safe and confident enough to go back to the family in times of distress?

Since I too am from the IT background I can very well understand the amount of stress this job involves. But this stress mostly leads to an unhealthy competition and extravagant ambitions. More than our own capabilities we are concerned about what ‘others’ are not so good at. More than what promotions and ‘hikes’ WE get, we are concerned about how much other person has got. Those great values of working hard and being content with what we are getting have long been lost. We get stressed with others’ achievements. It is always about others and never about us. Also, I used to see that come appraisal time and people are bothered about how others are being appraised and focussing less on our own shortcomings.

Not only in IT but in this whole mad world things are moving in this direction. Who has the latest mobiles and gadgets, who's spending more on lavishness, even if it is not required as an individual for the self , everything turns out to be a mad race. I for one as a housewife don’t need a mobile for more than making and receiving calls and maximum to set a wake-up alarm. But I have seen housewives going mad for the latest ‘Iphone’. And when we ourselves, as parents, are not content with our fate and running madly after materialism I don’t think our children are ever going to get even a glimpse of contentment. I strongly believe that happiness can come from only contentment. Being content does not mean that we stop striving for betterment. Man cannot progress without challenges and higher goals, but we have to be very careful whence it takes a toll on our lives too.

Rebirth of a night dress!

One day my son Vishnu (5) asked me, "Mum, what hapepns when a person dies?". I said, "he has a soul which goes to God and his dead body is burnt here on earth." He again asked me, "what happens to the soul and what is a soul?". I tried explaining to him in easiest words I could find, what is a soul. Then I said the soul again takes a body depending on its good or bad deeds and becomes a baby on earth. Then again that baby grows, becomes old and dies. He claimed that he understood it all.

After a few weeks, one night I asked him to change into his night suit. And as it is 100 on 100 times he wore a night suit which is of his sister's size who is 2 years old. I always ask him not to do that. But this particular night also he wore that same night dress. In a fit of anger I said,"next time if I see you wearing this night dress, I am going to burn it." He said, "ok fine. then it will become a small baby and start growing up."

It took me a while to connect both the incidents and understand his logic behind this. But when I did, I couldn't stop laughing. It's really wonderful how kids can apply logics to all situations.

माँ के घर से माँ बनने तक का सफर

While on vaccation we went to Oxford for a day. I stood in awe of the colleges there. Normally when I see any world famous colleges, the first thing I wish is to get a chance to study there. But seeing Oxford the first thing that came to my mind was I hope my children can some day study here. This thought made me think about the changes in me and inspired me to write this. I hope all can enjoy it;-)


आज तय कर आई हूँ वो एक लम्बा सा सफर,
जब मैं माँ बनी छोड़ अपनी माँ का घर.
मैया और बाबुल मानो जैसे गंगा नहाए,
कन्या का दान करके मुझे विदा कर आये.

पहले उड़ती फिरती थी तितली मैं नादान,
आज रखूँ पिया के कुल का मैं मान.

रीतियों को रुढ़ियां मैं कहती थी,
बागी हो आधुनिकता की धारा में बहती थी.
रुढ़िवादिता से अब आ गई मुझको रीतियाँ,
घर चलाने की मैं भी खूब सीख गयी नीतियाँ.

कन्या से कुमारी बनी, कुमारी से बनी ब्याहता,
सोचा, संसार पूरा कर दिया तूने विधाता.
विधाता की माया न कभी कोई जान पाया,
रोता बिलखता नन्हा एक मेरी आँखों का तारा आया.

माँ बनकर तो मेरी दुनिया ही जैसे बदल गयी,
होश गंवाकर कलह मचाकर फिर मैं संभल गयी.
समय ने एक माँ का कर्तव्य भी मुझे सिखा दिया,
मेरी माँ का तप और जप भी मुझे दिखा दिया.

पहले लगता था जैसे मुट्ठी में दुनिया हमारी थी,
अपना मुकाम, अपनी खुशियाँ ही बस हमको प्यारी थीं.
अब तो दुनिया, अब तो मंजिलें बस बच्चों की हो गयी हैं,
उनका चरित्र, उनकी खुशियाँ ही हमको प्यारी हो गयी हैं.

ऊंची शिक्षा, ज्ञान विज्ञान पहले खूब लुभाता था,
नयी खोज, नयी राह, नयी सोच से मन उकसाता था.
ऑक्सफोर्ड विश्व विद्यालय देख कर मन आनंद से भर आया,
बस बच्चे ऊंची शिक्षा प्राप्त करें, अब ये विचार घर आया.

प्रभु, अब तो चारित्र्यवान बच्चों से ही संसार मेरा महकता रहे,
उनकी प्रगति देखकर ही मन का पंछी चहकता रहे.

After a long gap I'm back!!

We went for a holiday tour of 4 days on the long weekend of Easter. Just a couple of days ago my both the kids were so sick that till the last moment we were double minded whether to go or cancel the trip. Finally we decided to go. I took along all the paediatric medicines I could. By God’s grace all went well. I didn’t require any medicines at all. Children enjoyed the trip too. We hired a car and my husband drove it. We were just the four of us. Initially we were a bit apprehensive on being alone with kids and that too in a foreign land. But as the trip progressed our fears also receded.

Throughout the trip my daughter aged two slept in the whole of car ride. During sight seeing she was full active and craving for attention. The museums seemed boring to her and so it was her right to not let anyone else see it. My son aged 5 was interested only in natural history museums where dinosaurs, reptiles and all the creepy creatures were ready to pounce upon us. I was interested more in art and history of that place. So all three of us had different tastes and priorities. My poor husband couldn’t even tell his priority as he was trying to create a balance between everyone’s needs.

For outdoor sight seeing the weather played a villain. It was too cold. My children were enjoying outdoors in spite of cold. That was the only place where they felt free.

In one particular palace called Royal Pavillion in Brighton, my little daughter Garima refused to acknowledge any restrictions. She strolled free out of her stroller and ventured into the castle.
There were these particular antiques of the 17th and 18th century just for looking and strictly not for touching. They had been protected by thick ropes so that visitors maintained a distance with them. Garima’s innocent mind would know no boundaries. She crossed the rope and in she went. Immediately alarms started sounding throughout the whole castle. Because of the hugeness and enormity of the building it reverberated loudly and immediately the walkie-talkies of all the security guards there, crackled with voices. We were so stunned by the spontaneity of the situation that for a few seconds we just stood and watched. Then it clicked us that we must get her out. My husband brought her out and tied her securely to the stroller, vowing never to release her in the confines of the building. We felt quite embarrassed and apologised to the security guards. One of them in particular said, “No problem, It keeps me awake!”.