I look out my window
Towards that make-shift gate,
I have been waiting,
For long and it’s about time.
It’s just me, the gate,
And the mounting expectation.
The only person I waited for,
Ever so patiently, was you.
I knew that the day would end
When you stood at that gate,
looked expectantly into the window,
And I would run out to greet you.
My anklets tinkling,
My skirt swirling.
You’d scoop me up into your arms
And peck me on my cheek.
I’ll hug you and take what’s in your hand
And welcome you home.
I would tell you about my day,
You would tell me about yours,
We’d eat food together,
You’d put me to sleep,
And our tiny world,
would be perfect.
But now, I do the talking all the time,
Wondering if you ever hear me.
The flame on the tiny lamp
Atop the grave sashaying
To every word I say,
Reflecting every smile, every tear I shed.
And when the silence begins to
Grow too loud in my head,
I run to my window, wait there
And do my once favorite hobby.
I stare at the gate until you appear,
And open it; head bent and heavy with sorrow.
You don’t look at the window anymore.
You don’t look for me.
You can’t bear to see it empty anymore.
And I’m done trying to tell you
I’m always there,
Looking out the window.
I strained my neck to read those words he had etched behind my shoulders. It read-
The two hickeys
that I have left on you
Will fade with time.
But the memories
Of how we made them
Will ever be remembered.
As I traced my fingers on those hickeys,
I remembered how those kisses began.
The first drop that fell,
The one that followed,
Slow drizzles
A kiss here,
One there,
And before I knew,
The downpour
was transforming
Into a storm
That would destroy me
forever.
As it dawned,
I saw the remnants
Of the storm.
The dripping greens
The drenched browns
And two blooms
Where there had been none.
Two hickeys
Where there had been none
Can we freeze this moment?
Right here.
You and me, the rains drenching us,
Hiding from prying eyes.
A heartbeat away from each other.
Every time I look at you,
I lose sight of everything else.
Around you, around me,
the past, the future
The reasons, the purposes.
All I can see is you,
Oh so beautiful! that
Beauty gapes at you in awe.
And my heart aches
For it knows not,
How long we have together.
There is an urgency
Every moment I am with you.
An urgency to compress
A hundred million years,
Into that moment, for that’s how long
I want to be with you.
Until the end of time
And beyond.
Don’t look away!
Don’t move
For the time is short.
And in that limited time I have,
I want to spend every split second,
Memorizing your face,
Memorizing how it feels,
When we embrace.
I want to hold you,
Cling on to my dear life, that’s you
For when I no longer have you,
I will need the shadows of this memory
To live through the rest of my life.
As colorless as it would be,
Your memories will be all
that could make my life a shade better.
Shh… Don’t say anything.
They are coming for us.
The moment isn’t far
When they’ll wrench you away from me.
Until then let’s kiss away our pains,
Every kiss seemingly being
The last one.
A split second later,
You vanish
Without a sound,
Just your eyes
screaming at mine.
You vanish
Without a struggle,
As an unfinished kiss
Dies on our lips.
I am participating in #MyFriendAlexa with Blogchatter
We had weaved dreams after dreams. We had pinned our hopes to the next closest milestone. And the milestone kept going farther away. Now you are married. Married and gone so far away that we have quit making plans. And yet, a flicker of hope escapes me and manifests in the form of a wish. Bangalore. Goa. Pondicherry.
Cousins are supposed to be your first best friends. But things never were in favour of our bonding and the lack of it caused enough damage in our relationship. In spite of all that, there was this underlying connection between us that kept holding us together.
Remember when you used to come home? You never wanted to leave and I never wanted you two to go. I would cry after you left. It was a consistent ritual. Every time you left, I would sit in a corner and cry.
We used to plan vacations after vacations. But nothing manifested. We thought things would change when we grew up. They did. We were further apart. So much so that you seemed almost unreachable to me. Things have been said and done, and forgotten. But that yearning to be together always remained.
And then you got married, and vanished. For about a year, I thought I had lost you completely. Yet here we are, trying to mend the gaps and tend to the cracks. Here we are learning to dream again. You trying to reach out, me trying to pull you out.
Let me dare make a wish again. Let us rewrite our childhood. Let us escape for a weekend. Just the few of us. Let us go back to that childhood we dreamt of having together. For old time’s sake. To prove to ourselves that some things can be achieved no matter how late they are.
This wish is all I have for you, for now, on your Birthday. Next time we meet, we will celebrate both our 30th Birthdays together. 🙂 Until then,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY REMYA
Note: This letter is dedicated to all the cousins who loved each other’s company and gradually lost track of each other with time. If you are one among them, maybe, just maybe you could talk to them, renew the spark and get things going, once again.
