Beauty, life and love are eternal - 'Snowflake' Bentley

Bentley's words contain some profound messages for all of us. He studied the science behind snowflakes and that lead him to a deeper understanding of life and a fascination for nature. Similarly in all our learnings, we must go beyond the mere facts and figures, to develop a feeling of wonder for this miracle that life is!

Bentley's labor of love ..

“The snow crystals . . . come to us not only to reveal the wondrous beauty of the minute in Nature, but to teach us that all earthly beauty is transient and must soon fade way. But though the beauty of the snow is evanescent, like the beauties of the autumn, as of the evening sky, it fades but to come again.”

"One has the pleasant certainty that in her deep reservoirs Nature keeps an endless source of beauty and that, over centuries, storms will continue to flood the surface of the earth with new and beautiful jewels that will entertain and delight everyone that loves beauty."

"this exquisite beauty so lavishly scattered over the earth and yet there should be no despair for this miracle like unto the miracle of  the springs awakening will come and come again for all time..either here or somewhere in the universe. For beauty, life and love are eternal. The things that make the universe worthwhile and justify its existence."

"The deeper one enters into the study of Nature, the further one ventures into and along the by-paths that, like a mystic maze, thread Nature's realm in every direction, the broader and grander becomes the vista opened up to the view."

"There is a need of a greater love for, and appreciation of such things, of the beautiful and wonderful in nature...There are oceans of enjoyment, soul satisfying pleasure to be had in Nature's art and beauty, as shown freely to us in the common things all about us."

"I am a poor man, except in satisfaction I get out of my work. In that respect, I am one of the richest men in the world. I wouldn't change places with Henry Ford or John D. Rockefeller for all their millions! And I wouldn't change places with a king; not for all his power and glory. I have my snowflakes!

It isn't what we have, it's what we do and enjoy that makes life worth living.  - Wilson A Bentley

Nesting Goose: Love is at the heart of creation

The same goose making her nest this year

Every April through September we get the great opportunity of watching the Canadian Geese go through another cycle of birthing and rearing the little ones. It seems like I will never ever tire of watching them. Last year, I found four nesting areas alongside the wetlands and the marshes. So this year it was easy to look for them as the goose will choose the very same spot again. Everyday after I pick my children from school, we walk over and check on the nesting goose.

Its been a few days now since I saw her preparing the nest. The mother goose plucks soft down from her own breast to line the nest for the delicate eggs. The last two days were harsh with the relentless rain pouring throughout the day. The mother goose was still there with her head tucked low. She still had a long way to go..almost a month. She will not eat, drink, or bathe while incubating. The father goose is constantly on guard standing nearby so she accomplish the immense job that nature has bestowed on her.

This is the time when extraordinary effort, dedication, selfless love, sacrifice .. all come together to continue the song of creation. From now until October, the couple have only one goal and that is to ensure that their little goslings survive. Do we need any other examples of a great mother, a great husband and a great father? If this is not love, what else is??

Love is the only reality and it is not a mere sentiment. It is the ultimate truth that lies at the heart of creation - Rabindranath Tagore

The Joy of Learning

"Joy of learning".. I've heard this many times, but it is only now that I truly experience the joy of learning.

These days the highlight of my week is my violin and dance classes. How I look forward to the tuesday and thursday evening classes. In those few hours I completely lose myself. I forget who I am... that I am a mother, my profession, my age, the chores, deadlines, ..everything disappears!! I am oblivious to the surroundings, the little kids in the class decades younger to me or the frigid weather outside. In those brief interludes time comes to a standstill and I am just a humble student with a simple desire to learn.

There is no pressure, no goals, nowhere to reach, nothing to prove and no one to show. At the end of the day, after I finish all my duties as a homemaker, mother, wife, daughter-in-law and a working professional, I learn if time permits and when the opportunity presents itself.

As strange as it may seem, I have no desires for vacations, restaurants, shopping, movies and other forms of entertainment. I have everything I need in the ordinary routine of my daily life. 

That is the way to learn the most, that when you are doing something with such enjoyment that you don't notice that the time passes - Einstein

A red rose has blossomed, my beloved: Oru Chempaneer ..

This is a melodious and touching song from the malayalam movie Sthithi. A song for every ordinary married couple who have faced together the extreme hardships, financial worries and the bitter uncertainties of life. Love for each other seldom gets expressed in the harsh routine of daily living. Despite that one remain secure in the knowledge that the love for the other is still very much alive .. deep within the heart. It is only when we take a moment to sit back and look, do we realize the beauty of this soundless symphony that is our daily lives.

