Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Paid in Full with One Glass of Milk

My Dear Rishi

2011 has been a very interesting year.  I dedicated this year to live in gratitude. By living in gratitude life created lot of possibilities for me. In 1996, I read a book called, "Conversations with God" By Neale Diamond Walsch it was a very interesting book, one of the most powerful line was on correct type of prayer, " The right prayer is prayer of gratitude and not prayer of supplication". I lived this year in gratitude and that has made all the difference in life.

I came across a very interesting story on the value of kindness, compassion and value of doing good deed's for others without any expectations.

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe you?” “You don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness.” He said, “Then I thank you from my heart.”

As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Year’s later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor’s apron he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case.
After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She began to read the following words:
“Paid in full with one glass of milk”
Signed, Dr. Howard Kelly

Rishi in life what goes around comes around. In my experience I have found kindness and compassion are essential in one's life . When we limit kindness and compassion to our immediate families and friends we draw the circle of family very small. True compassion transcends family and friends and reaches to all humanity and for all the living things in the Universe. Anger and hatred are the main obstacles to compassion.

Hope you have a compassionate heart...I love you and miss you Rishi.
With lots of love, hugs and kisses,

Daddy.

P.S: I miss you Rishi.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

ABC's of Christmas.

My Dear Rishi,

I enjoyed our time together when I visited you in Singapore. I wish I could have stayed bit longer but than again any time with you I cherish and love. Whenever I visit you, I  keep my focus on the positive and ignore the negative, in that way I make a conscious choice to be in the positive frame of mind and let the negativity not affect me. As the year draws to an end when I reflect, I live my life in gratitude for all that I have.

This morning's news paper (Bangalore Times) there is a very good article titled Lessons of Life, this Christmas By Matuli Madhusmita Swain. I wanted to share this with you in the spirit of sharing. Hope we all learn from this and practice it for rest of our lives.


A for Angel: Be an angle to someone you love or care about. Surprise a friend, share some chocolates with colleagues and make someone feel special.

B for Bonhomie: This Christmas let the spirit of bonhomie rule. Move away from the online life and meet your loved ones in person.

C for Carols: Volunteer for carol singing at the nearest Church. Hum and join in. Prayers is meant to test your faith not your singing prowess. The Almighty already know the gifts he has blessed you with.

D for Decoration: Decorate your home even if it is a rented one, with festoons and colours for Christmas.

E for Enthusiasm: Be enthusiastic without being foolhardy. Lear to take challenges head on. Success will pave way for newer challenges. Begin with enthusiasm.

F for Faith: Let faith be your North Star. Challenge yourself; go beyond your limitations with a leap of faith.

G for the Gratitude: Revel in the generosity of life. Make peace with who you are and be grateful for the life that you have received.

H  for Health: Wake up early and hit the gym, go for a swim, play a sport you like. Gift yourself good health.

I for Inspiration: Get inspired! Choose your own idea and start something new like a Recycle club with the neighbourhood kids.

J of Joy: Cultivate joy all year round. Celebrate small successes, and remember that all good things need times to be done.

K for Karma: Stock up on good karma. Let your speech be more dignified, and make friends with compassion and empathy.

L for Love: Let love be your motto and let go of all the unwanted baggage. Cherish the present moment and welcome the new with a lighter, happier you.

M for Magic and Miracles: Christmas is for miracles and magic. Like the child who trusts life with simple heart, trust your intuition.

N for New: Try something new. Open you mind to experimentation and change. Go beyond the obvious. Remember, an anchored ship never did find new shores.

O for Organising: Organise your life. Clear the clutter. Bless yourself with an uncomplicated life and mind.

P for Prioritise & Perspective: "Prioritize" and put things in "Perspective". Delegate when possible. You will achieve a lot more when you accept what you can do alone and what needs extra helping hands.

Q for Quest: Never stop learning in life. Be passionate and humble to learn from one and all.  Each one has something to teach, only if you are willing to learn.

R for Rest & Rejuvenate: Every once in a while, stop to truly rest. It's important to rejoice in the scenery even as you drive towards your destination.

S for Santa and Sleigh: Ever seen Santa & his sleigh? Be like Santa and make sure your sleigh is always filled with compassion and good will all through the year.

T for Thank You: This Christmas, say "Thank You" to as many people you can. Start with your parents, and extend thanks to all. Life is best lived with experience, thank everyone for bringing different experiences into your life.

U for Understanding: Cultivate the power of understanding. Give yourself sometime before you judge or react. It will save you many regrets later.

V for Vigour: Get back the spring in your step and the twinkle in your eyes. Promise yourself an active day full of energy. Listen to a foot tapping number when you dress up. A difficult day will ease the moment you decide to go through it with your chin up.

W for Wonder: Give yourself full five minutes of wonder and rapture everyday. See the colours of sunrise, marvel at the perfection o a rose, revel in simplicity of a child's laugh...there is plenty to see in the world.

X for Xcitement: Remember when you were a child and each day was a new mystery to be solved. Let excitement be your anthem each day. Take a different route to work, wear a bright colour, and do something unexpected of you!

Y for Yuletide: The spirit of Christmas is to be celebrated all year round. The pie called life tastes best when the sweet is balanced with some tartness and spice.

Z for Zen: Create your own Zen corner. Get a comfy recliner. Show case your self-made art on a corner table. Stock a wall space with your favourite novels.

This Christmas. let a better life unfold for you...There are no dress rehearsals or retakes in life, the " Action" has already been announced, direct your movie before "The End".

Wishing you the very best on Christmas, with lots of love, hugs and kisses,


Love,

Daddy

Saturday, December 17, 2011

A Child's perspective on how poor people live

My Dear Rishi,

It has been fantastic since Tuesday, we spent time together going to Singapore Science Center to see Dinosaur Live exhibits, Moving Art of Song Dynasty, playing in wild wild wet water park, reading stories to you, putting you to sleep. I love you Rishi.  On Tuesday evening as I was having my dinner, when  an elderly gentlemen whom I have never met joined me. We started a conversation. During the conversation he shared a beautiful story and I wanted to share with you.