I am taking my blog to the next level with #MyFriendAlexa by Blogchatter
Remember that time when you made a mistake, your parents told you that you were wrong, maybe a bit too harshly but then again, poured honey on your wounds, kissed the pain away and then completely forgot about the mistake?
That is what they are supposed to do. Because you were just a child and children need guidance. You were new to childhood and that meant making mistakes.
Would you have done the same as easily, if they had made a mistake?
Maybe. Maybe not!
But why?
Because they are parents. Grown ups! They are responsible for another human.
But aren’t they new to parenting?
A couple of weeks back, my mother told me something along the lines of, ‘Maybe the decisions I took for you were wrong.’
That got me thinking. Maybe she was wrong, maybe not. But I couldn’t blame her if they were. She was only being a mother and doing what she thought was the best for me at the time. How many times have we thought that our decisions were perfect when we made them only to realize that they weren’t? Every parent has his/her child’s best interests at heart. They wouldn’t do anything to sabotage their child’s life. That being said, they aren’t geniuses at parenting. They are new to parenting as much as children are new to being children. Then why is there an unfair expectation and pressure for parents?
I am referring to those situations where they did make an error of judgement, we did tell them a bit too harshly that they were wrong and instead of pouring honey on the wounds, kissing the pain away and forgetting it, people kept pricking the wounds reminding them of the mistakes they made.
2
I am referring to the society’s unfair expectations from parents. Our unfair expectations from them where they are expected to be perfect, where they are under pressure to be THE role models who just cannot afford to make mistakes and if they do, they aren’t allowed to forget those mistakes for a long long time.
I am referring only and only to those decisions that they made out of love rather than out of any other social elements.
And we aren’t even aware of this pressure because it is normal. We expect them to have the answers and to do the right thing. We have been forcing them into a cape and a Super-hero suit while they have been struggling to fit into the role for which they have never gotten any training. But guess what? It is high time that we the children of all ages realize that parents are humans just like us. If they have the superpowers we thought they had, many of the them wouldn’t watch helplessly as their children struggle in pain. I remember the look in my mother’s eyes as I was struggling with an unnatural stomach pain and she had done everything she could to reduce it, but yet I was suffering.
We think they are Super-humans and so their minor mistakes seem huge to us. But instead, we need to realize that they are mere mortals, and then look at the magnificence of the things they did for us. The things we thought they did because they were Supermoms and Superdads, they did them being simple humans. THAT takes them to a whole new level.
So from now on, maybe we should go easy on them.
To all the parents,
It is okay.
We love you.
To all the Mothers, and the Fathers handling the maternal role,
It was my Birthday yesterday. A very important one as I am stepping into the last bit of my twenties. Before I get into the details, do you know that I am a cusp, and that too of contradictory zodiac signs? Yeah! If interested, just google Leo-Virgo cusp and you’ll see. I need a Nobel Prize for handling myself! 😛
So I have these mixed emotions coursing through me. I am excited to know how the next decade will be, but also, dreading it. The fact that I couldn’t accomplish the things I thought I would by the time I was 30, kind of puts me down. I do have one more year though. I am super relieved that I finally cleared CA, an ordeal in itself.
Be that as it may, either the life lessons have increased recently or I have begun to observe life more. There are a few things that the last few months, weeks and days including this day taught me. Let me share them here:
If you have faith in The Power, your faith along with your efforts will give you what you need. Sometimes, ever so miraculously. (The way I cleared CA)
Sometimes, our desires aren’t fulfilled. Not attaining our desires will encourage us to explore new paths and discover other potentials (I became a freelance writer and an entrepreneur as my CA course delayed).
There will always be two kinds of well wishers in our lives – the ones that ask us to stay put/hang on until we die and the ones that ask us to quit/try something else. Either could be right. But Listen to your body, mind, heart and soul. (I was asked to quit CA as much as I was asked to keep writing. They were well-wishers, but they weren’t me.)
It is difficult to take the path less trodden, but you will be one among the few who experiences life in a different light (Let’s just say, being 29 and unmarried is difficult, but interesting).
Even if you feel worthless, get up and get some work done. If you just lay there, you will in fact be unproductive and worthless. (A reminder to myself to face those goddamn interviews.)
Always have a hobby. If you don’t have one, start doing random things and find an activity you enjoy. It helps you clear your head, enjoy your own company and appreciate yourself better.
Your Birthday is the right time to take stock of people in your lives. More often than not, you will see the difference in your well-wishers. (Between a Birthday filled with Chocolates & gifts and another with none of those, a close friend decided to leave.)
