I have a lot older things but they are safely kept in my box of memories.
The only item I do wear everyday is my cross pendant that my mother gifted me. Over the years I have changed the chains multiple times. However, I always add my pendant to the new chain.
I love wearing the cross its the first thing my mother bought for me after a long time. Not as a birthday gift or a gift for an occasion. She just randomly came up to me one day and gave me the box with the pendant. It isn’t anything fancy or over the top. But the worth it holds for me is far beyond words.
My cross is the constant reminder that I am never alone. If ever I am stressed I automatically touch the cross and I remember that God is always with me. I hope that I can keep the cross with me as long as I am alive and maybe pass it along as a heirloom.
I think everyone starts off as a follower. I think in most cases I prefer to be the team member that supports the leader. Its very difficult being a leader. It requires thinking beyond and striving for the best for each team member.
As a follower, I definitely would not be the blind follower. I would want to help the leader and try to help reduce the burden on the leader as much as possible from my side. I like being the one with the flair. Being the follower, gives me the opportunity to do my best in the part allotted to me without worrying about the other’s part.
However, being a leader though stressful has it’s own advantages. I love bringing out the best in people. I especially love it when they are recognized for their efforts and appreciated for it. All the stress and pain managing the team seems worth it when I can stand back and watch them smile on their achievement. I take up the leader role when I feel its my responsibility to do so. It mostly happens when I am the eldest in the group. Other cases, I take up the role when I feel I can best lead the team. Rarely, the opposite team goads me into taking it. Push me and I come swinging!
I am not much of fruits or vegetable person. I think my mind rejects any sort of healthy food. Despite this I do like some fruits:
a. Bananas My mom made sure banana was part of my regular diet through out my childhood. She used to tell me that it gave me strong bones. So I used to eat it without much complain. I am glad she did. Though not as often as I would like, it is probably the only fruit that I eat without someone forcing me.
b. Apples Another scam by my mother “Apple a day keeps the doctor away”. I may not have gone to the doctor for a lot of colds and flu. But keeping the doctor now that is another matter. I had multiple “accidents” through out my childhood. The number or times I have broken my bones exceed the number of bones my whole family have broken put all together. Needless to say, I was a kept my parents in a constant state of worry every time I step out of the house.
c. Grapes Grapes are hands down my favorite! I love them! Green, Red, Black doesn’t matter. Its fun to eat just like popcorn. Just wash it well and eat. Also, the added fancy of it being part of many royal scene depictions. I used to love eating it directly from the bunch like I was a king.
d. Mango I love eating them both raw and ripe. Raw mango with a little bit of chilli powder and salt make for a perfect snack. The blisters from it are totally worth it. On the other and ripe mango is like ice cream. Its just tasty! No more words needed.
e. Jackfruit They are seasonal and I do not eat much of it. But it tastes so good. the hassle for cleaning it up is something that deters me. My father loves the fruit so he does all the cleaning all I have to do is sit beside him and patiently wait as he cleans. This fruit brings back happy memories. I remember me and my sister used to keep count to ensure that no one got more than their fair share.
You meet over a million people in your lifetime. Most of the instances, they are just people who come into your life and leave without any impact. Some of them come into your life and tear you down. And if your lucky some of them come into your life to change it for the better.
There was a time in my life I did not know I was depressed. I just thought I was lazy and sad. It was God who helped me then. My faith brought me out of that mess. I still don’t know how I recovered.
In other instances, God sent me amazing friends in my life. They stood by me and started showing me that there was a part of that was beautiful. They showed me my worth. I can’t take compliments. It makes me feel weird. I feel like I don’t deserve it. However, these friends never gave up on me. They keep giving me reasons to smile, pulling me out of the darkness when I felt like I was drowning. Whenever I was down, they never asked questions, they just pulled me into a hug and stayed like that till I could breathe again.
If they ever read this, you know who you are. Thank you for being the amazing person you are! I hope all of you make more friends because I am sure you will definitely bring smiles to their life. In this world where most days are filled with tribulation, people need a break. They need someone who will stop time and be there and bring a little spark of joy into life.
I am not a very contributing community member. However, I do like to participate in community events whenever possible.
I was able to be a part of the “Make the city beautiful” event organized by a NGO in which we cleaned and painted neglected public spaces. It was a long day’s work but the result was truly amazing. the once foul smelling place now looked beautiful.
In another instance we got to spend time with kids, we played hide and seek, charades, Pictionary. We also played football or more like we managed. The kids were amazing in all the games. Though I did not speak the same language I loved listening to all their stories. We also helped them with their schoolwork. At the end of the day, nobody wanted to leave but we did end up leaving with hearts filled with happiness.