One day, a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, “How was the trip?”
“It was great, Dad.”
“Did you see how poor people live?” the father asked.
“Oh yeah,” said the son.
“So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father.

The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden, and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden, and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard, and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on, and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us; they have friends to protect them.”
The boy’s father was speechless.

Then his son added, “Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are.”

Rishi, I learned many things from this gentlemen during our conversation. The two important lessons which will stick with me for rest of my life are very simple and hope you can also learn from this story and encounter.  Although he was a stranger, we opened up and started a conversation. I learned, "Strangers are friend's who are yet to be discovered". Right attitude is more important than all the material wealth in the world.

I love you and I am enjoying spending time with you, listening to your songs, stories and your hugs, kisses....I love you Rishi...

With lots of love, hugs and kisses,

Daddy.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Purpose of Life

My Dear Rishi,

Earlier this week I was talking to my friend..  I was rather despondent and wondering what is the purpose of life.

My friend shared something very beautiful with me and I wanted to share with you.   When my friend's father passed away a family friend said, " It is not how long the light shines but how bright the light shines". My friend found purpose of her life in those simple, yet  beautiful and powerful words. My friend has dedicated her life to let her light shine bright so that the rays of light touch every one who comes in her path. In doing this she has found  purpose for her life.  Rishi, I really hope you will some day meet her love, she is such an inspiration an awesome person. Interestingly, you both share same birthday.  I feel blessed to have a wonderful and inspiring friend like her in our lives.

Rishi another meaning of your name is "Ray of Light".  I really hope, wish and pray that you live your life so as to let your light shine so bright that it touches all of humanity. My prayer for you Rishi is very simple:


God! Please grant Rishi the Gift of Life and Gift of Light
The light should shine so bright that its rays reaches the darkest corners of people's heart
The light should shine so bright that its rays touches all of humanity
The light should shine so bright that its rays heals all the wounds of humanity
The light should shine so bright that its rays dispels fear, hatred, and animosity
The light should shine so bright that its rays brings in warmth, love and joy for humanity 
The light should shine so bright its rays brings peace, harmony and understanding for humanity.
Thank you God for your blessings.

I just can't to wait to see you soon love....I can't wait to hug you, kiss you, talk to you, listen to you and play with you.  Miss you Rishi....
With lots of love, hugs and kisses,

Daddy.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

On the Night You Were Born

My Dear Rishi,

We spoke today only for four minutes. You may have been  tired after a hectic weekend.  I cannot wait to see you soon.

I wanted to read you from Nancy Tillman's book, "On the Night You Were Born"


On the night you were born,
the moon smiled with such wonder that the stars peeked in to see you
and the night wind whispered,
"Life will never be the same".

Because there had never been anyone like you....
ever in the world.

So enchanted with you were the wind and the rain
that they whispered the sound of your wonderful name.
The sound of your name is magical one.
Let's say it out loud before we go on,


 
It sailed through the farmland
high on the breeze...
Over the ocean...
And through the trees...

Until everyone heard it
and everyone knew
of the one and only ever you.

Not once had there been such eyes,
such a nose,
such silly, wiggly, wonderful toes.
In fact, I think I'll count to three
so you can wiggle your toes for me.

When the polar bears heard,
they danced until dawn.

From faraway places,
the geese flew home.
The moon stayed up until morning next day.
And none of the ladybugs flew away.

So whenever you doubt just how special you are
and wonder who loves you, how much and how far,
listen for geese honking high in the sky.
(They're singing a song to remember you by.)
Or notice the bears asleep at the zoo.
(It's because they've been dancing all night for you!)
Or drift off to sleep to the sound of the wind.
(Listen closely...it's whispering your name again!)

If the moon stays up until morning one day,
or a ladybug lands and decides to stay,
or a little bird sits at your window awhile,
it's because they're all hoping to see you smile...

For never before in story or rhyme
(not even once upon a time)
has the world ever know a you, my friend,
and it never will, not ever again...

Heaven blew every trumpet
and played every horn
on the wonderful, marvelous night you were born.




Rishi, Daddy loves you and misses you sweet heart....


With lots of love, hugs and kisses,

Daddy.

P.S: See you soon love.

Friday, November 25, 2011

The Crown on Your Head

My Dear Rishi,

Today we spoke for about twenty minutes and you told me two stories.  One story was about The Fox, the Tiger and the Elephant and the second story you told me was about A lion and the Naughty boy.  You were very creative in making up your stories, what I really liked was, for the second story you came up with a moral too...Brilliant! sweet heart.

Today I read you story from Nancy Tillman's book....

The Crown on Your Head
By. Nancy Tillman



(This picture is from our first Christmas together)

On the day we met and I put you to bed,
I noticed a crown on the top of your head.

It was made up of sparkling, glimmering things
like moonlight and fireflies, and dragonfly wings.

As the days came and went,
it was faithful and true....
and it grew right along the rest of you.

I always knew just what you meant crown.
It said that you are MAGNIFICENT.
(That means you are grand from your toes to your chin.
Take a deep breath, and let that sink in.)

That's about as high as a word can climb!
That's the top of mountain...
a steeple chime.

That's over the moon in a nursery rhyme...and it means, like a star,
YOU WERE BORN TO SHINE,
(Blink three times and ...there you are!
You are twinkling, little star!)

In other words, from your very first day,
you were chosen to glow in a very big way!
With your crown made of glittering, high-flying things,
you've got wind in your pocket, your wishes have wings.

You can run like you mean it...., so, let the wind blow...
There's no telling how high you can go!

Whatever it is you choose to do,
no one can do it exactly like you.
Ride on the big slide! And if you fall down,
remember your glorious, marvelous crown.
It won't flicker or fade. It won't dime. It won't leave.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS BELIEVE.

Do you, my child? I hope that you do,
The world is a wonderland waiting for you.

And you get to share it with all your friends, too!
They each have a crown that is faithful and true.
No one's brighter, no one's duller
It's only a crown of a different color.

