Father's Day

My Dear Rishi,

I really enjoyed talking with you on the weekend.  Today is father's day. This father's day brings along with the grief of not being with you, your mother's ask of me and as well as missing my dad.  It has been rather emotional day on many levels. The day has just passed as one big blur for me.

I belive there are many men out there who will agree with me that being a father is the most rewarding relationship that they have in their lives. Children begin by loving their fathers unconditionally. There is nothing the father has to do to earn his child's love. The difficult part is not losing it. In our case,  everytime you see me, talk to me you have always been unconditionally loving to me.  Rishi, you have risen above the surrounding noise and love is what you see whenever we meet or talk over the phone. This love is unconditional is mutually given and recieved. For this I am eternally grateful to you  and  god. Rishi this uncondtional love I receive from you, is what sustains me. Hope and wish this continues as long as I live.

On this day Rishi, once again and always my prayer for you is always the same as the day I wrote the following poem for you:

A Father's Hope, Prayer and Wish for his child

May you always be a BETTER person and not a BITTER person
May you always be the LIGHT wherever there is DARKNESS
May you always be LOVE wherever there is HATER ED
May you always be KIND wherever there is CRUELTY
May you always bring JOY wherever there is SADNESS
May you always bring PEACE wherever there is CONFLICT

May you always be HAPPY and realize that HAPPINESS is within you and the purpose of life is to be HAPPY!

When I was in Singapore recently, you recorded following message for father's day for me love..Thank you very much.

 Rishi's message for Father's Day: 2012

I love you very much and miss you darling.

With lots of love, hugs and kisses,

Daddy.

What is Grace?

My Dear  Rishi,

I tried calling you few times but no one answered the phone. Hope you are doing well and enjoying your holidays.

Today's poem is called, "What is Grace?" I don't know who is the author. I found this poem very helpful over the past five years  and still continue to do so especially now as I am not sure if and when I can see you again. Hopefully one day as you grow older you can visit your old man love.

What is Grace?

Anonymous

When we are sure we can't get through another minute and we do,

that is the Grace of Creator life in us,

When we are sure we can't find the light and we do.,

that is the Grace of the Light of world in us.

When we are sure we can't take one more breadth and we do,

that is the Grace of Spirit breathing through us,

Grace means that we are not alone, we are always accompanied.

Singapore Zoo: May 31st, 2012

I love you Rishi and miss you.

With lots of love, hugs and kisses..

Love,

Daddy

If

My Dear Rishi,

It was fun to be with you for few days. For the past one year I have shared with you various short stories and some personal reflections.  Over they next few months I will be sharing with you various poems and writings which have influenced and shaped my life. I hope someday these poems and writings  will inspire, instruct and transform you.

Rishi, poetry is the language of soul. When I turned 18 my dad gave me a poem by Rudyard Kipling called If. This poem I have read and read many times over the years and always find inspiration.

IF

By Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,

Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,

And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;

If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,

And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

Rishi, hope you find inspiration just the way I do whenever I  read this poem. I love you and miss
you.

With lots of Love, hugs and kisses,

Daddy

Never, Never Give Up

My Dear Rishi,


It has been a year since I started on this journey of blogging for you. This journey has helped me to meet interesting people who have shared some of their stories and also received lot of encouragement. Hope some day you get to read this blog.


Yesterday, I was talking to my mother and she shared a very interesting story about being persistent in life.

Never, Never Give Up

Two frogs were jumping and  playing in a backyard where an old lady was churning buttermilk to make butter in a big vat. The old lady forgot to cover the vat and went into her house. The two frogs accidentally fell into the vat full of buttermilk. The were full of energy and thought they could easily jump out of the vat or at least stay float till the old lady returns and throws away the vat of buttermilk because frogs fell in them. However, the lady forgot about the buttermilk and got busy with other chores inside the house. The frogs were swimming and as well as trying frantically getting out of the vat. They both were growing very tired and were not able to jump out of the vat. One of the frog's started panicking and began giving up. He told his friend that he had no strength and could not swim any longer. His friend encouraged him not to give up and tried to reason with him to keep on swimming. If they both kept on swimming the mere action of swimming in the buttermilk  would help in creating butter and they both could jump on the butter and jump out the vat. However, other frog could not sustain and gave up . He stopped swimming and finally drowned in the buttermilk. The frog which was left alone now was determined to get out of the vat, he kept on swimming, finally the buttermilk turned into butter and he jumped out of the vat and went away.

Rishi, in life we also go through difficult or very tough situations. We cannot give up, we should try our best and give it our best shot so that we can come out of such tough situations. One needs to have faith and confidence in oneself. Persevere and overcome our challenges and difficulties so that we can learn and grow.

I love you Rishi very much and miss you love. Hope we can spend some time together.

With lots of love, hugs and kisses.

Daddy

Importance of Healing Process

My Dear Rishi,


We could not speak for more than thirty minutes as I had to get ready for dad's passing away ceremonies at home. This past week has been both difficult at times especially missing dad's presence and also being the part of the ceremonies has been very healing.

Today's story is about the, "Importance of Healing Process"

A long time ago in one of the princely states in India, a young  prince was out hunting when he was shot in the heart by an arrow soaked in poison. The arrow appeared to come out of nowhere. Physicians arrived immediately, but before they could begin to administer their medicines, the prince ordered, "First, tell me what the poison is on this arrow."

