The word is Dee!

Day 82 .. ‪#‎ 100happydays‬   ‪#‎ 100daysofhappiness‬  – Children’s day saga  After a hectic day with the kids, soaking in the excitement of Children’s day, I lay in bed and cherished that moment where they snuggled with me, their quick I love you followed by the line that melts all my exhaustion “Mamma every time I want you only to be my Mamma”, and somehow this comes to their mind on their own. Misty eyed I hug them and want that moment to just stand still. I find myself battling with the fear that they grow so quickly and there may be a day when they will not require me as much. Will they idolize me the way I idolize my mother? Definitely not, as my journey is a learning wheel everyday. I cherish that they find the love and admiration to appreciate my smallest gestures even when I am unable to perfect my culinary skills. I am fascinated when they feel the best moments with them have been a simple game of chase around the house or perhaps hide and seek. Our unco...

My words reach you and I am thrilled, so here's a plea that we must build, Loving words that I will share, Heartfelt and true, with all my care. Festivities are here, celebrations are many, Smile from your heart, not with your penny. Prayers, sweets, lamps and cheer, Reduce crackers and chase the fear. Our animals are sad, on our happy day, That's not a fair celebration, in any way. If not just animals you choose to care, Remember the smoke is here to dare. Our little kids, will grow up too, With more heart aches and memories being few. So family and friends far and wide, With love and smiles, lets all abide! Have a bright and cheerful Diwali! 

Day 81..  ‪#‎ 100happydays‬   ‪#‎ 100daysofhappines‬  In sadness yet we smile! We grew like twins, my rock forever. We amused each other and protected endlessly. We cherished and lived like there was no tomorrow and am glad that's what we did. It was short, but fulfilling to think, that you made life count, without regrets and touched hearts in more ways than I can ever imagine. Today, we are surrounded by people whom you cared for and is overwhelming to hear the emotions that stri ng so many stories. In a moment the world changed for us, but time stood still and with every passing day, as we continue to build memories, we are thrilled that you live with us in our hearts to see so many milestones! A thousand words wont bring you back, I know because I tried, A thousand tears wont bring you back, I know because I cried! - Kily Dunbar Eleven years have passed, you are a memory for many even before Facebook had memory timelines. I have said it before and say it ...

Day 80..  ‪#‎ 100daysofhappiness‬   ‪#‎ 100happydays‬ Her eyes lit up as she spoke describing her smallest memories. She became a child again as we entered her town of nostalgia. She soaked in pride as she understood that she had brought 'home' her daughter and grand daughters to her forever home. This place always featured in her must visits while she guided everyone who enquired about Coorg. Then how could we not see her slice of childhood that witness her evolve from an infant through her school and college years till she was married out of this place and became an army wife. She described in joy and we listened in pride. We were honored to see such charm of a place that gave this woman her joy.. The woman I admire and love with all my heart... my mother. There is always something so charming about history, heritage, stories of an era gone by and so much more. What makes it more enticing is when those stories belong to your moth...

We have a birthday today! She is our Bengali connection ..who blends both cultures with such grace. She has been in all our moments of celebrations and sadness. She is a fabulous mother, wife, daughter in law, sister in law, aunt, friend and so much more.  Sukanya Sen  or Minty as we fondly call her, is 'our dash of cheer' in this large family where moods and vibes can swing in any direction. A quick phone call or message is always there on any ocassion. She thrives with enthu siasm and shows her utmost support to moments that need all the mood lifts. She has her worries but knows how to approach life with ease and patience. She seems casual but places importance to relationships. She bonds with ease and radiates in belonging. She is spontaneous to joke and quick to laugh. Lively and warm.. she is often the heart of our gatherings. She adds to our madness and mingles with charm. With cousins or elders she is adored always. So on your birthday Minty here s wishing...

