Rekha's Ramblings

 I started reading Braiding Sweetgrass a few weeks ago, and just a few pages in, I was completely in love, enamored with the book, with the author, with the way she spoke about nature. She described maple, goldenrod, asters, pecans and everything in nature with great admiration. As a self-proclaimed tree hugger, my emotions were all over the place. Then, my children came home for winter break and by then,  I was on the chapter about languages. I couldn't and wouldn't stop talking about it. My daughter finally said,  “ Show me what you’re reading. Whatever you’re talking about feels like I’ve read it before.” And what do you know? She had! That very chapter had been part of her college English class. We had our small world story. I love those moments—when life folds in on itself in unexpected ways, connecting us in ways we never anticipated. That chapter made me reflect on my own journey with language. English is not my first language, not my native langua...

 My daughter is home for spring break. Since I was gone for a while, ( I went to India for more than a month ) I had not really talked to her due to the time difference and all that. She asked me what have I been up to these days since coming back. I said, not much, I am just disgusted by the current state of affairs. She said, have you written anything lately? I know writing makes you happy. So, I looked through my bag of  " my writing stuff " and found this " March writing prompts ". I had probably gathered it from somewhere last year and forgotten all about it. The first prompt was " the color gree n" . Magic happens when I hear the word GREEN , not just when I see it, when I wear it. Here is what I wrote about my favorite color in the whole world. Sharing the March writing prompts, feel free to use. My favorite color is Green, it always was and will be, the color of nature. I grew up surrounded by a lot of greenery. No matter i...

  It's Friday, a day for Ramblings.  This post is going to be in many parts, call it my Friday Ramblings series if you will. Part 1- Back in November, one of my friends texted me asking my mailing address.  He said he was reading a book and he thought of me while reading it and he wanted me to read it. When the book arrived in the mail and I opened the package, I couldn't understand why he would think of me, it's not the genre I usually read, it's a non fiction, I almost always read fiction, he should know me better, why would he send me this book.... But then I started reading the book and I knew why he wanted me to read it and how well he knew me... I cried every night I read this book, some were happy tears, but most were sad. I was heartbroken while reading it . The author is a native American. If it wasn't for the Indian spices..... For those who do not know, Christopher Columbus left to find a sea route to India but instead arrived in the...

  This week, my sister and I visited a place where people usually tend to go, to seek PEACE , or to find solace if you will. The building's bright red pillars and the gold exterior seemed a little too flashy to my taste. I asked my sister, if such extravagance was necessary . She said," yes, it's called marketing. People are more drawn to flashy,extravagant things. " Me," but if PEACE is what you are seeking and if the place is offering it , why does the exterior matter?? " She answered , " It matters. Haven't you seen any commercials? The more bright and flashy they are, the more they sell their products. If they were to hold these peace sessions in a shack or a shabby hut, not many people will come. They are trying to spread their message and unfortunately people won't come even if it's for free. You yourself wouldn't have come here either if it wasn't for this flashy building and the facade. You were attracted by it too...

I'm visiting my hometown and ran into a school mate of mine. They asked me how come I was here for so long, how did I get so much time off. I said I quit my job during COVID, at least whatever little I was doing , I had not worked a full time job for a long time and I was mostly a SAHM ( stay at home mom) . They then asked how do I keep busy now that the children are gone. This conversation probably sparked my phone's Interest and it showed me a post from a parents group I follow, a question from a woman, a mom of my age asking the question " where did my life go "? It sent me in my own rabbit hole, where did it go? While others were busy building their professional life, I gave it up to stay at home to raise my children, it was my choice. Now I don't have a fulfilling career. I was always a high achieving straight A student. But unlike some of you, I couldn't juggle between a home and a career. Nobody who knew me could imagine the change of my life's path...

  Next week, I am flying back home, to India. And as much as I love to travel, I do not like flying.   It’s not just a mild dislike—it’s a genuine dread. Nearly 30 years ago, I got on a plane to come to the US, eventually making it our home. But it also set the stage for a lifetime of back-and-forth journeys to visit family, most of our family still lives in India including parents. Flying is unavoidable now, no matter how much I wish otherwise. A majority of the time, we plan these trips months in advance but have also flown at a day's notice.  Thirty years ago, though, things were different. There were no nonstop flights between the U.S. and India. And even though a trip like that involved multiple stops, layovers, and logistical challenges, it wasn’t such a hassle. It was pre 9/11. Now, we are simply used to it. That’s just the way. A few years ago, they started offering nonstop flights from the US to India. Flights from JFK, New York to Delhi or Mumbai in 15...

  Just because you fit in doesn’t mean you are in the right place. I read this on a friend’s wall, and it was an epiphany moment. Wow.   I had never looked at it this way before. For a long time, like so many others before me, I tried to fit in. I thought blending in, adjusting a little here, a little there meant belonging. And Sure, there were a few moments when I felt I had cracked that code and belonged to the group, but alas, the happiness was momentary, fleeting. But in those moments when I thought I had succeeded, something felt off.   I wasn’t genuinely happy. Deep inside, there was no sense of belonging, calm or contentment. I found myself wanting to leave as soon as I had arrived, constantly glancing at my watch, feeling suffocated. It took me a long time to understand why. The problem wasn’t that I couldn’t fit in; it was that I was trying to fit in at the wrong places, at tables where I had no seat. I stumbled upon another quote yesterday and it w...