Sometimes, a hug is all you need!!!

It was the March of 2013, I was still getting over a grave pain of having lost Vinu(my college friend who was a biker), though not too close a friend, Vinu somehow managed to seize the hearts of people who knew him. The pain was more of losing a young ambitious, well-wishing guy, the only son left to his parents. It was then that I could relate to how some people felt having lost their favourite leaders, celebrities despite never having met them in person. The world sure has unlimited emotions trapped inside of it!

It was during this time, that a very dear friend understood this feeling of mine without me putting it into words. And the only treatment was a warm hug, for reassurance that life has moved on ever-since. This was the first and the last time I ever received this hug from that friend. But the lesson learnt was very deep. A genuine hug has magical powers!

Today, its been over a year since I have been adopting the "magic-hug" session with the students in my school. So here's what I do...after they finish the school assembly I hug each of them individually and wish them "Good Morning" followed by their name, and in return they hug me back more warmly and say "Good Morning Teacher"...The energy that passes on, the reassurance that we are there for each other is commendable(no words involved). With 28 children, it takes time, but I sure don't get exhausted! Because, I have learnt... that in life ...Sometimes, a hug is all you need!!!

Love and Hugs

Nirupama

To change or not to change?

As people wade through various joyous and distasteful incidents in their life, the one cross road that most people come across in their minds is “to change or not to change?” The change here could refer to a person’s individual self, his lifestyle, his company (people who he gets along with), the place where he stays and the list may go on!

So who exactly decides whether all or some of these things have to be changed: You, your friend, a stranger turned friend or any other person?

It was a few days ago that I happened to talk to one such person. A new found friend he was, who managed to probe questions that I would generally not answer someone if I knew what the conversation was leading to. The conversation clearly appeared to be a forced session of ‘I want to help you’ despite my insisting that I am happy the way things are with me. It was amusing at the way how people in the name of feeling a ‘connection’ with you want to change you, whether or not you like it.

This incident brought to me a new perspective of life & living and that is… when people see you on a certain day, or even if they have been seeing you for a long time, they would not know the end-to-end of every single story that goes on in your life, somewhere there will be a point where they may get disconnected with you, but you are the only one who has experienced every feeling, every story, every emotion bit by bit and this makes you the sole decider of what to do with yourself. Your choices as against your circumstances may look wrong to some people, people may sometimes even bruise you with their words on your decision making; however it’s you who has to take a call to allow people’s advice affect you in any manner.

I am a firm believer of destiny and I think that destiny is pre-destined.

I feel Karma has a role to play too (what goes around comes around).

And I also know that the two statements that I made above are contradictions to each other; so that may make me look like a confused person, but I have my own reasons to believe in my own thoughts, fairly because its only I who knows the story of my life, just the way it is going!

So the next time when you don’t want to change for an advice from a person, how much ever you respect them…do what makes you feel right and light and yes let them know about it too!

How I fell in love with Shiva!!!

My understanding and knowledge of god as a Hindu has always been based upon what I acquired from my elders at home, neighbours, teachers, festivals, religious books, stories related to them and few other sources that I am unable to recall right now. As a result of this understanding, Krishna became my favourite god over all of my growing years and the god that I feared was Shiva!

So, why did I fear him? is the question...to which there is more than one answer. Sometimes, it was the way staunch prayers and rule-bound rituals were offered for a 'Shiva Trayodashi' (also called Pradosh), some other times there was the super-strict "Solah-Somvaari"(16-Mondays) fast with a list of unchangeable and rigid rules for both prayer and fasting. Then there is the "Maha Mrityunjay Mantr" which is said to save lives right out of death-trap, but again with a condition, there can be no scope of the hymn being misspelt! With these and a few more, my fear of Shiva grew...I always saw him like a strict father with a cane, ready to bash up for the smallest mistakes. But all of this had to stop somewhere and it faded one fine morning, when I decided to read a book much more holier than any holy books I have read so far... The holy book is called "Immortals of Meluha". Until then I was still not too happy with Shiva, but as I read the first few pages, I exactly knew why we fall in love with gods, when we do!

Shiva, then got into my realisation as one subtle man with his own thoughts and rules of his tribe, with his respect for everyone who cared to be, with seamless love for Sati, with the insecurities of a little child, with compassion for Ganesh, with undeterred brotherhood for Brihaspati, a passionate dancer, a joy maker, a ready-to-go traveller, simple yet super smart at analytics, a singer... Shiva is so much me. How then could I stay away from him? How else do we fall in love?

Falling in love with Shiva therefore made me love god! It helped me reinstate my faith in the Inner Shiva! Therefore Shivoham.

I suppose...this is how "Har-Har-Mahadev" takes its grip in every era!

Thankyou Amish Tripathi for this abundance!

Satyam.Shivam.Sundaram!!!

Nirupama