Day 79.. ‪#‎ 100daysofhappiness‬   ‪#‎ 100happydays‬ It was a cherishable day 10 years back, meeting him! A tall, charmingly fit, with a calm glance, he sat and waited over coffee, while I rushed in to make my ‘meet the boy’ time! 10 years later, am still grateful that our coffee conversations since that day, have only got better, lengthier, more heartfelt and easier. My post today is about the birthday boy, Arya, who is my husband, friend and every other relationship that is hard to define! To describe him aptly I may struggle, but I do hope to do justice to define “my bond of togetherness”. He has a calm and patient demeanor, but his mind keeps him restless with ‘what next’. He has aspirations that are motivating and the resilience to pursue his dreams. He understands struggle and builds it with hard work. He juggles the world of IT and e-commerce with the charm of plantations.  He has ambitions but balance s with spirituality. He speaks comfortably on any subject bu...

Day 78.. ‪#‎ 100daysofhappiness‬   ‪#‎ 100happydays‬ We have all grown in this extremely helpful and sometimes 'too helpful' society where advise, tips are showered in abundance. So when you get married, the tips are handy, but the good news is while dealing with another adult you can always fight and argue your way through. But with motherhood, no one ever tells you the full story till you are soaked in it, and often grappling but still want to appear confident. The arguments and tears are not your weapons here. You have to live up to the expectation, when your kids say - "my mamma knows everything". Those are simple words but strangely pressurizing. In one household, dealing with 2 different personalities, who are siblings, thankfully sisters, with patterns that are both similar and opposite. Knowing that I am responsible for the way these two lives will shape up, makes my world spin. If one is clear and outspoken, the other is diplomatic. If one is sentimenta...

Day 77…#100daysofhappiness #100happydays In all my tributes, I have realized that I have never shared with you anything about my roots. My name says it all; I am a Coorg with a culture and history so diverse it’s difficult to track it to absolute accuracy. Having recently celebrated our festival Kailpodh with friends, I realized inking my words on my hometown, was something that had to feature in my 100 days . Unlike the folks who are born and brought up there, my views of Coorg as an army kid are often shaded with influences of pan India excitement and the sounds of the city. So in humor I always refer to my views as “View from the outside”.  We are referred to as descendants of Greeks, challengers of Tipu Sultan and witnesses of a strong political journey from being the state of Kodagu to a district called Coorg (as named by the British). Primarily agriculturists or planters as we are referred, Coorg is popularly known as the Scotland of India or Kashmir of South In...

Day 76.. ‪#‎ 100daysofhappiness‬   ‪#‎ 100happydays‬ My headline today ideally should be - Look out for the grand finale of Season 4 for CTC – The Corporate Talent Championship (CTC) – an initiative of Engage4more, started in 2012, is recognized as the world’s largest inter-corporate platform in the performing arts category. You might think this is a press release or a corporate plug in coming on the day of the finale. But coincidentally it’s also the birthday of the Founder and D irector of Engage4more – Nishant Parashar, India’s first and only integrated Staff engagement and employer branding solutions provider. My tribute today is to the birthday boy, whose journey has been exceptional and such a motivation, so naturally he will feature in my 100 days. Our journey of madness began at Symbiosis, when being lanky seemed fit. While we were all there to achieve greater accolades, being playful and soaking in college was never amiss. Away from our homes, we knew we had eac...

Day 75... ‪#‎ 100daysofhappiness‬   ‪#‎ 100happydays‬ A year gone by...we have had many laughs, tears and even better memories with milestones to cherish. We have seen the best and perhaps the worst. We have lost lives but gained hearts. We have seen relationships change but have only the best around us. This day has always been almost magical since you were a child, that I do hope I always keep this magic alive. Our relationship has evolved in so many ways. While on one hand I c ontinue to learn from you as your daughter and on the other we are best friends with the maturity to hold our individuality with the freedom to make decisions on our own terms. We are both Virgos, alike and different on so many counts, but love each other enough to embrace these differing perspectives. I have grown admiring you for your practical and balanced outlook to life, strength to smile at challenging circumstances and love life with all your passion. Your ability to connect and stay conn...