Now on a lighter, yet important Birthday note:
HBD sounds like an official acronym sent by a boss who is too busy to sit down and talk to you, and treats you like a vending machine that dispenses work. If you want to send a Birthday wish to someone, take the time to type the words fully or simply don’t wish. That would be much better. Honestly 🙂
Friends to whom I haven’t spoken in years, called me. That was heart warming. I haven’t spoken to them in such a long time and yet they decided to take out their phone, dial my number and wish me. I have never done that! I should. I will, from now on. 🙂
I learnt today that I could use the FB Birthday reminders to bond with people. I could give a personal touch to my wishes so that they smile seeing them.
I barely wish people seeing FB reminders because I remember the birthdays of the important people in my life. Besides, I always thought that FB wishes were impersonal and mechanical. But some wishes today genuinely made me happy. Most of them were simple Birthday wishes, but in complete sentences. They struck a chord because the well wishers had taken the time to type out those words and make them more personal.There were some others that made my day. Here are two of them:Though one-sentence-wishes, the personal touch in them is unmistakable. I will, from today, make a difference in the few Birthday wishes I send out.
As for today, I feel good having spoken to a lot of old friends, and having met up with a couple of them from my innermost circle. It feels good to be remembered and to be loved. It inspires me to appreciate and love people better. 🙂
This is the 6th post of the series of posts I wrote on Self Development. I have started with simple and easy steps for Self Development in my first post and proceeded with various facets of it in the next few posts. If you intend to start working on it, I request you to begin with the 1st post.
Do you love yourself? To this question, most of the people would say yes but some would secretly ask themselves again, do I? I did not love myself at one point of time. It was evident in my behavior and looks. But I overcame that with much difficulty and now if you know me, you will know that I am very confident about myself and I absolutely adore me :D. I had to include this post for those who couldn’t overcome the self doubt.
1. Acknowledge your ‘flaws’
All of us have our ‘flaws’. I am talking about the insecurities here – too thin, too fat, too dark, too pale, too short, too tall, too shy, stammers, not very sociable and so on. Firstly, these aren’t flaws. You are merely different from the others and they consider anything different from themselves, a flaw. You need to realize it with conviction. For that, you need to acknowledge and embrace these flaws.
Me? I am dark complexioned. I used to spend years crying over it when my relatives and friends pointed it out. I hadn’t accepted the fact that I am dusky. I overcame it after lots of struggles and now when someone asks me to do something about my color, I tell them I like it. The truth is, I am dusky and I don’t want to change anything about me.
My Favorite Quote
2. ‘Reasons I Love Myself’ List
Erm… yes I do have a thing with lists :P.
You are lovable. There is some feature of yours that you like. You just have to find it. Looks aren’t everything. But in order to survive on this Earth, you need to love yourself. You are your companion and if you don’t like your own company, life will be difficult till the end. Write down 3 things you love about yourself with reasons. Without the reasons you won’t convince yourself. Try adding a new reason every few days. Every day for 30 days and beyond if possible.
3. Find Your Confident Look
Are looks important? Yes and No. During some days, when you get ready to leave your house, you feel you look wonderful. While on other days, you don’t seem up to the mark. Different types of clothes & hairstyles affect your mood and confidence. Observe the connection between your mood and your clothes/dressing style. In a month’s time, you will be able to tell which clothes make you anxious, comfortable or confident. Find the dress that makes you feel like you rule the world. Buy more of similar stuff and soon this newfound confidence will permanently make you feel good about yourself.
4. Experiment on yourself
One body, one life, so little time. Would you rather be the same or would you try out new things to explore your limits? Try new food, new clothes, new styles, new things, a cocky outfit, people’s reaction and how you feel about it.
Due to my complexion complex, I used to wear clothes that made me close to invisible. Thanks to a bunch of good friends, I started feeling better about myself and began to wear things I liked. It was experimental for me since I had never worn them. I was greeted with mockery and I persisted. The thing with mockery is that it stops being funny after the third time ;). Now I am known for the new styles I embrace and my friends love that about me.
I love myself more now since I wear what I want. If I hadn’t experimented, I’d still have been trying to be invisible.
5. Exercising Self Love
This is an activity I came across through the site 30 Days of Self-Love. Nothing too difficult. Every day, you need to make a video saying I Love you to yourself. Practice this for 30 days. This practice came about after watching Dr. Masaru Emoto’s rice experiment. To know more, watch this video:
6. Go easy on yourself
If you had complexes, you were hard on yourself. It wasn’t your fault. You just need to work on it like I mentioned above. If you made mistakes in the past, realized and repented, it is over. You are not the same person now. Why should the new you worry over something the old you did? Go easy on yourself. Let it go. Embrace the lesson and your renewed self. Stop blaming or torturing yourself with your past.
7. Pamper Yourself – Once in a week, pamper yourself. Treat your body and mind. Get a spa, binge watch a series or a movie you wanted to watch, go on a trip, eat what you crave for. No one knows you better than yourself. Save for something you have wanted for a long time and buy it.