So sometimes, just every now and then whisper "I believe" again.
Your crown is your best friend forever, by far.
It tells the true story of just who you are.

That's why every night, when I put to bed,
I'm careful to kiss the crown on your head.

A Note From Your Crown

I'm made out of magic, most people can't see
(which is really quite clever, if you should ask me).
But if you ever you're worried and really must know,
you can tell that I'm there by the warmth of my glow.

Press your hand to the top of your head.
Feel me? Okay. Put your worries to bed.

You are loved.



I love you and miss you Rishi. Just can't wait to see you, hold you, hug you...

With lots of love, hugs and kisses,

Daddy


Friday, November 18, 2011

The Carrot, an Egg, and the Coffee bean

My Dear Rishi,

It was fun talking to you for an hour and I enjoyed you telling me stories about Gorilla and Elephant, Tortoise and Hyena and other stories.  You also sang a Happy Song. We did additions, multiplications and subtractions. You are really good Rishi, daddy is proud of you

Today's story is about how to deal with adversity or trials and tribulations that life presents us.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling.

It seemed that, as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans.

She let them sit and boil, without saying a word. In about twenty minutes, she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," the young woman replied. The mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity - boiling water - but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened! The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" the mother asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?" Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong but, with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit but, after a death, a breakup, or a financial hardship, does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavour.

If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

Rishi, we all have choice, either to become BITTER or BETTER while dealing with life's trial's and tribulations. In my personal experience, if we operate from a place of Ego (Edging Good Out), Selfishness and Self-centered one will always become bitter whereas if we act from a place of Empathy, Understanding and Compassion, one will always become a better person.

Love you Rishi, miss you sweetheart...

With lots of love, hugs and kisses,

Daddy

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Whereever You Are my love will find you

My Dear Rishi,

It was fun talking to you for an hour this morning, wow!!! I enjoyed our conversation, you were full of spunk and fun. You sang Bob the builder song. I love you and miss you Rishi, just cant' wait to see you soon enough..

Last week I read you  from Nancy Tillman's book. You said you liked it....Today I will write what I read to you..The title of the book is, "Wherever You Are my love will find you". Love is the greatest gift we have to give our children. It's the one thing they can carry with them each and every day. It is every child's birth right to receive the love from both parents. In my simplistic way of thinking, I believe that children are here in this world not because they wanted to be here but because of their parents wanted them in the first place. We as parents owe our children the fundamental right of giving the "Gift of Unconditional Love" and not take away the right of one parent or the right of the child from receiving love from both the parents.

Wherever You Are my love will find you
By Nancy Tillman

I wanted you more than you ever will know,
so I sent love to follow wherever you go.

It's high as you wish it. It's quick as an elf.
You'll never outgrow it...it stretches itself!

So climb any mountain...climb up to the sky!
My love will find you, My love can fly!
Make a big splash! Go out on a limb!
My love will find you. My love can swim!

It never gets lost, never fade, never ends...if you're working...
or playing...or sitting with friends.

You can dance 'til you're dizzy...paint 'til you're blue...
There's no place, not one, that my love can't find you.
And if someday you're lonely, or someday you're sad,
or you strike out at baseball, or think you've been bad...

Just lift up your face, feel the wind in your hair.
That's me, my sweet baby, my love is right there.

In the green of the grass... in the smell of the sea...in the clouds floating by...
at the top of a tree... in the sound crickets make at the end of the day...
"You are loved. You are loved. You are loved," they all say.

My love is so high, and so wide and so deep, it's always right there, even when you're asleep.

So hold your head high and don't be afraid to march to the front of your own parade.
If you're stil my small babe or you're all the way grown, my promise to you is you've never alone.

You are my angel, my darling, my star...and my love will find you, wherever you are.


Rishi, I love you and miss you sweetheart...looking forward to talking to you again....

With lots of love, hugs and kisses,

Daddy.





Saturday, November 5, 2011

An Obstacle in Our Path

My Dear Rishi,

Finally, after two months we spoke today for 15 minutes. I was so happy to hear your voice, you said I love you Daddy. Rishi, your voice and what you said was music to my ears love.

Earlier in the week it was Halloween. Halloween is celebrated in Canada & US, on October 31. On this day children go out to play trick-or-treat. They dress up as ghosts, witches,princess, cartoon characters or other characters and visit homes in their neighborhood. They ring doorbells and, when someone answers, they call out "trick-or-treat". This means that they hope to receive a gift of candy or other snacks and that they are threatening to play a trick if they do not get anything. Usually, they receive a treat and tricks are rarely carried out.

About 100  kids from my neighbourhood showed up at my place for Trick & Treat. I had about 3 kgs of candies and I gave all the candies. The kids ranged from 3 years to 12 year old. It was so much fun just watching them and I wished you were here with me. . I really missed you Rishi, I wish you were here, we would have gone for trick & treat. You could have dressed up as a Batman.

When I was about 9 my mommy told me this story. This was one of my favourite stories as a kid. I wanted to share this with you Rishi.

An Obstacle in Our Path
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.
Then a poor farmer came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the farmer laid down his basket of vegetables and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the farmer picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.

The farmer learned what many of us never understand! Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

Rishi, in life as you grow up you will face many obstacles, you will always have a choice, a choice to accept obstacles and do nothing about it and give up or face the obstacles and over come them. I learnt my lesson when i was attending a scouts camp in IX grade.  We were being trained to climb a small hill. It was rather overwhelming for us . One of my teachers said, use the outcrops of rock which a appear like obstacles to get a foot hold and climb the hill. I never forgot the lesson I learned from that experience as I was able to relate to this story my mommy used to tell me.  Although, I did not find gold coins, I received a badge  for successfully climbing a steep hill. The biggest take away for me was to learn to use the obstacles on my path to pull myself  to the top and never let obstacles faze you or keep you down. This experience also taught me how to connect the dots that is the story my mommy used to tell me with words of my teacher i.e. using the obstacles to get a foot hold. This is really important skill, I learned this and developed it through out my life.

Next week I will write the story I read to you today during our call.