Oru chempaneer pooviruthu njan omalle
Oru vela ninnerkku neettiyilla
Enkillum engane neeyarinju
Ente chemapneer pookunathay ninakkai
Sugandham parathunathayi ninakkai
Parayu...nee parayu....parayu...nee parayu
(A red rose has blossomed my beloved
Not even once have I extended one to you
But still, how did you know?
The very reason my red roses bloom is for you  
The very reason it spreads its fragrance is for you
Tell me..you tell me..)

Akamme niranja snehamam
Mathuryam oru vaakinal thottu njan nalkiyilla
Nira neelaraaville ekandathayil
Nin mizhiyille nannavoppi mayachathilla
Enkillum nee arinju
En ninavennum nin ninvariyunathayi
Ninne thazhukunathayi
( The love that fills me inside..
I haven't, with a single word, expressed its sweetness to you
In the solitude of the blueish early morning..
I haven't wiped away the wetness from your eyes
But still, you knew ..
That my thoughts everyday knows of your thoughts.
That my thoughts everyday are caressing you.)

Thanniye thelinga bhavamam
Shree ragam oru mathra nee othu njan mooliyilla
Pularmanju peyyunna yamathillum
Nin mridhu meni onnu thalodiyilla
Enkillum nee arinju
En manamennum nin manam ariyunathayi
Ninne thunarunnathayi
( Alone, when I sing the Sree ragam, the depth of feelings that arise ..
Not a verse have I hummed for you
Even when hardships, like the morning due, rained on us
I never embraced your soft body
But still, you knew ..
That my mind everyday knows what is in your mind
That my mind everyday is accompanying you )

Oru chempaneer pooviruthu njan omalle
Oru vela ninnerkku neettiyilla
(A red rose has blossomed my beloved
Not even once have I offered one to you )

Listen to this song on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhZiR20hYP8

To find our calling : Rumi shows us how ..

Another wonderful year has passed and as I wished at the beginning of last year, I yielded ever so slightly to all the strange pulls and tugs at my heart. I have no resolutions for this year either .. only to do more of the things that I love and to do it more often. 

With these beautiful quotes, Rumi the great Sufi mystic shows us how to find our true calling ..

Each one of us has a calling. Rumi says : "Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart". Did you know "Inside you there’s an artist you don’t know about.."?. Know that "What you seek is seeking you"
Rumi urges us to ask ourselves .."What in your life is calling you. When all the noise is silenced. the meetings adjourned... the lists laid aside, and the Wild Iris blooms by itself. In the dark forest...What still pulls on your soul?
Listen in silence .."There is a voice that doesn't use words. Listen!"; "Sometimes you hear a voice through the door calling you... This turning toward what you deeply love saves you"; "Let silence take you to the core of life."; "Sit quietly and listen for a voice that will say, "Be more silent." As that happens, your soul starts to revive.”
When you have listened..."Respond to every call that excites your spirit"  and“What matters is how quickly you do what your soul directs.” and slowly "Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love, it will not lead you astray."
Do what you love and rejoice!! "When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy" you will say "I want to sing like the birds sing, not worrying about who hears or what they think.” and everyday "Let the beauty of what you love be what you do".

Brazil : Love knows no colors ..

 People watching has been my favorite pastime since I landed in Brazil. I could sit endlessly and just watch the people going by. A mind boggling mix of African, South American, Native American and European people. Brazil is the ultimate melting pot of world cultures!

You can find all shades of skin color from the lightest to the darkest ivory. All types of hair color and texture. Each person had an unexplainable beauty. My brain would jump at solving the 'ancestry' jigsaw puzzle.

The men are handsome with amazingly fit bodies and a soft, gentle face which make them even more attractive. The women are vivacious, brown skinned with curly hair and soft curvacious bodies and a generous, warm smile. It appears that the brazileiros are the most masculine men on the planet and the brazileiras, the most feminine.

What makes these people so unique? I figure it is ..
  A spontaneous and free flowing expressiveness
 The camaraderie and warmth that comes straight from the heart  
 A passionate love for music and dance
 A love for the sun, sports and the outdoors and
 An intense love of life that resonates in every cell in the body !

