WEEKLY VIGNETTEs
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A Vignette - a brief evocative description, account, or episode
Tips of Icebergs , A sharing of candid reflections during the week that was. Seven births, Seven Days, Seven lifetimes for a mayfly . |
 Time moves seamlessly along.
As it ebbs and flows , let us bid “farewell” to 2020 with thoughtfulness and gratitude …… for the awareness instilled , realisations dawned , and lessons learnt. A year like no other when time literally stood still for weeks and months , we all went back to basics , to our core family circle and discovered a well of satisfaction , creativity and hidden strength within. As we sing Auld Lang Syne , and drink to the cup of human kindness , let us also hum an Ode to Joy at some of the amazing lessons of courage and grit we have witnessed. Thank you for your friendship and connection during the year. Thank you for the inspiration derived from battles and achievements. May you be blessed with good health , happiness and resilience. Bring it on 2021.
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The Titanic was sinking and the passengers were being lowered into lifeboats. A wealthy lady waiting to be lowered suddenly rushed back to her first class cabin. Her priceless jewels were in her locker but she ignored them. She grabbed the two oranges that were there and ran back to the waiting lifeboat. The pandemic has given us much food for thought. We have come to realize our priorities. Family and friends take precedence over worldly wealth. The scales have fallen from our eyes. It has put the brakes on our mad hectic lives. No man is an island and we need one another. Yes , true happiness is to love and be loved. Kate Colaco (Mom) Bangalore , India  You have gone away quite suddenly. In the comfort of your home & home country , which now seems alien and distant owing to COVID. Loved ones abroad could not get to you in time . They had to seek comfort in technology and bid you a skype farewell , grieve with family through the internet.
Even thinking of this is hard and a giant hand squeezes my heart. Are we the same age ? I welcome the petty irritants of today . Sunday morning blues as I begin my Middle Eastern week. The store that opens a hour later than promised causing me to “waste minutes of my precious time”. I welcome the feeling of being overwhelmed and fearful , the seemingly long list of things to do before Christmas , the noisy neighbor whipper-snipping his lawn early morning as I type , sucking away at my inspiration. ….. I get to experience all of these another day. The Gym-Gem that finds me today is a quick audio blurb on FEAR . ( Gym-gems are those nuggets i pick up on my headphones while working out ) FEAR is an integral part of our make up as humans , as animals and mammals. It’s what protected us from sabre-toothed tigers. It’s what keeps our bills paid and life in order. Often we try to “eradicate it” , “do away with it” , but can we and should we ? Can we not make peace with fear ? Co-exist ? Confidence is all about Feeling the Fear and Doing it Anyway . Which btw was a life changing book for me back in 2010 during a speech boot camp to make peace with my stutter. Thank you Susan Jeffers.  GRATITUDE FOR FAMILY
The best part of this season is the reaching out to extended family . I’m sorry if I took you guys from granted before. Coming to realize how fortunate and blessed we are to have each other . LISTS AND SPREADSHEETS Most of life’s daily challenges can be resolved with either the right list or the right spread sheet. Silent time, Holy time, All is calm , All is fine. It is not nearly 7am. The thrill of solitude, the bubbly feeling inside as I wait in anticipation for the day ahead, having conquered the very first small battle- waking up before 5:00 am today. Listening to Gurumul Yanapingu ( 22 Jan 1971 – 25 July 2017 ) in the background and sipping black cardamom coffee. Thank you Len for introducing him to me. Gurumul embodies the true spirit of giving. Blind from birth , never physically “seeing” the apparent beauty of the earth most of us take for granted , he seems graced with a richness and wealth , that fully endowed persons find hard to attain. Giving of himself without a thought. Giving of himself without seeking reciprocation . Giving of his music unseeing and unaware of his world-wide reach and influence. How humble is that. His music and voice are mesmerizing , a calm in the midst of chaos . Watching him sing helps me put whatever issue I am presently facing in the perspective it deserves. Through his example , Gurumul shows us that it is possible to be challenged greatly , to be deprived of a basic sense and still be truly generous. The ease with which you switch roles from a senior to humdrum work role for a job that pays bills , is admirable. As usual, no looking back , never an utterance of complaint, has been’s or should be’s . Still whistling while you shower. Just a sense of stoicism at doing what needs to get done. A grace I deeply admire.
Studying at walking college, gym school , cooking university . Grateful for podcasts. Grateful for the internet and the transformational value of wireless headphones. Thank you Len. Maybe they contribute to my increasing deafness, but a small price to pay for the state of learning-bliss it puts me in and the rapture of knowledge gained.
Picking leaves in the garden aimlessly, but imbibing information while the i-phone speaks. What I once frowned upon as a “useless time-wasting task” has become a frequent “de-stress ritual”. It is the “lemon sorbet” of an otherwise busy day. That mouth cleanser before the next appetizing course. That aroma of coffee seeds before inhaling yet another perfume at the store. Picking leaves is indeed therapeutic. Contradictorily mindless and mindful at the same time. Carve out your own leaf-picking ritual! Any mundane task that needs to get done. Cutting vegetables? Cleaning showers? Exercising at the gym? Add that quiet music or podcast in the background to take you to another level. This is when the head clears and creative thoughts flow. This is when fears recede, and confidence grows. This is when you feel alive. Leafing through pages of an old journal is mesmerizing !
So many moments of – Aha ! I’d forgotten this ! Realllly ??? ( Silent chuckles ) ( Eyes misting over ) Flashes of anger too … depending on how honest I was. I regret the years and times I did NOT keep a journal. Even lost childhood memoirs. But am going with the second best time of planting that tree. Since I did not do it 20 years ago, I am going to do it now. (Thank you Lao Tzu) |