When a 12-year-old speaks, you listen

Pari: I think it’s going to be harder to be a human rights activist and a peace activist. Then I initially thought mama.

Me; Why do you say that, sweetie?

Pari: I think I will lose a lot of friends in this process

Me: What do you mean?

Pari: Well, I was having a conversation with some folks in school and I just said, hypothetically what if I came out even though I’m not a lesbian or gay, what if I were to say come out and say that I was would you still be my friend?

And they both said No, so I think it’ll be hard if I support things that I believe in, but others, don’t.

Me: Well, just like you they too are pretty young. They haven’t seen all of life and its experiences yet, and so let’s not be hasty and deciding whether or not they will be your friend because their answer to this question might change in a few years. Then they may see things a little bit differently and with a different perspective, and maybe you will not lose their friendship.

Pari: That is true, but I still feel I will not have too many friends, but I think I will have friends who truly matter …

( yes she’s 12. I’m 53.. and we both have much to learn )

Curtain Call

With all due respect to the Bard, #WorldTheatreDay, and prayers for 3 children and 3 adults in Nashville…..

——
All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man, or woman, in his or her time plays many parts,

His acts are seamless, as if floating in and out of reality.
So seamless that the playbook is now called life, and he really believes he can call the shots.

So seamless that she’s convinced of receiving that standing ovation in the final act, the one she has always craved.

So seamless that neither realizes, their parts are no longer their own, but a fragment of a pretentious whole, that’s new and and unfamiliar.

Sometimes he’s the parent fixing breakfast for the child before they both rush out with the Avengers backpack.

Sometimes she’s the one who takes the call from the school office, and has to sit down, to stop her hands from shaking uncontrollably.

Shock and grief are not mere moments of thunderous applause in this drama.
In this playbook, they are unscripted moments handed out last minute like the forgotten act,
…. as if a directorial afterthought.

Sometimes he’s a spouse , sometimes she’s a grandmother.
Their expressionless faces change faster, than the glitches in the old talkies.

Sometimes he’s a lover, sometimes she’s a victim.
The circumstances are crisp, and oh they role play beautifully.

All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man or woman in his or her, time plays many parts,

And in each part, no matter how hard or easy,
every single actor,
in this glorious show,
has followed one theatrical workshop,
with unparalleled finesse.

Every man, woman, and child has mastered that one act, against all odds.

Smile … before that final curtain call.

a new start

To every child from every mother…

For the first time with a water bottle,
Or over several years with a notebook,
You take a bit of me with you,
Each time you step out, and turn around once to look.

There are words I leave unsaid,
And things I know that remain undone,
Because this is that singular moment
Where I want to see you follow the sun.

A million prayers for your mind,
A million more for your heart,
And I know all the places you will go
As I watch you make another new start.

…can we promise each other this ?

It’s a long road ahead that you and I will #walk.
We may or may not match our stride.

We may never ever cross paths.
But if we ever do, and if our #masks still hide our #smiles,

…can we #promise each other this ?

We shall not turn away our eyes in #guilt.
We shall not lower them in #fear.

We will remind ourselves that, while #anger and #sorrow have no #color,

Love makes up for them in a million hues.

We will accept that #acceptance is hard, and #forgetting isn’t easy,
But deep within we will #believe, to #forgive isn’t just #divine, it’s also the best anti-depressant.

The road ahead will be traversed by many like us.
And also by many more, unlike us.

It will be trudged slowly, by those, whose #wounds are deeper than ours,
Who are #weary, whose #hearts need to #heal, and whose #minds need to #rest.

Maybe, just maybe if we kept our promise, we may be able to make it a little easier for them?
Maybe we #slow down for a few who need the #kindness, and #run with those who want to be #free ?

Aren’t we all a little bit selfish, to want to be remembered for the right reasons?

It’s a long road ahead that you and I will walk.
We may or may not match our stride.

We may never ever cross paths.
But if we ever do, and if our masks still hide our smiles,

…can we promise each other this ?

(c) P.L June 1st, 2020

14 mothers … and counting….

With one arm I shield, with the other I hold
Or so I tell myself, if only I’m so bold.

With one hand I soothe, with the other I fight
Or so I tell myself, as I’m left with little sight.

With one heart I love, with the very same I cry
As I tell myself, when I dropped you off this morning, it wasn’t a real goodbye.

#uvaldetx 🙏🏼

Of democracy and a 10 year old …

Pari: So today in school one of my friends said their parents voted for Trump and asked me who you voted for and I said you’ll voted for Biden – Harris

Me: Cool.

Pari: Another friend talked about how Trump was a better leader and Biden raised taxes. So I mentioned Biden did a good job with the vaccine.

Me: What a fabulous conversation.

Pari: So mama, is Biden a bad President or do leaders make different choices. Like say capitalism and communism. Both have bad things. Both have good things.

Me: Exactly Pari. So as you know the United States is a democracy. That means we have the right to make an informed decision on who we elect as our leader. This year your father and I made a choice based on what we felt was best. That may not be the choice another person made and that’s totally okay.

Pari: So is Biden a bad leader ?

