Tuesday, 7 April 2015

'F' IS FOR FATHER


A Father is the first man a girl encounters in her life. It is because of a father that a girl is able to understand the opposite gender, and hence  fathers play a very important role in moulding the future of a girl.

It doesn't matter how educated or rich your father is. All that matters is how you are treated by your father, and it's truly a blessing if your father treats you like a princess.

My father was neither rich nor very educated. He struggled all his life, only to meet the needs of his family. He wasn't very expressive or very good at words either. He and us faced very hard times when his company closed down. But no matter  how difficult the times he found himself amidst, he truly remained a gem of a person at heart. He showered his immense love on me, and that was all I needed.

Its only because of him that I realised that all men are not bad, and  today I find myself truly blessed with a loving husband and a son.

Nobody can take the place of my father in my life. But I must tell you that I have got an amazing father-in-law, who treats me like his own daughter. He believes in all that I do, and never doubts or questions my judgment. I share an excellent rapport with him. I know that just like my father, he will be there for me always.

And above all is my Father in Heaven, God Almighty. I know he will always care for me and my family.

Monday, 6 April 2015

'E' IS FOR EVIL



I actually wanted to write on some other topic, but I think this one is more relevant to the times we live in. Yesterday I read about this young Bangladeshi atheist blogger who was hacked to death with an axe/machete/butcher's knife or some other sharp and heavy weapon. He had multiple stab wounds on his face. The way he was killed suggested that the murderer(s) was either very angry or absolutely sick in the head.

The blogger had supposedly written against religious fundamentalists. Or maybe he had written something blasphemous.

But I really wonder, which one is more evil? The one who wrote a few unsavoury things about the dark side of religion, or the  heartless and merciless people who kill in the name of religion? Such a shame. While a major part of the world is developing things to make living easier, some us are stuck in the dark ages and only thinking about taking lives.

Saturday, 4 April 2015

'D' IS FOR DREAMS


"Without Dreaming, We Lose The Excitement Of Possibilities"
- Gloria Steinem

Everyone has dreams. Why humans dream might be a matter of great interest to psychologists and philosophers since countless years, yet no one has a clear answer. Nevertheless, I can safely label myself as a dreamer. I do it not just while I'm asleep, but also while I'm awake.

Sometimes, my loved ones call me impractical and foolish when I share my dreams and aspirations with them. I admit, I might be a little overambitious at times. However, I strongly believe that when we dream big, we are more likely to reach great heights than otherwise. I have always lived my life by this mantra. Hence, I never regret dreaming big, and haven't yet shied away from making my aspirations known, even at the risk of being ridiculed at times. It sometimes drives my hubby nuts, but I have no regrets. On the bright side, my attitude has at times helped my hubby take risks and succeed, and he has thanked me for the same.

There is a wonderful saying - "Don't Just Dream Your Life...Live Your Dream". Very true. If you simply dream and hold back from striving towards bringing your dreams to reality, then dreaming is useless. After all, life is nothing but a pursuit of dreams.

This post is written as a part of the April A to Z Challenge - 2015

Friday, 3 April 2015

'C' IS FOR CHRIST


I am a Christian from the Roman Catholic sect. With the holy week of lent going on, the first thing that came to my mind when I thought of the letter C was Jesus Christ.


The Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, when Jesus is welcomed into the city of Jerusalem with his disciples by the Jews, who mistake him as a political leader who will lead a rebellion against the Roman Empire. However, when they realise that they were mistaken, they plot to get him out of the way, in connivance with Jewish priests who level charges of Blasphemy. Maundy Thursday marks the day of Jesus' Last Supper with his disciples and his teaching them the important lesson of being of service to others by washing their feet. Good Friday is the day Jesus is arrested following betrayal by Judas, and charged for Blasphemy by the Jews. Subsequently he is crucified after a lot of torture and humiliation. Holy Week finally culminates with Easter Sunday, when Jesus rises from the dead.

Easter is actually a bigger festival for Christians than Christmas. Christians believe in the concept of redemption, forgiveness, and 'life after death'. For me, 'life after death' is not necessarily resurrection in the literal sense, but has more to do with having a second chance, or getting a chance to redeem one's self after initial failure. It is about repentance and starting life afresh.


As a Christian, I am proud of the fact that my religion is a religion of peace. The word 'Catholic' means all-embracing. I am also proud of the fact that our religious leader, i.e. the Pope is not shy of admitting mistakes and apologising for events in history where the Church was at fault. The fact that the Church is not rigid and fundamentalist, and is willing to move with the times is also a very good trait.

Here's wishing everyone a VERY HAPPY EASTER.

This post is written as a part of the April A to Z Challenge - 2015

Thursday, 2 April 2015

'B' IS FOR BREAKFAST.


It is common knowledge that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is this meal that keeps us going the whole day. Just as a vehicle requires fuel to start, our body requires breakfast to start its day after a long night's sleep.

Many a times the power of a breakfast is underestimated. Sometimes, people miss or skip their breakfast due to unnecessary reasons like "I want to lose weight", "I could not find time" or simply "I didn't like the spread".

For most wives, including me, breakfast can pose a problem of epic proportions. Women will relate more to this, but "what to prepare for breakfast" is one of the hardest questions to answer every morning. Trust me, it's easier to find out what a woman wants (or maybe it's not). 

This is how my daily (almost) morning conversation with my husband goes, when it comes to breakfast:-

Me (yawning) - I'm so tired. Anyway, what do you want for breakfast today?

Hubby - Oh, don't take too much trouble, let's have cornflakes today.

Me - Cornflakes? But that's not filling. Remember, have breakfast like a king!

Hubby - Oh, alright then, let's have omelette sandwiches.

Me - Eggs have high cholesterol, you need to reduce your egg intake.

Hubby - Aargh...oats?

Me - Sorry, we're out of oats. You didn't make time for shopping....

Hubby (with an irritated look on his face) - I'm getting late...sorry gotta go...c'ya in the evening

Don't blame me...I was just making sure he got the most optimal choice of breakfast.

Ladies, sounds familiar? ;)

This post is written as a part of the April A to Z Challenge - 2015

Wednesday, 1 April 2015

'A' IS FOR ARRANGED MARRIAGE


They say marriages are made in heaven, but arranged on earth.

For me, marriage is an institution where two individuals are brought together - some times by love, and some times in hopeful effort of meeting your true love.

My marriage was an arranged marriage - arranged by my mother to a boy whom I had never seen or met before.

But was I ready for this?

I asked her why she wanted me to take this plunge and her answer simply was that no one can live a life alone.

But how do we live with a stranger? Is it as simple as it sounds?

It was such a scary thought for me at that time.

Funnily though, as we neared our wedding day, I realised that my husband had the same thoughts and fears as I did, and this curiosity helped us to understand each other. During the course of our quest to get to know each other, we first became best of friends of each other, graduated to becoming lovers, and then finally became husband and wife.

Today, we are blessed with a child.

Arranged marriages are indeed like an adventure, where you get to know new things about your partner every single day.

And I am loving this adventure!



This post is written as a part of the April A to Z Challenge - 2015