With Lots of Love, Hugs & Kisses,

Daddy

Sunday, October 30, 2011

A Story of Light: A Message for Diwali

My Dear Rishi,


Hope you had a wonderful Diwali with your mom, grand parents & your cousins.  I hope you received the gifts I  sent you along with new clothes. I called you on Diwali day and again today, but could not talk to you. I feel bit sad that we could not talk, it has been long time.....Hope someday we can connect, talk and spend rest of our lives together.


 I had a dream that I wrote following message for you on Diwali day. Now I am turning my dream into a reality for you Rishi.The title of the story is, "A Story of Light: A Message for Diwali"


A Story of Light: A Message for Diwali

Discovery of fire was a turning point for humanity. Prior to this, humans survived the long nights in darkness, cold and living in fear of wild animals and sometimes each other. Humanity could not wait for the break of dawn.The discovery of fire changed all this. We  learned to use fire to cook our food, build new tools, clear jungles to cultivate and most important, fight darkness with light. As we evolved humanity learned to tame the fire and use it in lamps to illuminate their homes, paths etc. Today we have mastered the ability bring light to the darkest corners of our physical world. I would call this triumph of humanity and fight darkness with light.
Something interesting was happening to humanity during this quest to overcome darkness with light. We won the fight against the physical darkness but our hearts and minds were slowly but surely were turning into one of the darkest corners on earth. This darkness in the heart and mind was slowly destroying families, communities and also nations. Although, humans have triumphed against physical darkness the internal darkness was tightening the noose around humanity's so called proverbial neck. Today, we are blinded by the lights we have created to fight the physical darkness that we can't even see the darkness that is taking hold within our hearts and minds. .


Rishi, as you know Diwali is festival of lights. Diwali always falls on a new moon day We light lamps to drive the darkness away and bring the lights in to our homes, neighbourhoods. Lighting the lamps is very symbolic and it also has deeper meaning. It is the day when we drive away the ignorance , negative thoughts, anger, hatred, jealousy by illuminating our hearts with loving light, compassion, understanding and love.  Our human heart and mind is very unique from that perspective, at any given moment we can hold only one feeling or thought in our hearts and minds, never two opposing thoughts can never coexist together at the same moment. It is either the negative or positive and never both at the same time. On Diwali day, I make a choice of not only illuminating my heart and mind with positive light but also with hope, gratitude, love and compassion. My message for you Rishi, is very simple for this Diwali, every day of your life and for every Diwali that is yet to come...

Let's burn our resentments, not just fireworks...
Let's light our hearts and minds, not just lamps
Let's feast on gratitude, not just on sweets and savoury
Let's gift praise, not just gifts
Let's clean our hearts, not just our houses

With lots of light, love, hugs and kisses,

Daddy

P.S: I miss you Rishi ..

Saturday, October 22, 2011

An Elephant and the Six Blind Men

My Dear Rishi,

Hope you had a great week love.  It has been close to two months since we spoke or you said anything to me. I understand where this is coming from.

When I was in Grade 2 or 2nd Standard,  the very first chapter of our English text book was the story of, "Elephant and the Blind Men".  It is a very interesting story because it shows you how we humans just look at one small part or aspect of life and judge the whole. We get hold of some piece of information and jump to conclusions about the whole, which on its own may be truth but not the whole truth.
An Elephant and the Six Blind Men

Once upon a time, there lived six blind men in a village. One day the villagers told them, "Hey, there is an elephant in the village today."

They had no idea what an elephant is. They decided, "Even though we would not be able to see it, let us go and feel it anyway." All of them went where the elephant was. Everyone of them touched the elephant.

"Hey, the elephant is a pillar," said the first man who touched his leg.
"Oh, no! it is like a rope," said the second man who touched the tail.
"Oh, no! it is like a thick branch of a tree," said the third man who touched the trunk of the elephant.
"It is like a big hand fan" said the fourth man who touched the ear of the elephant.
"It is like a huge wall," said the fifth man who touched the belly of the elephant.
"It is like a solid pipe," Said the sixth man who touched the tusk of the elephant.

They began to argue about the elephant and everyone of them insisted that he was right. It looked like they were getting agitated. A wise man was passing by and he saw this. He stopped and asked them, "What is the matter?" They said, "We cannot agree to what the elephant is like." Each one of them told what he thought the elephant was like. The wise man calmly explained to them, "All of you are right. The reason every one of you is telling it differently because each one of you touched the different part of the elephant. So, actually the elephant has all those features what you all said."

"Oh!" everyone said. There was no more fight. They felt happy that they were all right.

The moral of the story is that there may be some truth to what someone says. Sometimes we can see that truth and sometimes not because they may have different perspective which we may not agree too. So, rather than arguing like the blind men, we should say, "Maybe you have your reasons." This way we don’t get in arguments.

Rishi, one of my teachers in school used to always say, "An argument is an exchange of ignorance, ignorance about each others perspective,  whereas a discussion  on other hand is an exchange of intelligence". I hope you learn to discuss rather than argue.

On a personal note, " You can choose to be happy or right. In this choice lies your freedom. Guess who taught me this wisdom, your mommy love :). Yes your mommy.

On 26th, it is Deepavalli (festival of lights)., Wish you the very best and Happy Deepavalli. May your life always be blessed with lights, happiness and joy, love,  I have sent you some clothes and gifts and hope you like them love.

With lots of love, hugs and kisses..I miss you so much..

Love,

Daddy.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

A Dog's Purpose (from a Six year old)

My Dear Rishi,

I called you on the weekend, once again you did not want to talk to me, love. I love you and I miss you sweetheart.

The past weekend I did not do much on Saturday other than read books. On Sunday, I ran a workshop. It was fun, I enjoy teaching. Today's story is called, "A Dog's Purpose". When I was about 11 years old, one day my grandfather asked me, " Do you know why dogs have more friends than humans? I thought for a moment and replied, because dogs are more friendly. My grandfather replied that is good but here is another reason as to why dog's have more friend's than humans ....."The reason why dog's have more friends than humans is because dog's wag their tongue less and tail more"

Here is an amazing story called, "A Dog's Purpose (from a Six year old")


I was sent this via email today, and I found it an amazing reminder to cherish the one we love and enjoy the life we have. I don't know who wrote this story, but thank you.