My friend bought a polaroid camera because she had been yearning to own one for years. Her relatives and friends accused her of wasting money. I thought it was okay. She is not the type to buy unnecessary things every other day. She was earning and she decided to own something she had always wanted. If you can’t own what you want, then what is the whole point of working and earning money?
You have saved enough. You have put others’ comfort first long enough. Once in a while, buy something for yourself even if it isn’t a necessity. Just know where to draw the line.
That week, a movie had been the reason for his visit. He visited again the next week, this time because he had to buy some new clothes for himself. During a few earlier visits too, she had helped him pick his clothes. It had become their ‘thing’ now. If he wanted to buy new clothes, she would accompany him and help him pick. It went like this,
“Hey! I need to buy a new jacket.”
“Okay. When can you make it?”
“Next Saturday?”
“Sure!”
This was followed by his visit the very next week to enquire something about his exams at the University. So, they met again. His visits were becoming more and more frequent, she noticed.
That day, they had their lunch in a mall and were on their way to the parking lot. They got into a packed elevator. He went in first and stood right behind her. As the elevator closed and began its descent, she could hear him breathe. Hard, fast and loud as though every moment in that elevator was a torture for him. She wondered what was going on in his mind. The next time the elevator opened, she motioned him to follow her.
“What was happening in there?”, she asked him.
“What?”
“You. You were hyperventilating. What was that? I could hear you breathe so loud. I bet everyone in there could.”
She was leading him down the stairway. He hesitated before he answered.
“I – I – You were right in front of me, so close, the scent of you, your hair, it was difficult.”he said, refusing to make eye contact. Somehow, it didn’t come off as a surprise to her.
“I don’t think we should keep meeting so often”, was her reply.
“Why not?”
“It just doesn’t feel right”
She noticed that the staircase was empty and something made her increase her pace down the stairs.
“What is wrong in meeting once in a while?”
She increased her pace further.
“And why are you running? It is as though you fear me!”, he added
She ignored him.
“So where are you going next?” she asked.
“Home. Mom wants to visit my uncle and I should be there by 4 PM to take her there.”
She slowed down as they approached the last floor of the building.
“Ahh! It is already 3.40pm and you have around 35 Kms to your home. I hope people don’t discover that you are ‘The Superman.’”
He smiled. She liked his smile when he enjoyed her witticisms and before she could even bask in the glory of her successful jest, he caught her unguarded and pushed her lightly against the wall of the staircase and planted a kiss on her cheek. As her initial shock wore off, he relaxed his grip on her and she punched him hard. A couple more punches and she ran out into the parking spot, amidst people.
It was all over in a flash and her heart was pounding loud and hard. She feared he could hear the thumping. Or even worse, she feared her heart would just smash through her ribs and fall off. She wondered if she should punch him again, there, in front of all those people. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea. She glared at him furiously as he walked towards her rubbing his arm where she had punched him. He had that ugly smirk on his face.
“Stop smiling! Else, I’ll punch you again!” she said. He tried but just couldn’t stop smiling. If anything, his smile just grew wider. He had always wanted this. So many times had he imagined holding her and kissing her like that and more. But no imagination came even close to how it actually felt kissing her. It was difficult for him not to smile.
Some Inappropriate Things
“Totally worth it! If you had slapped me, even that would have been worth it.” he said, that smirk of sweet victory dancing on his face, yet again. She wanted to wipe that off his face with another punch, right there and break that little proud nose but thought better of it.
I will be the wine that you’ll never taste. She had told him once.
“You will so regret this.” saying so, she stormed out.
I won’t talk to him ever again. Not if he apologizes, not if he begs. That should teach him a lesson. That would teach him not to meddle with his friends like that.
She had made up her mind. She wanted to make him regret his folly. She wanted to make him understand how wrong he was.
The human mind is like the Universe. Vast, unexplored beyond a certain extent, full of possibilities and surprises. We think we have figured things out when a new theory would emerge contradicting the existing ones. We think we know ourselves very well. But there comes a point in our lives when we would end up surprising ourselves.
Something fluttered inside her stomach as she was on her way back. Her heart was still pounding. It is amazing how we almost never notice its presence. But during moments like these, the heart is like a caged, wild animal. She couldn’t get that moment out of her head. The deftness with which he pushed her against the wall and the gentleness with which he kissed her. How could one be so strong and yet so gentle at the same time?
No! I shouldn’t be thinking of it. It was wrong. I should be angry with him. I am. And I would make sure he regrets it.
Yet, her thoughts wandered to him, to that staircase. That wall behind her, his fingers holding her, those soft lips against her cheek, the initial jolt, the moment of the realization, the struggle…
The first thing she did once she reached home was to enquire if he had reached safely. “It felt good meeting you again.” she typed.
No! I was supposed to be angry. Dammit! I am angry!
