Hubris Miasma

To all absentee parents out there.. How do you do it? How do you manage to swan off and live your selfish dreams without compunction? How do you live in material and emotional comfort knowing you have abandoned a past life? How does your conscience rest easy knowing you took care of yourself without lookingContinue reading “Hubris Miasma”

My Sister’s Cat

It has been a tumultuous week. Shifu, the Master, my sister’s pet cat, who was a beautiful presence in our lives, has left this world forever. He had brought so much happiness in the lives of all those who’d met or known him. For that reason, he will never leave our hearts. He epitomised theContinue reading “My Sister’s Cat”

Backward and Forward

I’m at that stage of life where I find my emotions oscillating between a curious mixture of hopeful excitement for my own sons vis-a-vis quiet acceptance of my own uneventful future. Of course, I know that hope and excitement isn’t the exclusive rights of the younger generation. Those in my age group have every rightContinue reading “Backward and Forward”

A Look Back at My Blog

This is going to be one of those ‘thinking out loud’ moments. Privately, I have often gone back and randomly selected one of my own blog posts from the past to assess how true I have been to myself and to see what progress, if any, I have made since then. Have my opinions shifted?Continue reading “A Look Back at My Blog”

Introspection

In the journey of finding out about the self, I have learnt one salient thing. It is that I enjoy the company of others, be it family or friends or beyond. That’s not to say I like big crowds or to be amongst random people. Actually, I prefer smaller gatherings where meaningful conversations happen andContinue reading “Introspection”

Just Below the Surface

In Ramadan, we are well-acquainted with the advice to keep negative thoughts and actions well at bay. Given the heightened spiritual ambience that this month brings into our homes and hearts, for the most part, it is a much easier thing to do than in times outside of Ramadan. However….. I cannot feign perfection. ThereContinue reading “Just Below the Surface”

Learn. Love. Laugh.

It all boils down to that. My summary of a life fulfilled. Each day has to contain all three of those composite elements to make that day worth living. So what about the cynics who would argue that it’s impossible to laugh through difficult times? Or those who feel bitter about unrequited love or oneContinue reading “Learn. Love. Laugh.”

The Runaway Bandwagon

It seems that one of the most prolific results of the Covid pandemic is the unprecedented rise in people suffering from mental health issues. Not surprising given the wildly different and bizarre circumstances many people worldwide found themselves in. Today, in a world which has been shaken by the pandemic and is still reeling fromContinue reading “The Runaway Bandwagon”

A Leap of Faith

When two of my sons recently returned on their separate but consecutive trips abroad to see their father, the question that family and friends asked me was, “How do you keep calm?“ The truth is, I knew a time would come when my sons would voluntarily travel to visit their father. I have been bracingContinue reading “A Leap of Faith”

The Cost of Living

Contrary to what I’m sure most people would expect me to be writing about here, I will not be talking about the insanely expensive utility bills that many of us have been floundering in over the last few months or so. My discussion today is more obscure than that. There is another intangible cost ofContinue reading “The Cost of Living”