Gratitude Post-November, 2017

November silently stood J reminding me there is only one month left for the year to end. How quickly 11 months have passed and I seemed to have recovered quite fast too with regular exercise, good nutrition and positive attitude I am glad to have lost weight and move towards a gaining a healthier body.

The Catholics all over the world remember their ancestors and offer prayers for those who have died and its time to remember those who have gone ahead with gratitude.  The memory of my mother who died on 1^st November and buried on the 2^nd… was the first to come to my mind, and then the other members – my grandparents, my elder sister and my son who have been close to me.    I continue to miss my mother and my son Emmanuel but at the same time I am also grateful for all that they were in my life.  2^nd November Being All Souls day we visited our loved ones graveyard, decorated them with flowers, candles and paid homage to them.

Ready to travel to coimbatore for South East Region Pre Convention

I am grateful for the YWCA of Secunderabad for the opportunity I and my daughter got in attending a Pre convention of the South East Region held at Jenny Residency in Coimbatore. It was a great experience-  as a team and interacting with other members brought in learnings and insights. I was also glad to share the panel discussion as to how women from the south east region can address and respond to violence. It was an opportunity to meet the other organizations of the region, interact and appreciate the good work.

The ambience was beautiful, with lovely weather, delicious food and friendly people welcoming and ensuring that we carry with us some very memorable gifts of tea leaves and bright colored printed table cloth which would be used for Christmas. It was two days session addressing issues of violence and relooking at the constitution of the YWCA. There was enough time for us to just go out for two hours and pick up something, and I took a Coimbatore black cotton saree which I had always wanted to and a few small little things for my daughter.

I came back to Hyderabad and heard about a good colleague and friend of mine who passed away leaving 3 young children, all of them in the age group of 17 to 25 years.  It was very sad and I have no words to comfort the family, except that I visited them   along with my daughter (as one of her daughter is my daughter’s classmate) and participated in prayers.  I felt terrible to see the family shattered, a year ago her husband passed away... Every death keep us reminding that we are here for a short while and our lives are temporary in nature, and one day we too must be ready to part with our families. These thoughts motivate me to live every moment and create memories that can last a life time J

There were regular counseling sessions at the campus – and I was glad to be available for the students, and also some referrals came as a request from affiliated colleges. I am thankful for being part of a few sessions in the city, a session on safe spaces for the girls in one of the schools, little bit of motivation for a boys college, wherein YWCA of Secunderabad was initiating another phase of work this year on substance abuse and its impact, one request programme for understanding psychological counseling and its importance to young girls was given to me in a college – I enjoyed speaking to the youth and felt energetic at the end of all these sessions.

This month I could steal some time and watch a movie – with a friend, which just happened one afternoon, without any planning, I feel grateful for these small joys, the movie was fun. It was “Karib Karib Single” a Hindi movie by Tanuja Chandra, that speaks of two different individuals who meet on a dating app and what follows is clash in personality and comedy, drama and both Irfan and Parvathy were excellent living their roles, very different kind of a movie from the usual ones and nothing like watching with a good friend.

This month I thankful for the tree love posts, initiated by Parul, I have begun enjoying clicking the trees and spreading green virtually. Here’s my link:

https://livealifeofgratitude.blogspot.in/2017/11/tree-love-24-dancing-trees.html

I am also thankful to Susan scot and shilpagaarg very inspiring bloggers who make a difference in the blogging by promoting light in darkness and spreading love and peace in the virtual world.

Here’s the link: https://livealifeofgratitude.blogspot.in/2017/11/watwb-saleha-khans-campaigner-for-her.html?

This month I also relooked at my resume and it was such a meaningful experience J I couldn’t believe myself that I had been working for more than two and half decades in the service sector, and I could see the way I have been evolving over a period of time, adding to my qualifications and experiences… I have been enjoying my learnings and integrating them in my work place and wherever I volunteer.

This month due to change in weather conditions, my mother in law was sick; and it was a time for the family to come together and spend more time, offering her support, the doctors were helpful, ready and available and everything that was required to be done for available.

David has been going out of his way to ensure that his mom recovers, hence had taken leave from work to get all the required tests and MRI done; as his mother fears hospitalization. Our family doctor has been kind enough to treat her in a nursing home where he attends to patients. I am thankful for David’s friends who are readily available to help him and stand by whatever needs to be done specially in terms being helpful to his mother. I am also grateful for Neomi who was kind enough to share the wheel chair, so that my mother in law can move around a bit and connect with those around.

Our parish community celebrated the feast of St Cecilia and it was our pleasure to organize the first day novena mass in our local church, David took the lead to bring all the members of his group together and delegated responsibilities ensuring that we have a meaningful celebration, last Sunday was the special mass, with small children receiving the first holy communion; we attended two of the functions in our area and it was good to meet relatives and friends for these gathering and connect with them. I am grateful for all these celebrations that make us come alive and give us opportunities to meet, interact and have some fun.

I am glad to meet one of my mom’s old friend who came to our church for her granddaughter’s first holy communion, she visited our family with her husband and spent little time with us, just chatting endlessly reminding me of my mother, and all that they were to each other, I felt happy listening to her – wherein she recalled all the conversations she had with my mother; it was like my mom coming home.  She spoke with much love and affection about my mother, she laughed, cried and appreciated my mother for her warmth and hospitality.

I am grateful for one of David’s friend who helped me renew my driving license, for my two wheeler. I have forgotten to renew and thank God I realized it as I was going through my files putting things in order, suddenly I noticed and found that I am already delayed in renewal. I appreciate him for taking the trouble to fill up the online form and also showing me the process, ensuring that I complete, within a couple of weeks I would get back my renewed license.

Dorothy is busy with her schedule in college and I am thankful to God for her commitment to study on her own; and also open for learning, glad she accompanied me for the YWCA Pre convention and also met and interacted the youth members of the other regions.

I am grateful for this month, for so many things happening; along with constant dose of inspirations, loving family and friends, and motivating to be better, humane and trying my best to live every moment, laugh everyday and love beyond words- cherishing every gift that comes freely – breath of life ,trustworthy relationships, inspiring bloggers and generous service providers, nutritious meals, and a peaceful sleep J

“At the end of the month I AM THANKFUL for my BLESSINGS ARE BIGGER than my problems”

How was your November?? Sending you vibrations of love, peace and harmony :)

Be Blessed & Be Happy!!