“Except the last part. I am still angry.” She added and hit the send button. That should do it for now. She closed her eyes, remembered that kiss and smiled to herself.
Why on Earth did some inappropriate things feel so so so good?
Being part of Blogchatter’s Blogbuddy, we are spreading bloglove and so, I take on the baton of Blog Love from Abhinav.
Seven years back, when a friend persuaded me to start a blog, I was skeptical, hesitant and scared for many reasons. When I did, I was sure I wouldn’t write here very often (which is partly true) and soon this will be a forgotten place. Today, all I have to say is that I Love my Blog!
1. For the Freedom to Write Anything – Being a lifestyle blogger, I don’t have to restrict myself. The freedom to publish just about anything, without having to focus on a theme is what keeps me writing. I love my blog for the flexibility it gives me.
2. Timeline of my life –. I started this blog in 2010 and I became really active in 2013. Ever since then, I have stored the little moments in my life here. Twenty years down the lane, I might forget many of those amazing moments but a look at these virtual pages will suffice to remind me of my younger self. This will be my storyland. 🙂
3. For the name ‘A Few Handpicked Things’ – I couldn’t be more proud. I have done so many mistakes in blogging and learnt from them. But I haven’t been more right about its name. This blog is about a few handpicked things in my life. This blog is where I live, what I hear, see, where I go, the people in my life, my desires, my trials and tribulations, happiness; this blog is me in words. I Love myself, so do I love my blog!
4. It helps me grow – Have you seen my lists and bucket lists? Writing down things make you focus more on them. I did not strike off everything from my bucket list 2016. But the ones I did, I struck off only because I wrote them down here. This year, I am bent on striking off more. The reason being, I want to perform better this year. My blog helps me set goals, follow them and helps me grow.
5. Stressbuster – If you have noticed, I blog more during my exam holidays. It helps me de-stress. Writing here during exams helps me clear my head. While studying, I get a truckload of ideas and as long as they are in my head, I can’t focus. This is where I unload them.
6. Makes a Difference – Whenever someone asks me ‘Why this blog?’ I say ‘To absorb the little things in life’. I want to do that so that I can make a difference in someone’s life. When I prepare a bucket list and share, I wish someone would be inspired by it. When I share the story of someone needy, I wish someone somewhere will be inspired to help a needy. When I write about appreciation, I wish someone somewhere will be inspired to appreciate.
Conversation with a friend
I have received a few personal messages that told me how they were inspired to do something because they read it in my blog. My joy knew no bounds. I love my blog for making a difference. 🙂
7. Helps meConnect with People – Being an introvert, I find it very difficult to gel with people, make the first move or connect beyond the peripheral point. To an extent, my blog has helped me connect with people. Through this, I came across blogging communities like Blogadda, IndiBlogger and Blogchatter thereby found some inspiring bloggers and of course, my blog buddies. 🙂
8. For the Sheer Joy of Creating – Creating something is beautiful. I am into creating quilled greetings, jewelries, and bookmarks and sometimes, I put them up on the blog. However, the feeling you get when you get an idea, streamline it, write a blog post, prepare the image, format the entire thing, find the title and hit publish… Goodness! It is inexplicable! Can I call it bloggasm?
My creations in Quilled Greetings
9. For the Gifts & Pocket Money – My blog, with the help of above-mentioned communities, bestows upon me so many gifts, prizes, and pocket money. I participate in contests, sometimes win, sometimes get paid, brands and website owners find my mirror (blog) on the web and offer me writing jobs. These are all flattering and encouraging. They happen only and only because of my blog.
10. For the Home that You can Redecorate Anytime! – The artsy folks did have a smile here, right? The blog reflects my mood. The same way we redecorate our house, try moving the furniture to make it look different, add a bit of this here and that there, we like to revamp our blog. Sometimes, I want it to look girly, peppy or loud, sometimes I want it to look calm, composed and inviting and at times, I like it professional. I can do that! I spend hours searching for themes that suit my requirements. I Love my blog not only for helping me express myself through words but through appearances too!
Finally, it does make me look cool you know? 😉 There are many bloggers out there and I do know where I am. Yet, when I say I have a blog, the expression of the person listening to me gives me some sort of a pride, until he is a blogger too. The moment he says so, I vanish. Poof! 😛
Valentine’s Day is round the corner and glaring at your face. You really don’t have the time to order anything, online, that it would find your love in a day’s time. While A Few Handpicked Things frown upon you for being so late (just kidding, it happens :P), I have decided to help you prepare a much meaningful, last minute DIY Valentine’s Day gift for your love that he/she wouldn’t forget in a long long time. Besides, it will come in handy always. 🙂
You can also gift this to your siblings, friends or parents for their birthdays. I am including the pictures of the one I gifted my sister on her birthday. If you don’t have the time to make anything, you can look into this list for some inexpensive gifts too.
