Living A Life Of Gratitude: Gratitude for September 2019

September has always been a special month for me – one of the reasons is the birthday of my daughter Maria Dorothy and also a day where I became a mom for the first time in my life… it’s a great feeling to hold a baby in your hands and watch it grow and gradually allow the child to establish her own identity. It was the 18^th birthday and there are so many things I want to be grateful for and my joy doubled while I saw my daughter making decision to celebrate her birthday with the less fortunate persons-I and David helped her in whatever ways we can to make her day a memorable one.

Maria Dorothy

The celebrations continued with immediate family members and extended to my friends group where in we celebrated birthday of my friends daughter. This month had a lot of birthdays, my husband’s niece, his friend’s daughter and my nephew’s daughter… We tried to do small little things to each of these 5 girls, all of them Virgo’s to make them feel valued and precious.

There was also World Chocolate Day celebrated at #Ywcaofsecunderabad wherein we had a demonstration of chocolate truffles, chocolate cake, it was also a time for coming together of the members, interacting, learning and having some fun. I am grateful to be associated and feel connected as it brings in some change in the routine too.

This month September 10 is the International Day for Suicide Prevention – The theme for this year is “Working Together To Prevent Suicide “The #YWCAof secunderabad organized a rally on the 17 September at our Community in Adarshnagar, Bolarum with the high school children of the Zilla Parishad High School.

This area is sensitive for youth who are vulnerable - easily ending their lives and hence we felt the need to do something to bring in awareness among the youth, and the best way we could think was to take a rally in that area and sensitize the community that Suicide is Preventable and Depression is Treatable. The children, teachers and volunteers& staff from the #YWCAof Secunderabad enthusiastically walked around the community shouting slogans and holding placards. We had a resource person Dr George Reddy, Psychiatrist Healthy Brain, Mind Care Clinic to talk to the children. I am grateful to be part of this programme and appreciate to have so many people working together for the event.

I happy to have watched two movies this month – Chichore (a Hindi movie) thoroughly entertaining and a must watch for parents; it was opportunity to spend some time with my daughter, laughing together and discussing the movie of what we was meaningful and what was funny, in a way these small little things create lovely moments.

Cluster meeting at Bangalore - South East Region, YWCA

In between Dorothy had severe stomach pain due to outside food near the college, so two days she couldn’t go to college, so we took turns to stay with her and enable her to get well soon. This experience helped us to be careful about buying food from outside. Most of the time Dorothy carries Tiffin to college and very rarely she buys eatables from the bakery and canteen. We are happy that she is fine and all is well with her, and she could recover fast to get back to college- thanks to the doctor for giving personal attention.

Due to change in weather, I too was not feeling okay – headache (which comes rarely) body pains and feverish. I visited our doctor and took antibiotics for a week and back to the routine J grateful for loving people and doctors available to help us out.

Variety is the spice of life:) food has memories too...

This month I am grateful and glad for some special delights for meals – as I have been busy with sessions and outreach work - I enjoyed variety of Dosa - millet dosa in a restaurant closer to my work place, Masala Dosa for Dorothy's birthday, Plain dosa at Bangalore, at another time I enjoyed the Paneer French Sandwich and Sambaar rice which was yummy appealing to my taste buds.

I clicked a lot of pictures at Cubbon Park while I was in Bangalore end of August and walked around admiring trees till Vidhana Sabha and came back in an auto hungry for a dosa and coffee.

This month I connected with my colleagues from my previous work place, meeting after almost two decades and catching up with everything that has happened in so many years is indeed an experience by itself, at the end of the day I am grateful for all these connection which gives a pleasant feeling.

The September month there is still so many things to be thankful for all the opportunities I got not only to continue with my regular counseling – but also a chance to prepare and plan lessons on Psychopathology to the jail inmates who studying. The session I took on Prevention of sexual harassment at work place in one of the schools through the #YWCAofsecunderabad for the teachers, the translation work for one of my friends who needed help for translation of focus group discussions and in-depth interviews of key persons in her project area. The persons who keep inspiring me regularly through their videos and newsletters, and those friends who inspire me on line and off line… a big thanks.

I am grateful for all those people who keep reaching out to me in small ways, all the service providers who make our lives so easy by their constant support. The regular idli batter I keep getting from my sister in law, which saves me from time and energy for ready breakfast. The snacks and curries that come from well wishers, David’s friends, neighbors cannot be taken for granted. At the end of the month, I can only say “THANK YOU O GOD” for your unending love and mercies which are new every morning.

I posted for Thursday s Tree Love on second and fourth Thursday facilitated by Parul, from my collection of pictures I clicked in Mumbai and Bangalore.