Rekha's Ramblings

 It’s almost back-to-college time for many of us in the USA. This morning, I drove my daughter back to campus—just the two of us. Her twin brother left a couple of days ago to prepare for band camp; this is his second year being one of the drum majors. This is their final year. Both of them are excited. They are happy to return to the campus, their other HOME , their happy place , and I am grateful that they are doing well and have found a happy place. They are going through some “happiness/sadness” as well; this being their last year performing in a marching band, may be their final school year.    We know the drill by now—move the boxes in, run to the grocery store, stock a few shelves, hug, goodbye. And then, drive away. The tears couldn’t come any quickly on the ride back home, in the car—lots of them.  After three months of having them home, coming back to the house was not the same. Our evenings had been filled with music, my middle child at t...

  Recently, a friend, Anna,  shared a writing prompt with me —  “ The Ponderings of a Tree .” This post  is inspired by that prompt.  I love nature — the flowers, the trees. Growing up in India, the tall and majestic trees of my childhood were mango, tamarind, coconut, and guava.  My siblings and I used to climb up on some of them when we were little.  I do not have any pictures of those. Here, in the US, they are Oak, sycamore, Elm, Maple, Magnolia  and I don't know some of their names. But my connection to them hasn’t changed one bit. I still feel drawn to them.  And when I see one, my instinct is simple: go hug that tree. Here are a few pictures of those.     So when she shared the above prompt,  the words  just flowed . This is my first time writing a poem.    The Ponderings of a Tree Come here my child, what’s bothering you? You look sad, weary. Talk to me, tell me about it. Share ...

  Good morning! It’s the first week of August, and it means it’s almost back-to-school. College kids everywhere are getting ready to head out—and mine are no exception. They're leaving early to prepare for marching band camp, and I believe mentally, they are already halfway there. My house has been full for the past three months. And yet, despite everyone being home, they were busy, and we couldn't find a time frame where everyone would be available to go anywhere. I remember when this time of year meant road trips and vacations, back when they were little, in grade school, back when school breaks felt endless. Now both Google and Facebook are showing me all those memories, the good times we had, the road trips, laughter and singing in the backseat, our usual airport/ airline /rental car drama. (that calls for a separate post) Here are some pictures of those memories.  This year, we couldn’t even go for walks in the neighborhood as we went through heat waves. So, w...

I’ve been watching the show Your Honor lately, and I can’t stop thinking about the lengths a parent will go to protect their child. On the show, Judge Michael Desiato starts out as a man defined by his principles — a good judge committed to justice and honoring the law. But as the story unfolds, we see those same ideals slowly fall apart as he faces impossible choices to keep his child safe. His sinking down to the bottom is heartbreaking showing you  how far a parent might fall to protect their child. Parenting is hard , period. And though every parent rides this emotional rollercoaster, there can never be enough warnings to truly prepare you. Once you choose this journey, that’s it. Once you become a parent, there’s no going back — you’re a parent until your last breath, no matter how old your children get. No matter how many books you read, how many classes you attend, or how many stories you hear, nothing truly prepares you for what’s ahead. It's even more hard these ...