A Mason Jar with Everything Nice
Everything Nice:
Open when notes that they can open during certain circumstances.
‘Reasons why I love you’ chits that they can pick up from once in a while and feel good about themselves
Toffees! We all need them 😀
Fairy lights, glitters and thermocol balls for some bling.
Points to be noted:
You don’t have to be artistic to prepare this.
It takes less than 3 hours.
You don’t have to use everything in the list. You could skip a few for ease.
Things Required:
A Jar (I used a 1150 ml storage jar.)
Good quality color papers.
Toffees (Colorful ones to add to the quirkiness)
Multicolored Thermocol balls
Tiny envelopes (Not mandatory)
Steps to prepare the DIY Valentine’s Day Gift:
1. Prepare a list of reasons why you love him/her. I made a gift like this for my sister on her 18th birthday. It was ’36 reasons why I love you. 18 for the number of years I have known you and 18 for the years you have known me.’ You could choose a number based on his/her age or maybe a definite number such as 50 or 100. Mind you! You should make a list of reasons you love them those many times. 😛
2. Make tiny chits from color papers, write down the reasons on each paper and roll/fold them. Here are a few I wrote:
Reasons Why I Love You
3. Prepare a list of ‘Open When…’ notes. I made 7 of them. It went like this: Open when you are Angry, when you want some appreciation, when you are having a bad day, when you are hungry etc. In this, you could keep chits with things you’d tell them when they were in the respective situation. If this is for someone you love, you will definitely find the right words. It needn’t be lengthy. Something short would do.
Open When Notes
4. Mix them all and fill the jar with these chits, notes, interspersed with toffees and tehrmocol balls. 😀
Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice
5. To add the finishing touch, I made tiny tags on which I wrote about the contents of the jar. You could do that on a chart paper, cover it with cellophane (Cello/Sello) tape for that glossy look.
Tags for the Jar clumsily made 😛
And voila! Our Jar of Joy and Happiness, The DIY Valentine’s Day Gift is ready!
Little joys of life captured in a jar
Some Observations:
I wanted to put rice lights in here too so that I could use it as a decor item. But the 1150 ml jar cannot accomodate more than 36 chits, 7 open when notes and some toffees. Don’t even think of rice lights! Use a bigger jar for more number of chits and rice lights.
Don’t use chart paper or ivory sheet. Use papers from craft books with thin sheets that are easier to roll. You can use white thick papers too. But normal note book papers get spoilt easily. So avoid that.
My sister found this very helpful when she was away from us. It helped her through many low times.
For ‘Open when notes’, I made the envelopes. You can make them, buy them or simply make bigger chits and leave them in the jar so you don’t have to spend time on envelopes.
Most importantly, gift this to people who appreciate handmade gifts, value your time, know how you mean every single word in those chits. In short, gift it to someone who’d treasure every bit of love you throw into it.
The importance of gifts like this is, you actually convey what you feel about the person you love. They can resort to this Happy Jar when they are low. The nice things you write about them will help them feel better about themselves. It is always a solace to know that someone somewhere loves them so much!
Do let me know if you like them and definitely let me know if you make them. Include details of the recipient’s reaction too. I’d love to know! You can comment here, or send a mail to rangelzblog@gmail.com or inbox us on Facebook, Twitter or Insta. 😀
Note: Ginger the dog’s thoughts are given in the bracket.
Liya is on her bed, reading a book when her Dog strolls into the room, “Hey Ginger! Come here come here.”
Ginger is about to settle on his spot, “Woof! Woof!” (I am sleepy! Gonna a take a nap)
Liya picks her up, keeps her on her lap and caresses her, “Awww… you furry, cute little thing! My little baby! After some time I’ll give you some yummy meat balls.”
“Woof! Woof!” (Can I sleep? Meat balls sound yummy but, I really want to sleep, you know?)
“Awww you like the sound of meat balls do you? You want them right now? Already going woof. Mwah” She took Ginger in her hands, held her at her eye level and kept talking, kissing and cuddling her.
(Um… no! I want to sleep. Sleeeep.)
“Here! Let’s play. Fetch the ball, Ginger.”
“Woof! Woof!” (Yayyy! I love this game! She sure knows how to persuade me. Screw sleep! Aaand here I go!)
Ginger brings the ball back. She throws it again and after a dozen throws,
“Ok Ging! Got some work to do. You go and play by yourself or sleep.”
*Whining* (Oh no no! Let’s not stop. We just started the game. Let’s play for some more time!)
She climbs onto the bed and walks around Liya, swishing her tail on her face.
“Woof woof!” (Let’s play some more. Let’s play some more)
In a mimicking voice “Do you want to stay with me? Aww my baby wants to stay with me? Come here.”