Love alone is our life.... ಒಲವೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಬದುಕು

Da Ra Bendre's poem is heart wrenching and heart warming at the same time. It  reveals the utter poverty of a young woman who has nothing to call her own other than the love of her man. Love can make even the poorest of the poor rich.   Who being loved is poor? - Oscar Wilde

ನಾನು ಬಡವಿ ಆತ ಬಡವ
      ಒಲವೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಬದುಕು
ಬಳಸಿಕೊಂಡೆವದನೆ ನಾವು
      ಅದಕು ಇದಕು ಎದಕು

Poor I am, so is he
Love alone is our life
Tis what we have nurtured
To see us through this, that and for everything else

ಹತ್ತಿರಿರಲಿ ದೂರವಿರಲಿ
      ಅವನೆ ರಂಗಸಾಲೆ
ಕಣ್ಣು ಕಟ್ಟುವಂಥ ಮೂರ್ತಿ
      ಕಿವಿಗೆ ಮೆಚ್ಚಿನೋಲೆ 

Near or far may he be
He is the colourful stage
The idol that my eyes have built up
Sweet words are jewels for my ears 


ಚಳಿಗೆ ಬಿಸಿಲಿಗೊಂದೆ ಹದ
      ಅವನ ಮೈಯ ಮುಟ್ಟೆ
ಅದೇ ಗಳಿಗೆ ಮೈಯ ತುಂಬಾ
      ನನಗೆ ನವಿರು ಬಟ್ಟೆ 

For the winter or summer,
I have just the touch of his body
Every moment I cover myself
With a cloth of goose bumps

ಆತ ಕೊಟ್ಟ ವಸ್ತು ಒಡವೆ
      ನನಗೆ ಅವಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತು
ತೋಳುಗಳಿಗೆ ತೋಳಬಂದಿ
      ಕೆನ್ನೆ ತುಂಬಾ ಮುತ್ತು

His gifts of things and jewels
Is only known to him and I
Hugs that embrace my shoulders
Cheeks full of sweet kisses

ಕುಂದು ಕೊರತೆ ತೋರಲಿಲ್ಲ
      ಬೇಕು ಹೆಚ್ಚಿಗೇನು?
ಹೊಟ್ಟೆಗಿತ್ತ ಜೀವ ಫಲವ
      ತುಟಿಗೆ ಹಾಲು ಜೇನು.      

Never felt the lack of anything
What more do I need?
The fruit of life grows in my womb
Lips sweet with milk and honey

The Love of Thousands ...

It was my parents 40th wedding anniversary last week. My sister wanted to make a video for them containing old photos of times gone by. As I was digging through old photos, I came across so many pictures of my parents with my kids, my mother-in-law with the kids, pictures of our siblings and our dear friends. I felt a deep sense of gratitude for all the time and love they have poured into our lives. They have stood by us through the rough times and the happy times.

Here is a picture of my mother-in-law presenting my newborn son to my 2 year old daughter who had kidney surgery just a week prior.  What would we be without all these people? We are the result of the love of thousands ..the love of generations!!

Suddenly all my ancestors are behind me. Be still they say. Watch and listen. You are the result of the love of thousands! - Linda Hogan

Love makes the world go around.

Love is food for the soul. Have you seen how love spurs us into action? Love is that invisible fuel that makes the world go around. 

Have you noticed how a few loving words can make people forget their physical ailments and get them up and moving. The love for a beloved or a friend will get you to tap into your creativity and make something beautiful for them. When you love, you want to make this world a better place.

Love is an unlimited, renewable resource. Tap into it. Take a lot of it, give a lot of it! :) 

On Work and Art

An action that is a result of effort is work
An action that is a result of love is art. Love is effortless.
The end result of effort is always a mediocre version of that done with love.

All that a mother does for her children is effortless for her because it is a labour of love.

Poem. My dear

Many a times I have told you
You were born a rare gem
A dew drop in this cosmic chaos
Still, content and complete

Many a times, you have shown me
The way through the maze that life is
The right way to live
The right things to say and do. 

Many a times, you have shown me
The beauty in ordinary things
Perfection in the mundane
The joy in the smallest of things

Many a times you have taught me
The value of patience, an unhurried pace
Of kindness and tenderness
Of boundless love and affection

You are music without a discordant note
Thank you, thank you for this journey ..

Poem: The heart knows only love

The mind knows greed
The mind knows ambition
The mind compares
The mind schemes
The mind yearns security

When the mind is quiet,
All that is left is love, pure love.

Love is all encompassing

Love is all encompassing.

You love your mother and hate your mother-in-law ..
You adore your child and ignore your mother ..
You love your wife and neglect your parents ..

These just cannot go together! One either loves or doesn't at all. No two ways about it.