Tag: nature

Posted in Christian, Family and Society, Life, Personal Musings, poetry, Random Thoughts

Look up for a Smile

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“Caelum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt.
(They change their sky, not their soul, who rush across the sea.)”
― Horace, The Odes of Horace

Well into the humdrum of the working day, the ten minute walk to the local grounds for lunch, is something that one looks forward too. True that the hunger pangs may be going strong, but along with that factor is the chance to simply view the clear blue skies above.

The glorious hue of the skies often bring to the mind, the possibility of chances, new shapes of dreams, His Love and His Grace as well as the infinity of the world around us. If by any chance one notes the shapes of the clouds; their shape-shifting ability is remarkable. No one can measure the beginning or the end of the blueness of the world above us. Neither can anyone change the colour of the skies by own choice. The different hues mimic own state of mind at times, but at the end of the day the darkness is lit by twinkling lights and the blackness gives way to the brighter tomorrow.

“In the beginning was the word and the word was love and love was imagination. When love takes us through the sun-dappled garden of our imagination, no stalking horses can perturb the rainbow in our mind or fade out its bright colors reflecting in the blue sky of our memory. (“Alpha and Omega”)” Erik Pevernagie

More or less, the skies teach us to rise above the ebbs of life. It tells to climb out of the troughs and trenches that we fall into. It promises a better tomorrow if put the light of today to good use. The blue skies always highlights the fact that even after rainy days, they do come again. As the skies bring their rays around, let those strengthen the souls that live within us. For then every dark day will fade away in due time, chased away if not by the brightness of the rays above, the strength from those memories will hold the tide till then. As time always moves ahead, so do the blue skies and so will the day that always comes after the present one. All we need to do is believe and forge ahead.

“There is one spectacle grander than the sea, that is the sky; there is one spectacle grander than the sky, that is the interior of the soul.” Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

A New Day
by Anonymous
If life seems at its lowest ebb,
Because a day’s gone wrong.
Let not your heart be troubled,
For a new day soon will dawn

And we can never be quite sure,
Just what it has in store.
Since each one is so different,
Than the one just gone before

As it penetrates the darkness,
With its soft and tranquil beams.
It calms even the most restless soul,
And brings new hopes and dreams

So when a days been troubled,
And the night is dark and long.
Lift up your fallen spirits,
For a new day soon will dawn

Posted in Life, Personal Musings, poetry, Quotes, Reflections

Solace of the Rain

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“ Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” Vivian Greene

There’s something about rains that brings out the liveliness in each one of us. Whether from the smell of fresh earth, the sound of the raindrops hitting the windowpanes, the cool air around each of us, the warmth of the hot cup of Joe to the maddening rush at the market, the splash of the tyres against the puddles and so on; the rains brings out a number of emotions and memories in many of us. With the monsoons still going on strong, the rains bring back memories of childhood, of paper boats to bigger sailboats; games of stepping into the puddles and the walk back from school, getting drenched and later warmed with hot chocolate and biscuits.

“I love when rain falls like wet curtains, layer after layer of perfectly shaped individual drops. It’s so easy to think of rain as a collective unit, one consistent and omnipresent mass. It’s so easy to forget that each raindrop is falling alone to meet the earth for the first time. So too are we. Always falling alone, but part of something so much bigger, so much more beautiful than we could ever be alone.” Tyler Knott Gregson

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As the childhood days get left behind; rain brings out a range of emotions in an adult with the hassles of downpour running foremost in the mind. Yet amidst the clamorous thoughts, these rains remind the adult mind of the earth being washed clean and given a new lease of fresh life.

Rains brings to focus of new beginnings, days of freshness, rivulets of eater forming their own stream, the coming together of the various animals under the shelter to keep dry and above all, fills up the streams for the joys of swimming. Rains, one of the elemental pillars of nature brings with the joys of the rainbow.