1
She lifts her and brings her close. Ginger licks her face. (Yes. Stay and play Fetch. Please please pretty please. Or at least let us go for a walk.) She lovingly nips her finger.
“Ouch! Okay! Okay! You can stay with me. But don’t disturb alright? I have a deadline. Just stay near me. Maybe you can sleep until dinner.”
*More whining* (Oh Man! I’m not feeling sleepy anymore! Thanks for ruining that for me. Humans!)
****After a couple of hours****
“Woof!” (Woman! I am hungry. Do you have plans of at least giving me some food?)
“Stop pulling my dress Ginger. Give me another 10 minutes”
Ginger pulls further. (No way! Only if I start troubling you now, will you give up in an hour!)
She climbs the bed and licks her face and tries distracting her by sitting on her lap.
“Ging! Stop it! If you behave this way, I won’t take you out.”
More licking. (Don’t. Give me food! I am hungry.)
After half a dozen attempts.
“You are a devil Ging! Muah! Come I’ll take you out! My baby!”
“Woof! Woof! Woof!” (What No! No! Woman! No! You should give me food. In! Not out! Oh man! Here comes the leash. Sometimes I really wonder which of us is more sensible.)
*******
“After all those struggles, when things were going great between us, he went behind Neha. Isn’t that really awful?”
*Whine* (You are telling this story the sixth time! Get over him! Can we go inside and have food now?)
“See? You alone understand me. Nobody else does.”
(Ooh a fly) Ginger tries to run behind one and gets pulled back.
“You are the only one who listens to me so patiently. Which is why I love you the most!”
*Pulling and biting at the leash* (But you just said you loved Kiran the most and that he ditched you. Are you even listening to yourself? No? Then listen to me. I’m hungry!)
Suddenly, Ginger stops pulling and stares at the opposite road. (Ooo lala! Pepper is here!)
For those who don’t know, Pepper is her heartthrob from the next door. She loves his base, gruff voice and the way he carries himself with a lot of poise and um… the way he seduces her. 😉
“Woof! Whine!”, she does a little dance of trying to free herself. (Peps! Honey, Look at me! Liya stop! Let us go to Pepper’s house and meet your friend.)
Liya continues oblivious to all Ginger’s struggles, “What would you do if you were me? Would you let a guy trample you like that and do nothing?”
Ginger Nibbles at her hands (I’d try to listen to my dog instead of assuming things. Focus! focus!)
2
“Guess you are hungry listening to all my problems. Let’s go home & get you some food.”
*Bored whining* (If you’d listen to me, I’d like to go and cuddle with sexy Pepper next door. But yeah, whatever you want. Food! I like that too! Meat balls!)
*** 5 Minutes later***
She looks
“Oops! We are out of meat balls. But I have another one of your favorites! Bread and milk! Yaay!!!”
*Smells the food, whines and looks at her* (Tell me again why he went for Neha!?)
Suddenly alert, (Ooh! Another fly!)
(No food first!)
And she eats. By the time she’s done, she will be all over in love with Liya. 🙂
3
Ever wondered what your Dog was trying to tell you? 😛 Try listening 😀
Among all the social media sites around, Facebook is my favorite. It might be because I have been delving deeper into the jungle that FB is through the ages. In my quest, I did find some amazing pages and communities there. While bloggers flock around twitter, I haven’t quite gotten the hang of twitter and I can’t get enough of Facebook. So I decided to compile the best pages that happened to me on Facebook.
If you are a reader, a thinker (overthinker), an introvert or if you are always in awe of mind’s weird ways, you will be able to relate to this list.
The name has it all. They put up quotes and poems. Some of them are on repeat mode, yet you cannot really get annoyed. Because, how much can we remember? Even if we do, we can never have enough of certain quotes, poems. Pablo Neruda, Charles Bukowski are some of the people who have created some amazing stuff that you could read over and over again. The page is about such things. Here is a glimpse of one of their posts.
We need more beautiful minds like these to curate all those quotes and inspiring videos. About themselves, they say the quotes they post are to inspire people to think. They give a spark that could grow into a fire and spread from minds to minds. Here is a video from this page that would stay with me for a while. I urge you, please do watch it. Click the link. Click it!
Their website has articles about thoughts and the mind that makes them. These articles help you know yourself better. They could be written by someone just like you or someone with an elevated mindset, a more experienced soul who could help you walk through your situation. As I had mentioned earlier, a spark is enough to make you think, to change you, to know yourself better. If that is what you are looking for, this is the place.
Here is a glimpse of the article from the page and here is the link
A magazine that expresses ideas and emotions through art, this is one whacky place with whackier concepts. Their storytelling have unique pictures and write-ups that make us think. I have noticed that the artwork most of the times make no sense on their own. But with the write-ups, they just blow our minds away!
