#india – My fumbling thoughts

Hi friends,

I hope you all eat enough almonds to remember me. 😁

What can I say, life has been hectic. Real life , travel, family, births birthdays caught up with me and I just couldn’t find time to post anything. Getting back in the writing groove finally. Festive season has begun, and more wonderfully hectic days are awaited.

To begin with let me wish you all a very very happy Navratri. May the Goddess bestow upon you health, wealth, peace and prosperity. ❤️

In Hindu culture and tradition, many legends say different stories on how this colourful festival came to being. The most popular one being the Goddess Durga annihilating the demon Mahishasura. Another legend says, the goddesses visit their father’s place , their birth place and the visiting of the daughter once a year is celebrated with feast and fanfare. Many keep fast, but in my family as a rule noone does.

In Tamil Iyer culture, this festival holds the utmost importance. We keep #Golu, a stack of different idols of gods and goddesses placed at steps mostly in odd numbers, decorated and worshipped throughout the nine days of #Navratri ending it with #Dushehra. The idols are maintained throughout the years, some of it passed along through generations.

The ladies are seen wearing colorful clothes visiting each others Golus. Ninee days , the Pooja is done wearing a nine yards saree that is typical and a signature of a Tamil Iyer woman and after that gifts, tokens and prasadams (sundals) are given to each other wishing and praying the goddess grants happiness to their near and dear.

Hoaw is Navratri celebrated at your place? Share views and pics in the comments below.

Hey writers and readers,

Thanks for being here. 🙂

As this year, this wonderful, bittersweet year nears its end, I can’t help but muse and reminisce about the things that happened, that almost happened and things that shouldn’t have. The things that changed for the better and the things, for worse. The good, the bad and the downright ugly ones.

How the time flies. It feel only yesterday when I was reluctantly welcoming 2018, dreading and preparing the monotony.

Last year, at this time, I was in America, recuperating from my fourth replacement surgery, lost and desolate, depressed and in pain, both physically and emotionally. I was in such a bad place that I couldn’t enjoy the beautiful country to its fullest. I remember staring at those beautiful, beautiful fall colours and those pretty snow covered houses from outside the window and the beauty of it didn’t faze me, much. I was homesick and hopeless, anxious about where my life was going, whether it was going anywhere at all.

I remember giving my sister and my brother in law lot of heartache because however much they tried to being me out of this shell I had locked myself into, they couldn’t succeed. I visited a therapist for the first time in my life. After lots of soul searching and therapy sessions, some yoga and meditation, few long cries in the shower, I started coming out of it. It was like being reborn. I was beginning to heal. And the process is still ongoing. (Detailed post on how I overcame depression later sometime.)

This year, at the same time, I am in a much much better place both emotionally and physically.

2018 saw many ups and downs. The highlight of this year had to be my 7 month old nephew, who screamed his way into the world, expanding our family and hearts. With his chubby cheeks and his cherubic smile, suffice to say he is my current heartthrob. ❣️😁

This year also saw my mother’s knee condition worsening. Watching my super active and happy mom struggle to do the most basic of chores, wince in pain every moment, hurt. There is nothing terrifying and heartbreaking than watching your parents in pain. But with some good doctors’ help and her own will, she is managing. Still a surgery could be on the cards next year. 😑

This year also saw me returning to social media, to writing. Words give me joy. Be it reading it or writing it. It feels so good to be back in its company. Same with food. I have started to enjoy it again. There was a time last year and early this year, where I would eat food because I have to to; without enjoying it, without even properly tasting it. My sis could have given me french beans (my least favourite veggie) and I wouldn’t have been in the know. 😁 Ha, I bet she would have done just that, that sneaky woman. 😁

I don’t know what’s the point of this post, whether it has any point at all; i am just fumbling. 😁 I guess I just wanted to be grateful for everything life has given me. As the Christmas cheer spreads, I wanna Thank God for this life. With all it’s imperfections, it’s still mine and I shall live it to the fullest.

So people, How was your 2018? What are you grateful for? Share in the comments below and let’s to get to know one another a little more.

Merry Christmas in advance. Let the coming year be better than the the previous. 🙂

Signing off,

Myfumblingthoughts.