Rekha's Ramblings

  Day 23, figuring it out.  Not all days were happy days. There were failures, there were heart breaks, FOMO’s.  The children have suffered several personal losses in recent years, loss of friends in fatal accidents, death by suicide, gun violence. They had to learn how to be there for each other, for their friends, and be resilient.  Some losses were personal. Having to lose your friend of 10 years just before he hit his sixteenth birthday, outside of your school, how does one get over that? But they had to. How do you console a friend who lost a loved one to suicide? They had to figure that one out.   They also had to figure out that when it came to friendship, no one was too busy, it was just a matter of priority. As parents, it is heartbreaking to watch them suffer but it is their journey. All we can do is offer our unconditional love and support through this. But I do find myself telling them to not ever sacrifice their happiness for others, not even f...

  I was talking to someone the other day; they are new on our block where friendships are already formed. The community is small, it is hard to get a breakthrough. They were asking me how I did it. I seem to have a lot of friends. How did I get that breakthrough? I have had a unique journey when it comes to friendship and being a part of a circle.  First, I am a very straightforward person and what I say is not always pleasant, in fact, most times it is offensive and hurtful to someone who does not know me.  Secondly, I am blessed by three siblings who to this date are my best friends and hence, I did not have the need to have more friends beyond them until I went to college. My college class size was extremely small, and friendships were formed automatically.  But as life progressed, when I moved away to the USA, every day was a new challenge. It became even more difficult when I became a parent. Balancing work, being a parent to three children (including a set of t...