I hope that in the future I can contribute more to my society and join more community events.
Being a Pilot was a dream that I had when I was a kid.
I used to keep looking at the skies fascinated by how humans fly. I have traveled a lot by plane, but being the person at the controls… now that is something else.
Of course, dreaming is one thing but consciously working towards it is another ball game all together. It takes a lot of dedication, discipline and time to touch the skies.
Over time my dreams have changed but if I could have the skills and the qualification I would love to fly a plane. Just one day would be enough!
I think there is a general aura around branded goods. If its costly the quality is going to be top notch.
I think that had I grown up with that kind of money I probably would only prefer the branded items in all things. However, I have grown up in a middle class family and budget over brands was the rule. Why buy something branded when doing so would affect the overall monthly budget.
I will not say that I do not like branded items though. Who wouldn’t love a Louis Vuitton or a Prada bag? But like always I default to the use. If I use it too much the branded item would wear out soon and if I don’t use it what is the point!
Today, I buy items on how I would use it. The only time I buy something branded would be to commemorate a special achievement. And I follow the policy that if you buy something costly it better not be on credit. I try my best to save up for the item I have my eye on. By doing so one of three things happen. One: I get to buy the item and the wait would be totally worth it. Two: By the time I make the money for the item it goes out of the market and then I stew with regret for a couple of weeks vowing that next time I wont delay. Or Three: I get over the desire to buy the branded item and end up adding the amount to my savings.
When we are self focused we seldom realize that there are people in this world who have walked the same path. What seems so difficult to us right now someone has already overcome it.
My Parents It is very irritating when they start with the line “When we were young…”. However, whenever I am stuck in a decision my parents are my first source of advice. I may not always follow their advice but their perspective teaches me a different thought process than I could imagine. There are times when I choose not to trouble my parents and make my own decisions. My parents keep watching me closely making sure they are there next to me the instant I need them. They never want me to fall, but they want to be there every time I need support to get back up.
My Sister Some would find it odd why I chose to mention my sister separately. But she deserves the specific mention. She may not be very old to me but she has taken care of me at every stage. If it was up to her she would tie me up with a mattress and cushion so that nothing can harm me. “To harm her you need to cross over my dead body” – seems like a very cliché line in movies. My sister doesn’t need to say it, cause with her every action she shows it. She goes to the extent of saving me from myself. She doesn’t sugar coat her advice. If may not always like it but I know she says things out of love. I may not understand it an the very moment but eventually it all makes sense
My Mentors At different stages of my life I meet with different people who guide me. Whether it be in school, college or at work. Each and every one of them have taught me something new. The most astonishing part of the whole thing is that they do so with so much humility. They know so much but yet they come down to my level to help me understand things. I admire those who can impart knowledge with such impact.
My Friends I admire all my friends. I think I become friends with people because I am fascinated by their moral character. Some them are epitome of patience, some are so selfless, some of them are so self driven and motivated. All characteristics I seem to lack in. I turn to them for advice when sometimes I just want another perspective.
I hate questions of the future. It gives me anxiety. I don’t have an answer for it.
People say the more you grow older the more you figure out the answers to our questions. Ironically, the more you understand about reality the more you are clueless about it.
I have so many goals in life. Goals for my health, education, work, family. But on any given day if you ask me where do you see yourself in the future I go blank. I think it goes with the fact that I make great plans but when it comes to actually working on it I procrastinate.
But there has been on goal that has been in my life since I was old enough. To be a better Christian. I believe that if I keep that as a consistent goal in my life everything else will fall into place. Jesus gave me an example on how to be a good human despite the evils in the world. I hope that one day I can say that I am a better person than I was yesterday. If I can commit to the person who loves me the most, it makes sense that committing to the rest is going to be easy.
I hope that I learn to make Him my focus in life. I hope that He becomes my direction. And that every step I take in my life is towards His plan for my life.
Without a doubt Christmas is my most favorite holiday of the year and also the most waited!
We may have a million different problems in our life that weigh us down. But when Christmas comes around we forget about all that pain and hurt that the year brought us. We come together as a family and enjoy every minute of the joy we share together.
We bake cake and cookies. Often ending with baking fails of raw cake and burnt cookies. We decorate the Christmas tree and our home. Often spending more time in debating how the decoration should look like rather than actually getting the decoration done.
But the best of all we spend hours talking and listening to each other. And just like that you get the strength to fight for one more year.
