A Happy New Year !!!

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.
Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.
Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.
Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.
Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.
Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.
An inspiring poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Mumbai

As an ex Mumbaikar,I was glued to CNN all day long. I kept thinking about all the areas that were targeted. The number of times I had clicked the facade of the Taj as an amateur photographer.The number of times I had boarded the 6.30 Andheri local from VT. The number of times we waited on the platform to catch the Madras Mail , late at night with luggage around us, happy about an upcoming vacation. So many of innocent people, kids looking forward for a vacation, young women waiting to get married, lovers waiting to be reunited, fathers looking for a giant hug going back home;so many innocent people died.Aamchi Mumbai was affected so bad it won't be the same again.
I am not sure when this movie, "A Wednesday" was released but it talks so well about such a situation. Excellent performance by Nasseruddin Shah. "Aam Aadmi"--how little respect we have, till we become someone like Mahatma Gandhi. No one is born great, they make themselves great. It is all about you.

Blessings

While on the topic of Birthdays, I should also count my blessings. My family is one of my most important blessings that God has granted me.Recently, I saw this movie," satham podathey" and it affected me a lot. So many of us go through life hoping and looking for some thing to turn in their lives to make it better.Kids go through school hoping they become successful.Men dream of more wealth, parents think of a comfortable old age, girls dream of Prince Charming.Most often , people achieve a part of their goals and accept their situation and move on.But what happens to people who are unable to realise their dreams?
Girls about to marry are so full of dreams and hopes of a beautiful life .But what if their dreams are shattered. I am not talking about not going to work or an interfering in-law or lack of privacy- shattering. I am talking about an violent or physically abusive husband .The one person link to another family. The only one you know while stepping into another family , your love , your life. If he is not what you thought he was- how would you live?Again, I am not talking about personalities or ideas clashing, but if everything about your man was all wrong.
It made me think about my "man". Sure we have had our share of fights(which marriage doesn't have one)but I was always loved and made to feel special.But it also bought to the fore how risky marriages are: we are not always sure of how people live outside of civil society, in their own homes.Of the violence in some homes.Of the deceit,of their greed , of their ugly inner selves.
I AM GRATEFUL FOR MY FAMILY AND I WOULDN'T TRADE IT FOR ANYTHING

Another Year

Mother (Aurobindo Ashram) always said people are most receptive on their birthdays.I always think it to be true, I was and always am very excited about my birthday. I feel very close to the Divine and I always consider it one of my important days( My wedding anniversary being another).As the day opens up, I make new discoveries about my near and dear.Are they genuinely happy for me or are they just doing lip service.I notice their enthusiasm, the efforts they go through to make sure" my day " is perfect.
My older son leaves no stone unturned to make my day and I am very very grateful for him.It makes me feel loved and wanted and cared for. My husband is of course the brain behind the celebrations but Sai is the creative director. He plans for weeks together on how to celebrate it and succeeds. My mom-in -law is another person I need to talk about too: she always insists and makes sure I enjoy my day
There is this saying," If you love something, set it free. If it comes back it is yours, if it doesn't it never was yours"On my birthday, I see my love coming back to me and I feel proud that my family accepted my love and are returning my love multifolds.

Merci Beaucoup!!

Thanks must go out to my English teachers , Mrs.Murthy and Mrs.C.Rodrigues.They not only taught the subject but also changed me.The title of this blog is a tribute to them;(I remembered your" figures of speech" lesson for so long!!). Mrs. Murthy taught us only for a year and then she retired, but she instilled in me a love for reading, especially enjoying poetry. Babes in the woods, Abou Ben Adhem etc.She taught us how to hold a book while reading.Sixth standard is a pretty long time ago, but it seems just like yesterday.
Mrs.CR was an excellent teacher too.She treated her students with respect and that is what is lacking in a lot of teachers today. Most teachers like students who are very interactive in class, but most of the shy and introverted kids just go through their school and colleges hoping somebody will unearth their talents and encourage them.
Mrs CR was one such teacher, showed us it was okay to make mistakes, especially when we were in her French class.
To teachers like mine and others like them all over the world,THANK YOU!!!