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year old-Irsih Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. i told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year old Shane to observer the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience. The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Bleker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Bleker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.Shane, who had been listening quitely, piped up, "I know why". Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explaination. It has changed the way I try and live.

He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life, like loving everybody all the time and being nice right?" The Six-year old continued.

Live simply.
Love generously
Care deeply
Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face be pure Ecstasy.
Take naps.
Strech before rising..
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting whne a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drik lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
if what youiwant lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.
ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERYDAY!



Rishi, I love you..Hope, we all can learn from dogs and other animals. They are more wise than us humans. Rishi, Honey sends you lots of love and kisses, to this day she always plays with your little tiger (you used to play with it and the stuffed dog in the picture above Honey is holding, you both used to play tug of war with the toy). If I ask Honey to get Rishi's toy, she will bring the stuffed tiger or this stuffed dog. She remembers you.

Love,

Honey and Daddy.


.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Thanksgiving

My Dear Rishi,

I called you on the weekend and your mother informed me that you did not want to talk to me. Rishi, I understand. Just wanted to know how much I miss hearing your voice and talking to you my love. Daddy will always love you.

Today is the Canadian thanksgiving. It is a time when entire family comes together enjoying each others company and have a great meal. I really miss you Rishi. Over the past week I have pondered about, "Thanksgiving" and hence I waited to write to you till today.

Traditionally, thanksgiving is celebration by the farmers or natives for the bountiful harvest of the season especially after the long hard work in the fields during spring and summer.  The farmers harvest their produce feed our society and as well as their families and thank mother nature for providing for their families. In the cities or people who are not into farming, it is more of a family get together and celebrate each other and enjoy family bonding over a meal.  Every society,  every culture celebrates thanksgiving in their own way and may not call it thanksgiving but the fundamental theme for farmers around the world always is to take the time to thank the nature for providing food.

The past four years thanksgiving has been very tough on me as I don't have you to celebrate with  and I miss you a lot. This year I have made a conscious choice to celebrate you as you will always be in my heart. Rishi, I am thankful for many things in life and I choose to lead a life of gratitude rather than a life of supplication.   Let me share what I am thankful for love, on this thanksgiving day. I hope you find this letter and understand life is more than possessing, holding on or grabbing or taking.  Always remember that the hand that gives is always on the top and be grateful because someone above all of us is providing you so that you can give and not take.

I am thankful for the following|:

a. I am thankful for your presence, as you give me a reason to look forward for a new day everyday of  my life and hope we can be together again :)

 (The following picture was during our first Christmas together, you were four months old).


b. I am thankful for my wonderful parents:
  •  for they have taught me the value of giving than taking.
  •  for giving me unconditional love so that I can share that unconditional love with humanity    without judging but accepting and forgiving.
  • for teaching me how to make a living and giving rather than just taking.
  • for teaching me to seek understanding than to be understood.
  • for being compassionate and caring
  • for teaching me not to be greedy for money but learn to appreciate the value of money.
  • for teaching to do the right thing even if it is not beneficial for me.
  • for teaching the value of forgiveness over revenge.
  • for teaching me evil or negative things exists in life and teaching me not to be trapped nor become bitter or jaded by them because if you give power or energy to them they will control your life.
  •  for teaching me the meaning of contentment in life and also showing me there are people who will always have more than me but there are also people who will have less than me.So be thankful for what you have in life but always strive to be the best.
  • for teaching me not to operate from a scarcity mind set.
  • for always be in a state of gratitude rather than arrogance.
This list can go on and on for what  I can be thankful and what they did for me I am just greatful for them to be my parents.

c. I am thankful for all my teachers in life who have guided me, inspired me and lit the fire within.

d. I am thankful for my brothers and their families for all the love and support.

e. I am thankful for my relatives for they have given me unconditional love.

f. I am thankful for friends for their support over the years and their love.

g. I am thankful for Honey, who has been with me during most toughest times of my life. Rishi, like you she is constant source of joy and love.


h. I am thankful for life as it has enriched me with so many experiences without which I would not be whom I am today. If you want the best from life, one needs to accept good, the bad and the ugly. Rishi, life is beautiful.

i. Last but not the least "THANK YOU GOD"

Rishi, starting this thanksgiving I have chosen to celebrate every thanksgiving as long as I live,  in the spirit of gratitude. We spend so much time for asking the next big thing rather than enjoying the present what we have, in gratitude. If you really think about it, both past and future exists only in our memory, if we don't spend either in past nor future, the present is eternal. I choose to be in the present and lead a life of eternal gratitude and hope, with hope that you become part of that eternal present and gratitude :)

I love you and miss you Rishi.  Have a wonderful thanksgiving love.

Love,

Daddy

Saturday, October 1, 2011

True Love

My Dear Rishi,

It has been close to 4 weeks since I have talked to you love, yesterday I called you many times and the phone was disconnected after you said hello. I will always always love you...hope we can talk again someday. Love you Rishi..

A friend of mine shared an interesting story with me and I thought this would be a good one for you. Read for yourself, this is a lesson we all can learn to treat our loved ones.

It was busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's, arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am. I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would be able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch, and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On examination, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound. While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health; he told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease.

As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now. I was surprised, and asked him, 'And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?' He smiled as he patted my hand and said, 'She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is.' I had to hold back tears as he left; I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, 'That is the kind of love I want in my life.'

True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be….For those whom you loved once louldly, you will always continue loving them silently in your prayers and in your kind actions even if they are no longer in your life.

Moral: The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have. 'Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain…..'

I love you Rishi, miss you so much...I really cannot even express in words,  words just fail...Let us both learn to dance in the rain of our lives and survive many storms so that one day we can meet be together as long as life's journey takes us together...

Love you, miss you..

Daddy

Sunday, September 18, 2011

The Stone Soup

My Dear Rishi,

I called you for past two weekends many times, somebody picked up the phone and  hung up. Rishi, I have missed talking to you love...Love you ..miss you.

