4 teardrops and a Veena

Mrs. Jayshree - 60 years old, the last 39 of them as a  daughter in law, wife and mom, going through with the motions of life with absolute devotion and gusto - She is multi talented, can draw, sew, paint, cook and sing - her only regret - she had to stop playing the Veena because of various compulsions: the Veena used to make a formal appearance every Saraswathi Pooja and then back in the attic. Unable to bear the non use of an instrument that she was so eloquent and so well versed with, she decided to sell it off the day after the Pooja.




October 2, 2013 - A neighbour walks into Ms. Jayshree's house on Saraswathi Pooja to receive her blessings , sees the Veena and asks her Auntie do you play the Veena - Yes but i have decided to sell it away, it has been with me for the last 39 years without being played once - The woman asks Will you sell it me or teach me to play - I used to play the Veena too 25 years back, but gave up.


So began a new class - Mrs. Jayshree, the teacher,  and  the neighbour the new student - is me.




For her I am an answer to her prayers  - she never expected to play again, For me - it is a path to healing.


Today i know and accept with humility that each person in our lives have a role to play.

Parents =

Happy Anniversay...This day 1966.....two people who are extremely different in character, attitude and came together...today such a combination would be doomed as "not workable"..But they complement each other .......Even today they never agree on anything, their tastes are different, their attitudes to life still don't match..But they had one thing in common - their determination to make it through the ups and downs- Amma with her faith in Her and Appa with the classic MCC attitude of come what may life has to go on.

It is beautiful to watch what years of togetherness does to to people.. Their caring for each other is like a reflex action, one does not have to put effort into it. Their familiarity with each others likes dislikes, tastes in food and clothing, trivial as it may seem is seen to be believed. And now with cell phones, the grand kids today make jokes as to how many times they call each other. They are top in each others list of priorities. God Bless them with more years of togetherness..

They were strict with us when necessary but let go when we rebelled and allowed us to learn on our own. That is the legacy I am going to take forward for my kids,
As their children, we have not been "perfect kids", our share of complaints, we three have our own destinies and searches. They gave us the freedom to go look for it and always backed us up when we have not been successful.. We might have complained, we might have judged, we might have cribbed but one thing is for sure,, if we can be half as good parents to our kids as you have been to us..,we will be appreciated when we are older

haiku

Catwalk, make-up, lights, longing glances
million dollar smile &
camera spotted the smudged mascara
(my attempt at Haiku)

from my heart

இந்திரனக்கு கோபம் போலும்
இடியும் மின்னலும் என்னை மிரட்ட
வருடி கொடுத்தது ஒரு கரம்
இதமாய் அனைத்தது ஒரு கரம்

கேட்டது ஒரு குரல்
பட்டு திரைசீலையை நீக்கி பார்
இந்த இடியும் மின்னலும் உனக்கில்லை

எட்டி பார்த்தேன்
பக்கத்துக்கு வயலில்
குடிசை வாசலில்
கோமணத்துடன் மழையில் ஆடி களித்தான்
ஏழை விவசாயி -

இடியும் மின்னலும் மழையும் அவன் பயத்தை போக்கியதால்

as dawn breaks

 The cooing of the cuckoo and the shriek of the alarm.....i just pull the sheets more  tightly around myself and curl   into a tighter cocoon.

Looking over my shoulder

Makeover

We want to make a change

We want to make our presence felt

But

We will not give in, 

We will not bend or fold

Unless the change is from within

Any change we make anywhere else is just a makeover