“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.” Ashley Smith

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Let’s live, love and wonder,
Let’s believe, remember and regret,
From happiness to cry, laugh heartily
Let’s live, so as not to grow old in our hearts

Let’s just admire the
Fields, the sky, the silver of the dew,
And if it is difficult, still do not give up –
Go ahead without lowering your head.

Let’s be sincere in communication,
Honest in words, deeds and deeds,
Let’s believe, holy, without doubts
To live in waking life, openly, not in dreams!

Let’s honestly admit
In your mistakes, envy and lies,
Let’s live, love and admire –
Spread your wings with your soul!
Rus Svyataya

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Posted in Life, Personal Musings, Photography Art, poetry

Of First Light

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Being thrown in at the deep, the past couple of weeks have been running on, in a non-stop mode. Hassles of keeping our professional security intact, resulted in splitting up of the adult part of the family unit. Adding to them is the current system of “online-schools” ( with plenty of home-schooling, the latter being a necessity); work from home, lack of help due to curbs on travel, unexpected setbacks and expenses; things aren’t really looking good. Then again, this holds true for most of us. When things are few and far between, the choices waver between being in limbo or just picking up the pieces and find a way through.

“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are.” J.P.Morgan

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Truth is no day is consistent. Some days one gets to breathe a bit or an optimistic turn to look at the bright side of life; whereas other days just become a drag. For those with family, we may wish to be alone at times. For those of us staying alone for now, we wish our near and dear ones were at hand. The mind is in a constant of conflict, not just from emotions but also random thoughts which may plague one at the odd times of the day. Restlessness becomes a part and parcel of the self.

“For a tree to become tall it must grow tough roots among the rocks.” Friedrich Nietzsche

Change is there. Whichever way one looks at it, things will never go back to the old norm. Uncertainty fuels the inner restlessness, upsets the mental balance and this cycle just goes on. Over the past few weeks, being stationed on the porch way before the cockcrow began a new routine. Watching the rays chase away the dark of the night, gives one the hope of another try, a different way to handle each situation and look for any missed chances or overlooked possibilities. If it rains, an eye still is kept for the warmth of the light. For now, that alone is sufficient to chase away the chill within. After all, life has to go on.

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By Candlelight
BY EDITH SITWELL

Houses red as flower of bean,
Flickering leaves and shadows lean!
Pantalone, like a parrot,
Sat and grumbled in the garret—
Sat and growled and grumbled till
Moon upon the window-sill
Like a red geranium
Scented his bald cranium.
Said Brighella, meaning well:
“Pack your box and—go to Hell!
Heat will cure your rheumatism!” . . .
Silence crowned this optimism—
Not a sound and not a wail:
But the fire (lush leafy vales)
Watched the angry feathers fly.
Pantalone ’gan to cry—
Could not, would not, pack his box!
Shadows (curtseying hens and cocks)
Pecking in the attic gloom
Tried to smother his tail-plume . . .
Till a cockscomb candle-flame
Crowing loudly, died: Dawn came.

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Posted in Life, Personal Musings, poetry, Reflections

Balance in the Wind

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“ You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.” Cayla Mills

Juggling through home and professional life is never easy, especially with family, kids and pets. In most situations, if the two adults and kids do their bit of the share, things fall into line. Yet what happens when the children are too small or physically challenged or here are not two, but only one pair of adult hands. Initially one may be able to tackle the situation, but later, one may feel quite defeated. This was experienced by a close friend of mine, with her husband transferred to another project for two weeks, a toddler with a cast (courtesy of a misjudged jump), one child sick with chickenpox and a deadline project on her work front. Like these, many similar situation may be experienced by us at certain points in our lifetime.