Guess what I did this weekend i.e. September 24th?? I went for skydiving. I did my first jump off a perfectly normal plane alone with a parachute at 3700 feet above ground.This is called Solo jump. It was amazing, exhilarating experience love. I hoping to do few more jumps in coming weeks. This is another thing I have crossed off my bucketlist, Rishi.

Today's story is about The Stone Soup. The first time I heard this story was from my grandmother when I was about 11 years or so.

There was a famine  in a village due to prolonged drought due to lack of rains for few years.  The farmers could not grow anything. One day a traveller was passing through the village. He was very hungry and tired, he decided to spend the night in the village. The villagers discouraged him to stay in the village by saying there was no food.

The traveler thought for a moment and informed the villagers he did not want any food and in fact, he was planning to make some soup and share with all the villagers. The villagers were bit skeptical about his claim. The traveller took out a big pot from his carriage. He got some water and washed the pot. Then he built a small fire and placed the big pot filled with water on fire with help of few villagers.  Then he took a silk pouch and asked the village chief to take out the stone from the pouch and drop it in the pot. After boiling the water with the stone, traveller took a long sniff and claimed the taste of the stone soup was amazing.  The villagers became very curious and interested in the soup the traveller was making. Traveller took this opportunity, to mention how amazing this soup would taste if he had a cabbage.  One of the villagers went back to his  home and brought few cabbages and gave it to the traveller on a condition, that he would share the soup with his family. Traveller assured him and took the cabbages washed them and put it in the stone soup. Soon other villagers went to their respective houses and find carrots, beets, onions. chicken etc. By the time the soup was ready, all the villagers had contributed to making of the soup by sharing whatever they had and everyone in the village was able to enjoy the stone soup. 

This story very clearly articulates the human tendency of hoarding in times of scarcity. This man induced deprivation is cause of human misery . Food is just one metaphor.  When we get emotionally hurt, we isolate ourselves and shut out others out. We hord ideas, love, money and think we will be rich.  We withhold love, trust and kindness too.  When we do this, we truly become poor because our greed takes over. By sharing, by loving, trusting we become rich. 

Rishi, I have always believed the reason why we are born as humans is because of only one quality and that is caring for another human as well as all the living things around us. Caring is sharing. Look at the spirit of the villagers, when they started sharing what each one had, they were able to feed an entire village. There is abundance in sharing and caring. There is nothing but poverty in hoarding, grabbing everything and living a self-centered and selfish life. This hoarding mentality or holding mentality or not sharing will always cause pain and misery to others as well as to our own selves. We as humanity can overcome any difficulty if we are together and always remember, "Caring is Sharing".

I love you and miss you Rishi..

With lots of love, hugs and kisses,

Daddy









Friday, September 9, 2011

Our Bank Account

My Dear Rishi,

Hope you had a great week. It has been a busy but good week. I am really looking forward to talking to you in another ten minutes. I miss you love.

I came across an interesting story and I wanted to share with you. The story is called, "Our Bank Account".

A 92-year-old, legally blind  well dressed with his hair fashionably combed and shaved, gentlemen, moved to a nursing home. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.

He maneuvered his walker to the elevator, a caretaker provided a visual description of his tiny room,  including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.

'I love it,' he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.

'Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait....

'That doesn't have anything to do with it,' he replied.

'Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged. It's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. 'It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.

Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I'v e stored away. Just for this time in my life Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in.

So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories! Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank.

I am still depositing.' Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

Rishi, these five things in my opinion are the essence of life. Remember this, no one can make you happy or miserable, unless you give other person the power over you. The purpose of life is to be happy and that happiness is within you.

With lots of love, hugs and kisses,

Daddy

Sunday, September 4, 2011

For the Greater Good: Love and Forgiveness

My Dear Rishi,
I enjoyed talking to you yesterday evening. You were so funny and hilarious. You asked me to call you again tomorrow evening and I cannot wait to talk to you.

Recently, I read very interesting true story about this lady whose son was killed by a 14 year old boy for no reason.  The boy was sentenced by the judge and as he was being lead away by the police, the mother of the boy who was killed shouted at the boy, " I am going to kill you".

After being in prison for a year or so, the boy is visited by the mother whose son was killed. The boy in prison was bit scared to meet  but he agreed to meet her.  They both had a brief conversation. Just before leaving the prison she gave the boy some money and  asked him if he needed anything. After the first visit, she started coming regularly and talking to him.

When he was about to be released from the prison as he turned 18, she asked him what he was going to do? His response was , "I don't know, I have no idea. I got no family, no nothing". She spoke to her friend and arranged for a job in a factory. Than she told the boy  to come and stay with her in her spare room. After about six months later she said to him, "I need to talk to you". They sat in the living room and talked. She said to him, "Remember that day in the court when you were convicted for murdering my son for no reason at all, to get into your gang, and I stood up and said, "I am going to kill you?"

The boy said "Yes ma'am, I'll never forget that day".

She replied, "Well I have. You see, I didn't want a boy who could kill in cold blood like that to continue to exist in this world. So I set about visiting you, bringing you presents, bringing you things, and taking care of you. And now I let you come into my house and got you a job and a place to live because I don't have anybody anymore. My son is gone he was the only person that I was living with. I set about changing you, you are the same person anymore.

But I don't have anybody, and I want to know if you'd stay here. I am in need of a son, and I want to know if I can adopt you"

And he said yes and she did.

Rishi, my friend read this blog and sent me this link. Please listen to this  http://storycorps.org/listen/stories/mary-johnson-and-oshea-israel/

Rishi, the mother loved her son so much she chose to forgive so that she can have a son. That is the power of love and forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of all the suffering, pain and sorrows, you don't need to carry this burden for life. The Bhagvad Gita says, "If you want to see the brave, look at those who can return love for hatred. If you want to see heroic, look to those who can forgive".  Rishi, forgiveness and love is not for the weak. Cruelty, bitterness and anger are only for people who are weak.   Elie Wiesel (an amazing author hope, you get a chance to read his books some day) says, "Suffering, confers neither privileges nor rights.  It all depends on how you use it. If you use it to increase the anguish of yourself or others, you are degrading, even betraying it. Yet the day will come when we shall understand that suffering can also elevate human beings. God help us to bear our suffering well". 