Me: I don’t believe so. But any leader can make bad decisions. His handling of Afghanistan was a mess but there are things he is doing well. But here is something you must remember. In the future I don’t want you getting into an argument or debate on which is a better party with your school friends. Here is why.

1. You’re not old enough to vote
2. You’re not old enough to know enough about either parties or either leaders to make an intelligent decision that can affect the country, yet.
3. Once you’re older, and read and understand more, and are eligible to vote, you will make your choice based on what you think is the right decision.
4. That decision may or may not concur with ours and that is totally okay.

Pari: So I can always be friends with someone who voted differently from me, right?

Me: Always and forever. That is the most beautiful thing about democracy, everyone has a voice.

Pari: So can I say vote a leader in say one party and then next time may feel another leader of a different party is a better choice.

Neel/ Me: Absolutely. I sincerely hope you vote for a leader for what they are and not the party they belong to.

Pari: There are good and bad leaders in either party right?

Neel/ Me: Of course. That’s very natural. No political system is perfect is it? There are always things that work and things that don’t.

Pari: Thank you mama for understanding our conversation.

Me: I hope you continue to share such things at home. But what is non negotiable in all this , no matter who votes for whom or doesn’t, is respect. You always always treat people with respect. Our choices can be different and they should be. But no matter who they are black, white, brown, gay, lesbian …

Pari: or transgender …

Me: or transgender, or any faith , we respect the person.

Pari: (big smile )

Neel and I : ( bigger smiles)

I have a lot of hope for the world we will leave behind… a lot of hope.

❤️💙❤️💙

PS: and yes, we are still working on out Halloween costume. That too is non-negotiable 🤣🤣❤️❤️

May…

May you choose to walk prouder with a limp,
Than board the quicker flights of fancy.

May the illusion of impermanence, forever
Make you a little thoughtful and antsy.

May the little things comfort, and the big things inspire.
May true fatigue earn you rest, each time you tire.

May truth guide you, even with an unfair stance.
May the voice of reason, never stop your feet from a dance.

May you never forget to kneel, when you truly choose to stand.
May no force be strong enough to turn away your helping hand.

———

A moment in time that stood still for me as she chose to clean my kitchen like the janitors do in public places. Something tugged very deep inside. Enough to make a wish or two.

( February 2019)

Flatten the Curve, they said.

Flatten the Curve, they said.

I hope we have.

I hope we have straightened the lines, on the starkness we’ve seen and the joys we’ve witnessed.
Straightened the lines to focus on the former without judgment, and the latter with gratitude.

Flatten the Curve, they said
I hope we have.

I hope we have removed from our peripheral vision, the reflections contorted by our own ineptitude.
Removed our selfishness to give more, removed our egos to accept more, removed our intolerance to forgive more.

Flatten the Curve, they said
I hope we have.

I hope we have learnt to stop getting so deluded with our own highs and lows, that we’ve noticed others too, swimming helplessly against the tide.
I hope we’ve realized while our boats maybe different, our journey is still the same.

Flatten the Curve, they said
I truly hope we have. Statistics notwithstanding.

———
Flatten the Curve, they said. ( PL – January 2021)

It will be a year, the words needed to be said …

…can we promise each other this ?

It’s a long road ahead that you and I will #walk.
We may or may not match our stride.

We may never ever cross paths.
But if we ever do, and if our #masks still hide our #smiles,

…can we #promise each other this ?

We shall not turn away our eyes in #guilt.
We shall not lower them in #fear.

We will remind ourselves that, while #anger and #sorrow have no #color,

Love makes up for them in a million hues.

We will accept that #acceptance is hard, and #forgetting isn’t easy,
But deep within we will #believe, to #forgive isn’t just #divine, it’s also the best anti-depressant.

The road ahead will be traversed by many like us.
And also by many more, unlike us.

It will be trudged slowly, by those, whose #wounds are deeper than ours,
Who are #weary, whose #hearts need to #heal, and whose #minds need to #rest.

Maybe, just maybe if we kept our promise, we may be able to make it a little easier for them?
Maybe we #slow down for a few who need the #kindness, and #run with those who want to be #free ?

Aren’t we all a little bit selfish, to want to be remembered for the right reasons?

It’s a long road ahead that you and I will walk.
We may or may not match our stride.

We may never ever cross paths.
But if we ever do, and if our masks still hide our smiles,

…can we promise each other this ?

[ …can we promise each other this ? (c) P.L June 1st, 2020 ]

The 3 wishes

Three new blooms in the middle of nowhere, Made me pause, and most unceremoniously stare.
Was there a rhythm here, and maybe music unheard ?

Was there a story, a poem, or just an unspoken word ?
The breeze gently swayed the tulips three,

And without much music they sang to me. 
The sang of spring and tidings anew,

Of tears and longing, there were lyrics too. 
But as I left, each wished me a little gift that morn,

A solemn wish that #love, #faith and #hope, within me, were reborn. 
[ Three Wishes – PL ]

______
All over India, various states and regions are celebrating their respective New Year in the most festive of ways. Thousands of miles away across the globe, this little floral Trinity filled me with unspoken joy.  
Today I wish the same for you and yours with all of my heart.  
Sincerely 
Pritha.