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During those initial parts of the difficult days, it may be mentally and physically possible to cover all aspects alone. But when the going gets more tough, taking a step back and moving ahead may help things work out in the long run. While circumstances may get more trying, cribbing would never help. Instead deal with what ever is possible, as for the rest get help or prioritize the more important aspects at that point or course of time. Remember that the trees survive through the cold of winter as well, the hot rays of summer and the cold winds laced with thunderstorms of autumn. Though they may lose their leaves, flowers and branches; they still stand tall with their roots going deep. As the start of spring rejuvenates them, thy grow back. Likewise we too need to go deep into the roots of support system of friends, family and neighbourhood (we all have them for no one is an island), the tough times will gradually fade and life gets back to the normal (if not the same) footing.

“ Life is, at times, tough. And all we need to do is to prove that we are tougher than it.” Sanhita Baruah

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The Oak Tree

A mighty wind blew night and day
It stole the oak tree’s leaves away
Then snapped its boughs and pulled its bark
Until the oak was tired and stark

But still the oak tree held its ground
While other trees fell all around
The weary wind gave up and spoke.
How can you still be standing Oak?

The oak tree said, I know that you
Can break each branch of mine in two
Carry every leaf away
Shake my limbs, and make me sway

But I have roots stretched in the earth
Growing stronger since my birth
You’ll never touch them, for you see
They are the deepest part of me

Until today, I wasn’t sure
Of just how much I could endure
But now I’ve found, with thanks to you
I’m stronger than I ever knew

– Johnny Ray Ryder Jr

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Posted in Daily, Personal Musings, Quotes, Random Thoughts

To Catch the “Now”

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After school hours saw pairs of little legs running in the ground near home. An unexpected cloud burst resulted in these tiny legs scampering back into the shelter, while frantic adults made their way to the clothesline to grab and rush the dry linen back to safety. As the hours had passed and the sun had decided for an early night, the little legs balanced themselves cross-legged on the porch making little boats, listening for the croaking of frogs and catch a few droplets on the little palms. As the night grew stronger, the night meal was in tune with the stories of the stars above. The entire evening had a feeling of completeness, contentment and unclouded happiness.

“I always think of each night as a song. Or each moment as a song. But now I’m seeing we don’t live in a single song. We move from song to song, from lyric to lyric, from chord to chord. There is no ending here. It’s an infinite playlist.” David Levithan

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Happiness arises from the simple things of life. Seeing through those little eyes, on learns to appreciate the simple pleasures, gifts as well as beauty of the present day, in those basic minutes. From grumbles of early rising to their joy in discovering that one can make a bridge with their forks to make milk bubbles to their unfettered joy on catching the lady bug on the leaf before the bus arrives, all these moments while taken in a hurry by the adult mind, later in silence acknowledge that these memories are quite priceless.

Be it the blooming buds and chirping of birds, to the tune of Spring, the hot summer days of lush green and impromptu picnics or lemonade runs, the colured piles of autumn leaves to jump into and the wintry snowfalls with decoration of the trees with multicolored lights, paper chains and pocketfuls of ginger snaps, these captured moments are what grace the memories of childhood as well as lighten the adult mind.

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One doesn’t need to go far to be happy. As one learns from children, happiness is always there in their own backyard. It may be in a form far from expected, but it will always be there waiting to be experienced and added to the treasure chest of memories. Isn’t it a blessing to watch it all, just to be in it and to feel the warmth of life ? To work for the love of family and prepare for the future is important. Yet the most important thing is to appreciate the present.

“Close your eyes, imagine that you are five years old, and look out the window again. Imagine that you still do not need to choose what to believe, because there is no choice – everything is one, everything is indivisible. There is no need to search for meanings, endow anything else. You still confuse “yesterday” and “tomorrow” simply because time has no cuts, it does not even last, it just is. And you just are, and this is practically invulnerable and categorically immortal. And a slice An amber melon or a mug of fresh raspberries makes you absolutely, absolutely happy … ”  E. Kasyan

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Posted in Personal Musings, poetry, Random Thoughts

Quiet to Ease

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

On one of the early evenings, with all the chores done and kids put to bed early, there was plenty of time on the adult hands. With glee, the shows on Netflix were opted for and the movie run was on. Unfortunately midway, there was a power out which saw a no-show even after an hour. As the humming of the inverter increased, all additional power outlets had to be switched off, lest the power doesn’t return all night. With that in mind, it was just the quiet of the evening hours, a bit of quiet talk and plenty of starlight that gave us company during dinner. In those few hours minus any entertainment, modern gadgets or social media to keep us busy, the “quiet evening” experienced was a wonderful de-stressor for the mind and soul.