Immaculee Ilibazia, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Desmond Tutu and many more have demonstrated through their lives that for the greater good, it is better to forgive and love. Let go of the past pain, sorrows and humiliation etc.. Hope, someday you get to read about these wonderful souls.
Always remember two wrongs will not make things right. Just because someone has hurt you or betrayed you or humiliated you, never repay them in same token but change that to love and forgiveness, dont' give away to hatredness. There is no future without love and forgiveness, only love and forgiveness will sustain you when everything fails.
I love you Rishi. God bless you to be strong, compassionate and loving human being.

Love,

Daddy.


Saturday, August 27, 2011

On the Importance of Good Habits

August 27, 2011

My Dear Rishi,

I could not speak to you as your grandmother was rushing out to vote...Hopefully I can speak to you tomorrow morning.

Recently, I came across an interesting quote by Benjamin Franklin on, "Good Habits".

  "Your net worth to the world is usually determined by what remains after your bad habits are subtracted from your good ones."

As I was pondering on this quote I remembered something my grandfather taught my brother and I on the importance of good habits in a very interesting but practical way.

My grandfather's backyard was filled with various fruit trees, vegetable plants and flowering plants. As an agriculture officer, he had an amazing  garden from terms of diversity as well as design. During our summer holidays, we used to spend our time with him. Our arrival was very eagerly anticipated by our grandparents especially by our grandmother. She would make all kinds of sweets for us.

It was during one such holidays in 1978, both  my younger brother and I were playing in his backyard while grandfather was removing some weeds. He called both of us, asked us to help him with pulling out few weeds. As we were happily removing the weeds, he suddenly stopped me and asked me to pull a small plant with deep roots. I struggled but I was able to uproot them. Then he pointed me to pull out a fully grown Papaya tree. I started laughing and said to grandfather there is no way I could uproot the tree with my bare hands.

He smiled and asked my brother and I to sit down and said something like this...(I don't remember every word but I got the essence of what he said), " Our habits are like this if at a very young age we form good habits, they become like a big trees roots go deep and get established and thus, become the foundation of our character and our destiny. Good habits will guide us and shape us for life.  However, if you let bad habits establish like a tree than it will ruin you. It is really important for the health of the garden and also the garden of your life do not let bad habits take root or establish. Identify the bad/negative habits early in your life and remove them before they become established.  Nurture the good, the positive and always cultivate good habits in garden of your life. Be the constant gardener and always be vigilant against the bad/negative things in your life. You may not be able to avoid them sometimes but recognize them and do not let them establish in your life. Don't become slave of your bad habits. Be the master of your life's garden".

Love you Rishi. I look forward to speaking to you tomorrow.

With Lots of love, hugs and kisses,

Daddy

Friday, August 19, 2011

Living in the Present

August 19th, 2011

My Dear Rishi,

I have been trying to reach you and no one is answering the phone :( .

This month has been very interesting and amazing. Sometimes we carry on with our lives and suddenly a door opens and there you are suddenly confronted with your past. This has happened to me on couple of other occasions. I have always pondered about what does it mean and why? For the first time in my life, I learned its true meaning yesterday. Sometimes your past is presented by life in your present to see how you deal with it, have you learnt anything from your past. I have learned that you need to accept and acknowledge your past without running away from it.  From this vantage point, once you accept your past and than you need to accept  and embrace the present i.e. what is in front of you today. Just fall in love with "What Is?". When you argue with your present by living in the past than there is confusion, anger, frustration, pain and suffering. Pain is a choice, suffering is optional. Let go of your past, live in the present. The past will not serve your present.

Today's story is about, "Living in the Present".

Two friends were traveling by train. One was very nervous, restless and full of complaints the whole trip. He was impatient to reach his destination, and disliked every moment of the trip because he had a bad experience in the past. He did not pay attention to his surroundings, as his mind was full of impatient, restless, angry, his past and grumpy thoughts.

His friend, who also had bad experience in the past while travelling,  this time however, enjoyed the scenery, drank a cup of coffee, ate a piece of cake and chatted with the other passengers. He enjoyed every moment of the trip. He lived in the present moment and made the most of it. On arrival he was fresh and felt good. His friend, as expected, arrived exhausted, tired and unhappy.

It is a matter of the right attitude. Life becomes a happy and enjoyable trip when the attitude toward it and its events is positive, and the present moment is used in the best possible way. 

Rishi, please remember the following three points for your life:

1. Remember, the present moment is very brief. It always turns immediately into the past. The future has not happened. Live in the present!

2. Past is a History, Future is a Mystery, Today is all you have, hence it is called "THE PRESENT". So enjoy your present, love.

3. Refuse to relive the past. Change the tape in your mind!
    Enjoy the present moment!
    Find the positive, good and useful in each moment!


I miss you Rishi and I love you very very much

With Lots of Love, Hugs and Kisses,

Daddy.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Love in Action

13 August, 2011

My Dear Rishi,

It was fun talking to you today for about 25 minutes. You were telling me about your birthday and you also said, " I love you daddy and  I miss you". Rishi I miss you and love you. There are times I just want to fly to Singapore and live close to you or you can live with me so that we are closer to each other.. On Aug 8th, I did CN tower edgewalk. CN tower is the tallest free standing structure in Canada, at any given time 6 people go up to 356 meters up in an elevator, walk out and walk around 150 meters of circumference of the tower on a 1.5 meter grilled platform.  It was awesome...here are couple of pictures for you.



Today's story is a true story from Mother Teresa. Rishi, Mother Teresa was an amazing lady, I hope someday you get to read about her. At this point all I can say is her life is the message for humanity.