Day 74.. ‪#‎ 100daysofhappiness‬   ‪#‎ 100happydays‬ There is a reason this is the grandest relationship - grandparents and grand kids. Two days have gone by but writing this in my 100 days seemed so imperative. Am not sure about how and why it happens but perhaps this is inexplicable for me at this stage of life. For me this relationship has been a bit distant since I didn't have such strong bonds with my grandparents. So when I became a mother, I was sure the biggest gift my ki ds will get will be there lifetime bond with their grandparents. As I continue to learn every day, I am thrilled that to unravel the beauty of this bond through my kids. I have learnt that this bond honestly epitomizes magical, unconditional love. Its the one relationship that understands the value of time and patience, and ensures its available in abundance. Here generosity is not measured monetarily but instead with quality time, simple gestures, sprinkle of madness and a lifetime of memories. ...

Day 73.. ‪#‎ 100daysofhappiness‬   ‪#‎ 100happydays‬ This is actually yesterday’s story spoken today but it’s definitely not an after thought. Yesterday Sept 1, was Women Entrepreneur’s Day. Not many folks knew about this, as it was definitely not publicized as much as the latest murder mystery. Looking back, my journey has transitioned from my professional stints to being a homemaker, freelancer and then an entrepreneur. In retrospect this journey has so much in common that a lot of folks fail to recognize this. It’s largely attributed to the wonders of ‘multitasking’ a specialty in women and a rarity in men. While I do hope not to make this a feminist issue, the recognizable pattern is so fascinating that inking this down in my 100 day was imperative. After all, it does define my journey too. In our professional saga, we ideate, create, take goal oriented decisions, lead teams with mixed expertise and strengths, deal with seniors of mixed persona, build strategies that ...

Day 72… ‪#‎ 100daysofhappiness‬   ‪#‎ 100happydays‬ Bosses, clients, associates, peers – the professional saga! Popularly known as the pillars dominating our professional aura defining our journey from being employed to independent consulting, I am thrilled to always seek inspiration from real life leaders whom I had the privilege to work with. While some were bosses, mentors, associates and peers, it has been exhilarating to always be reminded of facets that are enriching to build my passion for PR and writing. It’s a fascinating journey where you can love them, hate them or possibly tolerate them. Attributing my sanity, there are chances I have experienced all three emotions at various points of my career towards these people, but essentially, I have been fortunate to build and establish inspiring relationships with each of them. I have worked directly or indirectly with them and it has been an impressionable stint, encouraging me to dedicate this tribute to these indiv...

Day 71#100daysofhappiness  ‪#‎ 100happydays‬ If someone asks me, I am a true Bangalorean, and an even better – Kammanahatton citizen – a name that a friend coined as a tribute to the area that evolved with me. So while my heart always remained at our home in Jal Vayu Vihar, we did build our life here in Harmony Homes and grew to love it everyday– an apartment complex that has seen some significant milestones for me and my family. It’s been more than 10 years, and I would the think, it’s the right time to pen this tribute from an early resident of Harmony Homes. Brick by brick, floor by floor, we saw this complex come up. It was the beginning of tall skyscraper apartments (at that time) with modern amenities for our neighborhood, where long time communities like Jal Vayu Vihar thrived on being simple, safe and truly an owner’s pride. Modern amenities like club house, swimming pool, kids play area, firm security system with cameras, a functional Centrex system, full power b...

Day 70.. ‪#‎ 100daysofhappiness‬   ‪#‎ 100happydays‬ Long post alert, but its difficult to contain a writer when she is describing her perfect home! I grew up, so did my locality, but this community remained the way it was 25 years back. I still recollect being the main force behind our move into Jal Vayu Vihar (JVV). A pristine community, large enough to get lost but personal enough to feel secure! We had come to visit my uncle and in a flash I had my heart set here, which till date has never left the premises. I was willing to wake up earlier than the other kids and sit in the van which made Jal Vayu as the first pick up point and the last drop point, but there was no looking back for me and my family. Primarily an Airforce and Navy community with largely retired residents, this community has retained its decorum despite the changes in its surroundings with Kammanhalli getting more commercialized. As you enter it feels like a solace in the middle of madness – that’s t...