“Most of the things we need to be most fully alive never come in busyness. They grow in rest.” Mark Buchanan

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For many of us, be it during wok hours or just domestic life, staying busy has been the norm. At times, we are busy because we have to. From the daily “bread and butter” to the running of the household, the day has been organized in it’s set pace. While for a couple of weeks to months, the order is well appreciated. Eventually the known becomes mundane and tedious. The secret longing for a break comes on. Then on, the itch for a trip out of town or a change from the usual begins. On sitting down to reality, a long break seems impossible. In those moments, just being in quietness helps a lot. Deviating from the information highway and settling down to good old days of just the night or evening skies, the sounds of cricket as well as the fireplace provides solace for the soul.

“There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither.” Alan Cohen

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As the days ends, unwinding oneself for a couple of minutes is a must, at least once in a while. While for some of us, it may mean a trip out of the town; for the others their own backyard is enough. Either way, knowing when it is time to call it a day and welcome the peace of night is both necessary and important. The beauty of rest is something when fully experienced, will be well appreciated over the years.

In the Evening

I
In the evening, love returns,
Like a wand’rer ’cross the sea;
In the evening, love returns
With a violet for me;
In the evening, life’s a song,
And the fields are full of green;
All the stars are golden crowns,
And the eye of God is keen.

II
In the evening, sorrow dies
With the setting of the sun;
In the evening, joy begins,
When the course of mirth is done;
In the evening, kisses sweet
Droop upon the passion vine;
In the evening comes your voice:
“I am yours, and you are mine.”

Fenton Johnson (1888-1958)

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Posted in Life, Personal Musings, poetry, Random Thoughts

Myriad Shades of Nature

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“I think that to one in sympathy with nature, each season, in turn, seems the loveliest.” Mark Twain

An unexpected fill in for an outstation workshop had resulted in the journey to the city of my high school days, one of my Alma maters. Landing at the airport, with the cold winds and temperatures dropping down fast, the journey had caught me unawares especially as the winter winds had long left my residence towards the first month of the year. Acclimatizing to the sudden change makes one realize the manifold faces of nature.

“In Ohio seasons are theatrical. Each one enters like a prima donna, convinced its performance is the reason the world has people in it.” Toni Morrison

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Like the sudden change of the winds, so does the emotions and complexity of those moments. Experiences in life bring forth the faces of emotions from within. From the quiet feelings of contentment to blooming happiness as the uneasiness, anger and fury at difficult situations, life takes one on a myriad of emotions similar to the roller coaster ride of nature. One needs all the bad to feel the beauty of the good. Like the pristine winter white can echo the contentment as well as loneliness, so does the fledgling spring echo the new life in the bleak canvas as well the blistering heat of summer which bring out the joy of outdoors to the prequel of the rains of autumns cold but leave a touch of colour when there. One needs them all to feel complete. For contentment doesn’t come when we have the best of the best, but learn to appreciate the present in the midst of the worst.

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The Human Seasons

Four Seasons fill the measure of the year;
There are four seasons in the mind of man:
He has his lusty Spring, when fancy clear
Takes in all beauty with an easy span:
He has his Summer, when luxuriously
Spring’s honied cud of youthful thought he loves
To ruminate, and by such dreaming high
Is nearest unto heaven: quiet coves
His soul has in its Autumn, when his wings
He furleth close; contented so to look
On mists in idleness–to let fair things
Pass by unheeded as a threshold brook.
He has his Winter too of pale misfeature,
Or else he would forego his mortal nature.

John Keats

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