Ah again! It is all there in the name. This is a personal blog with write-ups and memes about introverts; some their own, some they found. I had a tough time choosing just one meme/quote to put up here! 😀 I wouldn’t say this was the best. They are all amazing people!
Dealing with the science of spirit, this page comes up with articles on meditation, concepts such as flower child, Indigo child, Rainbow child, whether you or anyone around you are empaths, HSP or narcissists and so on. Like other pages we discussed earlier, this one helps you delve into yourself and understand your own personality.
Ah well! Most of the booklovers know about this. Like Literature (Reading is Sexy), this one discusses authors and their works of art. They share quotes and poems which are soul stirring.
This is one soulful page that shares experiences of people. It discusses Love, not just between couples, but love in every form. It makes us think from others’ viewpoints, it makes us happy that humanity is in fact still very much there. These is a page with stories of real people like you and me! And sometimes about dogs too. Real, supercute dogs 🙂
Letters to him, to her, to yourself, to your body, to someone who ruined you, someone who stuck through the storm and many more. There are umpteen letters there and many of them will strike a chord in you. You will be able to relate to some, you’d feel sorry for some, you might even realise that you were an oppressor unknowingly, at some point. They are open letters. They matter.
Screenshot of the post: A Letter to ‘My Dearest Body’
Facebook is one vast universe of ideas, opinions and thoughts that I know there are many more people and pages waiting to be discovered. This isn’t an exhaustive list. If you could relate to all these pages and if you know more like these, do let me know through the comments. And do share this post if you feel more people need to know about these virtual places of solace.
PS – All the images in this post, have been taken from the respective facebook pages. Had to upload the images since the embed wasn’t working well on wordpress. A Few Handpicked Things do not claim ownership to any of those.
“Ranjini! It is time for food!”, my Ammamma (Grandma) would call out.
I’ll either have lots to write or lots to study. I’ll say okay and continue with my work. She’ll call again after a gap and again 3-4 times, until I go have food. The problem with my studies is that I just can’t abandon it midway and so it takes time for me to have food. Sometimes, even after 12 am and I wouldn’t have had my food.
She would come to my room and softly ask,
“Why haven’t you eaten yet? You’ll have to eat alone. Call me when you do.”
“I’ll eat Ma, I have got some more work to do. You sleep. I don’t need company.”
When I finally go to the kitchen, she’ll hear the sounds in the kitchen and come sit with me. Sometimes, if I persuade her, she goes to sleep. But mostly, she sits with me until I finish eating, ensures that I have my fill and only then does she return to her room. She wouldn’t call me or come to my room after that. Her hunger is satiated once I eat. Her heart is at peace.
Image courtesy: weheartit.com
There was a time when my sister and I used to study overnight for our exams. She had her boards and I had CA exams. One night, it was around 2 am. We were sitting in the dining room, preparing for our exams. Suddenly we heard music from Ammamma’s room. She was humming an old song.
Uthhara Swayamvaram kathakali kanuvan…
She always told me that it was her brother’s favorite song and that he used to sing it very well and so very often. This conversation repeats itself very frequently. And so, every time she listens to, or sings, this song, I know she misses her brother a lot. He passed away around twenty years back and she keeps reminiscing their childhood days.
That night, when I heard her sing, I knew she was missing him. My sister and I decided to go and sit with her for a while. She looked upset as expected. We spoke for some time and soon we were sitting in her room, studying. After a while,
“Do you want coffee?”
“No Ammamma. We chorused.”, we both are coffee lovers. And who wouldn’t want a cup of coffee while working or studying overnight? But we didn’t want to trouble her.
“It’s okay. I’ll make some. It won’t take much time.”
“No. We don’t want it.”
“You have been studying a lot. A cup wouldn’t hurt!”
We again denied it and then,
“If you say yes, I can also have some.”
Now, we were in a fix.
“I’ll make some”, she said and went to the kitchen.
In another fifteen minutes, the three of us were sipping hot black coffee and chatting at an unearthly hour, when half the world was asleep.
Image courtesy: quotesgram.com
A Grandma, two grand-daughters and some black coffee ❤
You can read the stories about Ammamma under the Category ‘Grandma Tales’ which you’ll find on the right side of this page. (Scroll down! Scroll down! ) If you don’t find it, just leave a comment and I’ll get back to you. If you love my ‘Grandma Tales’, again please leave a comment and I’ll be grinning ear to ear and replying!
I am taking my alexa rank to the next level with Blogchatter
Though one-sentence-wishes, the personal touch in them is unmistakable. I will, from today, make a difference in the few Birthday wishes I send out.
) If you don’t find it, just leave a comment and I’ll get back to you. If you love my ‘Grandma Tales’, again please leave a comment and I’ll be grinning ear to ear and replying!
A Few Handpicked Things in Life 