Dear reader

Okay so this post is where I talk to you directly. I have seen people coming to this site even when the last post I’ve written was 2 months ago. So there are people who are finding things to read and are making use of this space.

This post is not about my explanation of why I haven’t written in so long, but a dialog between me and you.

So here is a question to all you lurkers and delurkers. What do you want me to write about? What posts have you enjoyed reading and what do you want to read more about? Okay so that’s two questions.

I want to write things that you are interested in reading and not just post gibberish to get it out of my head. Although, I might do that at times.

So go ahead and use up the comment space. If you are too shy, you can also leave me an email.

And don’t forget to like the blog page on Facebook so you can get notified when I do a post of your suggestion.

On Postnatal Depression

Postnatal Depression is real and new mothers often fail to recognise it and reach out for help. If you are a new mother or going to be one or know someone who is, share this article  of mine on the topic. Yes, once again on Mums Write. Don’t forget to show some love by liking the article (only if you like it) 🙂

Postnatal Depression

A letter to my daughter

Dear daughter o’mine,

You laugh a lot, with gay abandon, accompanied by snorts. Don’t let anyone tell you it is unladylike.

You climb on your dad, roll on the floor and play with cars. Don’t let them tell you should have been a boy.

You run, scream, jump and talk non stop, trying to burn the seemingly inexhaustible energy I am still wondering the source of. Don’t let their disapproving stares bother you.

You play with your dolls, cooking for and feeding them. You even put them to bed. Don’t let them tell you that is how girls play.

You like ribbons and pony tails but couldn’t care less about princesses and unicorns. You sleep with a teddy bear. You like trucks, aeroplanes and skateboards. Digging in the dirt and climbing trees are some of your favourite past times. Don’t let them teach you to choose between any of those.

Don’t let anyone define who you are or what you should be. Wear blacks, reds and blues if you like and be who you want to be.

You are just a child, free and wild. And that is how it should be.

I’m on Mums Write

So, I submitted an article to Mums Write and actually got accepted. If you are a parent or are going to be one, this might be some useful information. If you aren’t a parent, then share this with others who are.

http://mumswrite.com.au/putting-yourself-first/

Reflections 2016

As a blogger, I am obliged to do a roundup post at the end of the year. Now it is already 5 days past the end of 2016 and time I got around to thinking of what to say. Was 2016 good to me? I don’t want to sound ungrateful and say that it wasn’t. But the real question is this. Was I good to 2016? Did I realise my potential and give my best to the year? Did I enjoy the days as much as I could? Did I take the opportunities I was given and/or create opportunities where possible? I’m sure you get the idea of what I am talking about.

Being true to oneself and coming out vulnerable but with true realisation is one hell of a difficult thing to do, when living in denial and false assurances is so easy. I am, right now, in the process of reflecting on the past year to not only recognise faults and failures but also to appreciate my small triumphs. I’ve come to think of retrospection as not only a way to improve myself but also an opportunity to pat myself on the back for things well done. However, in the end, what I take away from it is how I can do better in future.

So to round up 2016 in a post, which would be quite a feat in itself, to be honest, it didn’t go as well as I wanted it to. I didn’t post much, I didn’t accomplish much. To be honest, I didn’t reach my potential. On the other hand I was happy, well fed and rested. The baby grew up all of a sudden and so that was one less thing to worry about a little body getting hurt (she still does, it just affects me less).

I am truly grateful for all the good things in life (I already have). Doesn’t mean I can’t desire for more.

I am hoping 2017 will be a fantastic year to do all that I didn’t. So here’s me wishing myself a fabulous year ahead. I hope I meditate more, think more, listen more, act more, work more, create more, exercise more, enjoy more, love more and update the blog more.

I also wish all my readers an amazing 2017. Make your wishes come true. What did you wish for by the way?

 

Life’s lessons from retrospection

A sense of peace has resided within me. I have been feeling it ever since I set foot in India. I don’t know if it was the travel or India or the fact that I am older (and hence wiser?). I realise that things don’t hurt or tick me off as they used to. Being born and growing up in India, I knew what to expect, both from places and people. I had made up my mind to not let things/people bother me. What surprised me most was that it wasn’t at all difficult to do just that. I was more relaxed and much more forgiving. As a result there was almost zero anxiety related to anything, however big it was.

Being back at places I have lived gave me an opportunity to remember old times and on more than one occasion I wished that I should not have let the bridge break. I missed a few people and wished I was more forgiving back then. I realise that things that I thought were huge back then are now of no importance. Most things turn out to be nothing with time. I was obviously too young, too inexperienced and too naive to see it that way. Now that I do, I have decided to not let things matter, no matter how big they seem. With time, we change and heal. I now believe in second chances.

Friends who were extremely close a few years back haven’t seen each other for years now. We lived in the same city but didn’t meet for a long time (before we moved). Now that I made an effort to reconnect and a few responded. We met and we picked up right where we left. It felt nice. I learnt that all relationships take a lot of work and effort to survive and sustain. Effort from both ends.

As I sit, my eyes closed (as I usually do when I want to imagine), I see my life, from as early as I can remember. I see the negative feelings I kept bottled and how they have influenced me as a person. Or, if I’m being honest, hindered me from growing. It now seems like a waste of time and waste of space in my mind. Have I finally learnt to let go?

Distraction

I’m sorry about not posting for so long even after having said that I will. Life happens and I cannot stop it. However, I have something else for you on my travel blog.

If you are interested in reading about some tips for travelling with children, you are welcome to read my recent update on my travel blog: Tips for air travel with kids

That should keep you occupied, while I finish the draft that I had originally planned to post here.