After the poison was identified, the physicians were about to begin their treatment when the prince ordered. "First, tell me what type of material this arrow is made of" After he was told, he than demanded to know who might have made the arrow. All the while, the poison on the arrow tip was spreading through the prince's body.

The prince began to weaken, but so enraged  that he was he at being shot that he said to his doctors, " Before you begin, I must know first who shot me. You must bring him to me so that I can ask him who he was sent by."  The prince than requested that his spiritual advisor be called, "I need to know why this has happened" he demanded. Eventually, the prince died with the arrow in his heart.

Rishi, some times when we are very hurt either physically or emotionally, it is really imperative for us to undergo the healing first than try to understand why we got hurt or wounded. When we don't give chance to healing and are impatient we end up like the prince.In the past two and a half weeks this story really hit close to home. During the past week we offered prayers for dad's departed soul by coming together as a family and friends. This offering of prayers is part of the healing process for us the living.

Rishi with his Grandpa and cousin

Rishi, from the time we are born  till we die, we are one day closer to death.  The journey between birth and death is what we call life. We all are born with a clean canvas we have a choice what we can draw in our canvas of life, whatever we choose in life will determine if we have a masterpiece or garbage. Rishi, your grandfather left a beautiful masterpiece  wherein his family and friends come together to celebrate his masterpiece i.e. his life and admire the man he was. He will always live in our hearts. I will miss my dad's physical presence but will he will always live in my memories and in my heart.

Recognizing God's Help

My Dear Rishi,


I enjoyed talking to you this weekend. . You were really excited about the movies like Incredible Hulk, Spiderman, Ironman. and Batman. We also talked about Avengers movie.

This week has been rather difficult, this shall to pass love.

Today's story is called,

"Recognizing Gods Help"

There once was a man  who was trapped on the roof of his house while dangerous flood waters were rising up all around him. Clinging to the chimney, he feared for his life. Never before had he felt such a desire to live. He called for help,"Dear God, I want to live. Please help!".

        Instantly God replied, "I will help you, my Son."

Shortly thereafter, a neighbor came by in a canoe: "Hop in old boy!" cried the neighbor.

 "Thanks anyway, but God is on His way", cried the man.

Time passed, and the flood waters still continued to rise. A complete stranger passed by in a motorboat, and this good Samaritan offered the man a lift.

  "Thanks anyway, but God is on His way!" cried the man.

Soon the man was standing on top of his chimney, the waters still rising. Out of nowhere, a helicopter arrived with a rope.

  "Thanks anyway, but God is on His way!" cried the man.

 The man eventually drowned. Before entering Heaven he angrily confronted God, " Why didn't you help me?" he cried. " I would have thought that You of all people would have kept Your word!"

  "Well, I tried," said God, "I came in a canoe, a motorboat, and a helicopter, but each time you turned me away."
 
Rishi, we humans are so caught up with ourselves and our ego,  we don't  recognize God. We want to be in control of everything, including our own end. Just as in the above story we refuse help when god sends help because we make up our mind how we should be helped, or healed or rescued. If it does not fit or conform to our way of  thinking we refuse help just as in the story. The willingness  to accept help or healing requires to let go of our ego and traps like "it should be" or "must" or" ought to"which is a language of controlling thoughts. When you act from a  place of your ego, you are Edging God Out and you are trying to control life from your perspective. Control  often is  motivated by fear, fear prevents us from willingness and as well as acceptance. Based on my personal experience I can guarantee you that the the true healing begins when you let go of control, not when you keep control.


Let go of control so that you can recognize when God is helping you love.


With lots of love, hugs and kisses.


Daddy

The Hummingbird or The Vulture

My Dear Rishi,

It was nice to talk to you love on Saturday morning.

I love you very much Rishi and I totally understand where it is coming from.

On May 5th it was super moon, i..e  the moon was closest to earth and I took some pictures at Ashbridges Bay. Here are couple of pictures.

 

Today's story is called  "The Hummingbird  or  the Vulture"

Both the hummingbird and the vulture fly over deserts. All vultures see is rotting meat, because that is what they look for. They thrive on that diet. But hummingbirds ignore the smelly flesh of dead animals. Instead, they look for the colorful blossoms of desert plants. The vultures live on what was. They live on the past. They fill themselves with what is dead and gone. But hummingbirds live on what is. They seek new life. They fill themselves with freshness and life. Each bird finds what it is looking for. We all do.

Vulture types look back on their mistakes. They look back on missed opportunities. Vultures live in the “would-a, should-a, could-a” mentality. They hold grudges to others mistakes and do not apply the “forgive and forget” attitude. These thoughts will absolutely squash your business momentum – actually, you won’t have any momentum in a vulture! You will sit and wonder why your business is not growing – but you have been feeding on “vulture food” so is it any wonder?

However, the hummingbird is always looking for an opportunity – the bright new flower. Each day is a new day to start over and seek life – build  new bridges, share your story with a new person, introduce a new thought or idea. . If you approach each day as a hummingbird you will see a growth and abundance in your life.

Rishi, we all have a choice either we can choose to be the hummingbird or the vulture.in this lies our freedom.

I love you Rishi very much and miss you.

With lots of love, hugs and kisses,

Daddy