Love in Action
-By Mother Teresa
One night a man came to our house and told me, “There is a family with eight children. They have not eaten for days,” I took some food and I went. When I finally came to the family, I saw the faces of those little children disfigured by hunger. There was no sorrow or sadness in their faces, just the deep pain of hunger. I gave the rice to the mother. She divided it in two, and went out, carrying half the rice with her. When she came back, I asked her, “Where did you go?” She gave me this simple answer, “To my neighbors-they are hungry also.” I was not surprised that she gave–because poor people are generous. But I was surprised that she knew they were hungry. As a rule, when we are suffering, we are so focused on ourselves we have no time for others.

Rishi, when we focus too much on ourselves especially when we are suffering or sad or heartbroken,  we start wallowing in our misery and suffering. At times like this one needs to reach out and help others. Just like the lady in this story did.

Your mother had given me a small gift to me in 2001 for my birthday. It is a chapter from Bible it reads something like this  " Love is patient, Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. LOVE NEVER FAILS.... Rishi, I have lived and will continue to live rest of my life according to these words.   Love is not just a word, it is a Verb- Love is Action.

Love you Rishi and miss you,

Daddy

Sunday, August 7, 2011

A Box of Kisses

Aug. 07th, 2011

My Dear Rishi,

This week you will turn five, once again I will not be there for your birthday. You are growing up so fast and I miss watching you grow up. There are times I just want to drop everything in this world and be  with you.  Rishi have a wonderful birthday and  hope you get to keep the gifts I sent to you. God bless you Rishi, as a father my wish for you is to be always happy and remember. Even though I am so far from  you I love you and miss you. You are always in my thoughts and prayers.  Today's story is called A Box of Kisses.

A Box of Kisses


A man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.
Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, “This is for you, Daddy.” He was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found the box was empty.
He yelled at her, “Don’t you know that when you give someone a present, there’s supposed to be something inside it?”
The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said,”Oh, Daddy, it is not empty. I blew kisses into the box. All for you, Daddy.”
The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness.
The man kept that gold box by his bed for years and whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

In a very real sense, each of us as humans have been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, friends, family and God. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.

Rishi, I miss you and love you very much sweetheart...God bless you!

With lots of love, hugs and kisses,

Daddy.

P.S: Have a fantastic birthday :)

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Facing Our Challenges and Finding Opportunities in our Challenges

July 30th, 2011

My Dear Rishi,

I called you every hour from 10am to 7pm Singapore time finally I was able to speak to you for four minutes around 7:30pm. I miss you and love you very much. This weekend is going to be rather tough on many levels. It will be four years today.......Anyways there is no use dwelling in past, whoever, said time heals must be really thinking from a very narrow perspective in life ...well it is a perspective I guess :).  Today's story was told by my grandfather when I was about 9 years old. Today I really need to remember this to get through this weekend with a positive frame of mind :)
Facing Our Challenges and Finding Opportunities in
Our Challenges

This parable is told of a farmer who owned an old donkey. The donkey fell into the farmer’s old, dried well. The farmer heard the donkey braying loudly. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the donkey, but decided that neither the donkey nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbours together, told them what had happened, and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old donkey in the well and put him out of his misery.

Initially the old donkey was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbours continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back, a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back, HE WOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP!

This he did, blow after blow. “Shake it off and step up…shake it off and step up…shake it off and step up!” He repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or how distressing the situation seemed, the old donkey fought panic and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP!

It wasn’t long before the old donkey, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well! What seemed like it would bury him actually helped him . . . all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.

THAT’S LIFE! If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity. My dear son, you have not only learned the art of living, but also have mastered the art of living.

Rishi, end of the day it all boils down to  your attitude while facing trials and tribulations of life. If someone throws bricks at you, collect them, use them to build a house and sell it back to the person who is throwing bricks at you. There is no point in hurting other person, they will have to learn their own lessons. You will never have control on what other person does or not do. All you have control is on your own attitude, feelings and emotions. My only advise to you is make sure you don't slip into their level and start behaving like them and think of hurting them. Please do your best to take a higher road in life, without making anyone small.This path is not easy, this path is very difficult. However, when you are in this path at least your conscience is clear and you are aligned with highest principles of humanity and universe.  Remember two wrongs will not make anything right. You cannot fight darkness with darkness, you can fight darkness with light and only light.  Be the light Rishi...Be the light where there is darkness...

Love you, miss you Rishi.

Lots of love, hugs and kisses,

Daddy

Sunday, July 24, 2011

To Achieve Your Dreams Remember your ABC's

July 24th, 2011

 
My Dear Rishi,

 
I really enjoyed talking to you on Saturday (July 22nd) morning. We talked for about 28 minutes. You told me about your school, you sang a Mandarin song and also recited your school pledge. Wow! you were amazing Rishi. You were excited about your birthday and I mentioned that I mailed your birthday gifts.

 
I know you know your ABC's. Today's ABC's are bit with a twist, hopefully you will enjoy reading them as well as applying them in your own life..

  • Avoid negative sources, people, places, things and habits
  • Believe in yourself, otherwise no one else will.
  • Consider a thing or view from every angle
  • Don't give up and don't give in.
  • Enjoy  the life today, yesterday is gone, tomorrow may never come
  • Family and friends are the hidden treasures, seek them and enjoy their riches.
  • Give more than you planned to
  • Hang on to your dreams
  • Ignore those  who try to discourage you
  • Just do it
  • Keep trying no matter how hard it seems, it will get easier
  • Love yourself first and foremost
  • Make it happen
  • Never lie, cheat or steal, always strike a fair deal.
  • Open your eyes and see things as they really are
  • Positive people and positive thoughts are more important than money
  • Quitters never win and winners never quit
  • Read, study and learn about everything important in life
  • Stop procrastinating
  • Take control of your destiny
  • Understand yourself in order to understand others
  • Visualize it, to create it
  • Worry is the investment you make even before the trouble comes 
  • Xcellarate your efforts
  • You are unique of all God's creations, nothing can replace you love.
  • Zero in on your target and go for it.
Hope you remember your ABC's to fulfill and achieve your dreams.

 
With lots of love, hugs and kisses,

 
Love,

 
Daddy