I had planted a bright orange hibiscus some time ago. It thrived under my loving care and kept presenting me with lots of beautiful blooms.. It gave me a lot of joy.. Yesterday I was pained to see its branches all strewn around and broken.. Perhaps it was uprooted.. I ought to have gone and seen if I could maybe replant it, but I had not the heart to even look at it... It hurt... I know it is only a plant. I know I can always plant some more... yet it hurt..

And it set me thinking... aren't we like that plant? God plants us so lovingly, cares for us so tenderly, prunes us, nourishes us, protects us, showers us with his blessings and mercy.. Yet some marauder comes and tries to destroy us.. leaves us broken and bleeding.. and we think.. Why God? Why me? What did I do? Why did you let this happen to me? We hurt so much that it never occurs to us that our suffering is either because of our own mistakes or because of Evil. It is so easy to let go and remain broken.. .. Yet, it is upto us.. to learn the lesson being taught.. to hold on hard and fast with all our might, to believe, to have faith, to grab the steadying ground with our roots and grow back even grow stronger....

We often give up without making an effort, we think, how can my efforts help the suffering and pain in the world? True, a single star cannot dispel darkness for everyone.. but if it gives light to even one soul.. its purpose is fulfilled.... Let us take our light from Our Sun.. Our Father.. and shine on the best we can.. We may never even know the lives we touch and bless..

Climb Every Mountain

Inspiration..

"Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be"
George Sheehan — American physician, author and philosopher of fitness (1918-1993)


"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you
DIDN'T do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
Mark Twain — Famed humorist, writer and lecturer (1835-1910)


"When asked what single event was most helpful in developing the Theory of Relativity, Albert Einstein replied, 'Figuring out how to think about the problem'."
W. Edwards Deming — American consultant, statistician and educator (1900-1993)


"The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes, in seeing the universe with the eyes of another, of hundreds
of others, in seeing the hundreds of universes that each of them sees."
Marcel Proust — French novelist and one of the great literary figures of the 20th century (1871-1922)


"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow'."
Mary Anne Radmacher-Hershey — Contemporary American poet, writer and artist


"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."
Calvin Coolidge — 30th President of the United States (1872-1933)


"When we create something, we always create it first in a thought form. If we are basically positive in attitude, expecting and envisioning pleasure, satisfaction and happiness, we will attract and create people,situations, and events which conform to our positive expectations."
Shakti Gawain — Bestselling author and a pioneer in personal growth and consciousness

A Tom-ly tale...

Tom and Jerry.. one of my favorite cartoon's (dun ask about the others.... the list is way too long :P) OK... So, I love Tom. Tom the rogue.. Tom the poor sweetheart, who, for all his bravado and his crafty ways, is no match for the wily wicked Jerry..... Yes, I do love Tom!

The vicinity around my home used to be the undisputed domain of another Tom.. who looked more like Garfield (oh yeah.. I love that sweetheart too!!) .. However, this particular Tom was Different. He was fat, yes, He was forever scarred and scratched (evidence of his Tom-ly triumph over other poachers who dared to dispute his Monarchy) but he was also always very filthy! Yes, filthy!.. Cats are supposed to be clean, good, stately beings.. but not our Tom.. no way.. He was after all Different.. and let me tell you how Different....


My particular Tom used to be extremely fond of my older daughter and me.. He would visit us almost daily, miaowing outside our door to announce his arrival, and the moment we would step out of the door.. he would arrive like a streak of lightening from no one knew where (for when one seeked Tom, he was never to be found, unless he wished to be found) and he would sit there.. bestowing us with a regal haughty look, while I would give him a sound scolding as to his filthy state. He would listen patiently, and when we moved off.. he stalked off too. My daughter used to put out a saucer of milk for Tom, which he would deign to partake of, if only out of respect of our sentiments, he being used to exotic delicacies I am sure! .. so one day.. Tom disappeared! His regular visits stopped. We started missing him. We got worried. We kept anxiously looking out for him thinking morbid thoughts!

Late one evening just as suddenly he re-appeared miaowing outside our door, till my daughter opened it. He sat and listened quietly to the long lecture my daughter and me subjected him to. Yes, he did. dear reader.. do not laugh... believe.. He did. We asked him where had he disappeared and why was he not to be seen? However, Tom being Tom.. just listened in silence.. or so we thought.

The very next morning..... there was a lot of meowing outside our door.. so we thought that poor Tom must have taken our lecture to heart and come to bestow us with a rare early morning visit.. we opened the door.. and there outside.. was Tom, standing like a big Regal Monarch.. and.. beside him... a cute little cat!!!!!!!! We almost fainted before presenting a big bowl of milk to our visitors... . Tom proceeded to have a little and meowed something to his sweetheart.. who then polished off the bowl.. ( all the while we were oohing and aaahing and remarking on Tom and his girl, and shaking our heads over Tom) After they were done, they still hung about outside for a while meowing in unison.. before both of them disappeared never to be seen again...

Yet, sometimes, we do hear Tom singing his heart out at night.. before someone puts an end to his solo symphony....