Pan 23 - stuff that touches the heart

Diksha has doggy friends wherever she goes. Can be in college, on a beach in mahabalipuram, a cafe in cochin, down our street.....just about everywhere.

I recall, when she got back from Australia for her vacation break in November, she took me to meet one such doggy friend.... a street dog near one of her fav'rite haunts in Jubilee Hills. I was telling her "it's six months since you've been gone deech, how are you going to find him". 

She was a little skeptical too....she wasn't even sure he'd recognize her.  

It was a busy main road.... rd no 10, Jubilee Hills, and in all that traffic there was no way she could call out. She'd named him poofy, but she wasn't sure he'd remember his name. To my total amazement, she had this particular low long whistle.............and sure enough, within minutes there was this super warm reunion :)

This time round when she was back, what with quarantine and lock down, she was concerned for him. She posted on some instagram groups........dog lover groups I think, asking if anyone could feed poofy, and she actually had three responses. I was so surprised..... all from strangers....strangers who thought alike.... so so amazing.

And last week, since her own quarantine ended, she has taken on the onus of feeding stray dogs in our area. Whatever essentials are or are not at home, the supply of bread and biscuits for the dogs are definitely there :)

A little clip of the doggies eating.

Deech, and all the other kids who are doing their bit and beyond to look after the strays which have no way to fend for themselves during this lockdown.........wonderful wonderful work, so proud of all of you !

Pan 22 - So Cute

Another one that diksha sent me. 

While the caption is nicely creative, even the picture made us curious. She researched to find that in a zoo in Canada, this is a frequent occurrence where the otters in the moat around the orangutan's enclosure come up like this quite regularly.

Pan 21 - Towards Better

From Seth

Towards Better

There’s rarely a straight line from here to better.

But there’s usually an arc.

The slog won’t last forever.

And winning streaks aren’t endless either.

As we move through time, we’re often presented with opportunities that are carefully disguised as problems. And every day we’re forced to make a choice. The default might be to hold back, but it’s not the only option.

The chance to move toward better can become a habit.

Pan 20 - Have you ever seen the rain

A few days back we had this sudden really heavy downpour, an actual hailstorm. Diksha and I opened the front door to see if we could collect some of the hail, before we literally got swept back into the house with the force of the rain.

Within a few minutes she created this post for her instagram account with the picture from our terrace.

I felt it was incredibly lovely.........the terrace, the rain and the song...each among my favorites :)

Pan 19 - Seeing Synchronicity

Something we all experience......

It's not often that we actually get to capture it......so when it does happen it gives me a personal high. It's almost like feeling more in tune with the universe.

Synchronicity is not the same as us noticing more of what we have on mind. For instance, if you're thinking of buying a washing machine, you'll start to see more hoardings and ads of washing machines. This is basically tuning into what's already existing.

Synchronicity, on the other hand, is mysterious and meaningful coincidences.

Synchronicity is a concept, first introduced by analytical psychologist Carl Jung, which holds that events are "meaningful coincidences" if they occur with no causal relationship yet seem to be meaningfully related. 

The other day I had three such experiences. And I get excited because it seems to tell me I'm at my optimal frequency.....and it's precious just by virtue of it being rare....as before long something will happen to make life go topsy turvy again. 

It's like my barometer of resonance with my inner self and with the universe. 

The instances, I'll write about as I also want to preserve it for posterity. 

I was listening to this rather powerful meditation on gratitude, one that shifted approach from 'I feel gratitude' to 'I am gratitude'.

I finish listening, and as if on cue I get a message from Anita, an individual who I can quite comfortably say was instrumental in changing my life. I recall the moment the shift began...I was in the middle of a meeting at SELCO...........and she and that began the moment of my shift........and have over this period impacted my awareness, my decision making, my life, my attitudes, my career.....everything. 

It was like the universe telling me this was my chance to express gratitude to her.....and that went onto her joining into the fourteen day meditation program I was doing....a nice level to connect on.

Second was; it was a few days since I'd spoken to a friend, and I'm wondering if I ought to call....and within minutes the call comes in.

They're little incidents......but when your mind picks up the amazement at the coincidence is when you realize they stand for something more.

Fine tune your radar........you'll tune into a subtle but distinctive shift in life !!

Pan 18 - Thanks Dr Praneeth

Dr Praneeth is someone we met during dad's emergency admission into hospital a few months back.

It was under really difficult circumstances that we met him...this was about eight months back when we went into Care Hospital with some apprehension, as daddy's regular doc had left to join at policy level with the central govt.

In the midst of what appears like chaos, but is in reality an emergency being taken under control was the calming presence of Dr Praneeth, who I could see very quietly take over the situation. 

That was all of eight months back.

And like I was telling Dr Praneeth yesterday, he has touched our lives in such deep ways over this period, that it's left an indelible impact.

Infact, there's this book 'when breath becomes air', one which brought out for me how a doctor can heal not just through medication, but also through his very being. Dr. Praneeth reminded me of that. At the cost of sounding a little overboard, I'd still say  'he espouses the very values of the profession....and of being a wonderful human'

We even started on opposite sides of the table in more ways then one. He strongly recommended surgery, while daddy had decided that he didn't want surgery, and it took us time and space to navigate that difference and gradually align.

Any questions we had......it's almost like he knew our thoughts and would take the time out of his crazy busy schedule to make himself available, and enable us to understand, however basic or complex the questions.

He seems to have the ability to say the most difficult things with a 'clarity and kindness' that are remarkable as a combination.

And what's more, in February when we were at the hospital we had mentioned that March 7th was dad's birthday, and how it was a very significant one for him....... and imagine our complete surprise when March 7th, he comes home with his whole team.....and a cake and bouquet of chocolates too.

A gesture that created history in the family... no one in our friends or family circle had ever seen anything like that. 

Dr.Praneeth, Dhruva, Daddy and Praveen.......unfortunately, don't have picture with the rest of the team and the cake. 

It sure made his birthday a more special day.

Dr Praneeth, a simple thanks is not enough, not even many would be....for all that you've been and done through this process..... and lastly for yesterday.....for having allowed us to take daddy back home against medical advise..... for having supported us through that very difficult decision....for having understood that at this point we were catering more to his emotional needs.

And I must add, like mom said, he has this ever present smile..... one which just puts such a pleasant context to each interaction with him. And it's something I personally place a really high premium on too, my blog's not called 'keep smiling....' for nothing see  :)

You will be remembered Dr Praneeth, with admiration and gratitude. 🙏

Pan 17 - A Super Pink Full Moon

Thanks to now spending entire evenings on the terrace, the full moon today came closer not just by virtue of it's being at it's nearest to the earth, but also be becoming part of an entire evening.

It's apparently the biggest and best moon of the year.

Actually it started last night or rather early this morning as the moon set.... it shone so bright through my window that it's light actually woke me up at around 5....imagine :)

When I saw how spectacularly it rose this evening, I not just called diksha out, I also told a few friends as I was talking to them (evenings on the terrace have become walk and talk time). While Diksha got me a few pictures, I was pleasantly surprised to get a couple of pictures from Mumbai, alongwith their 'wows'.

And what's more, Monica who is big time into astrology said this was best time to do a moon meditation and that it was time 'to let go of old patterns' . The thought appealed so I did that too :)

As it rose through the cloud cover

Thanks Vishakha, that's some zoom

Thanks Suvir, that's a beautifully framed picture

Thanks again Suvir, for having added in another, it's stunning

Thanks Deech, that's panoramic

That was one super moon evening (pun intended :)