Happy 64th, India!

Happy Independence Day to India and Indians the world over!


If you feel the same way I do as I listen to this - goosebumps and tears in your eyes, every single time - then this is your song, too. It's our song.

It's beautiful and timeless.

The Thought That Counts

Friday saw a deluge of love in the form of peanut butter cream pie for Mikey.

Peanut butter
peanut buttery goodness

I did not know Mikey, nor do I know Jennie very well. But her sudden, devastating loss hit us all hard in that place where it really truly hurts. It brought back painful memories with a rush, of a deep sense of loss. It threw me into reliving the recent family trauma, and my heart longed for my husband who is over 9000 miles away. I cried with gratitude, knowing that he will be home soon. I cried for Jennie and her beautiful daughters. And, for Mikey. It did not matter that I didn't know them.

All Manner of Grateful

Our trip to California had to be cut short rather abruptly due to a family emergency in India. My mother-in-law needed to be hospitalized for an urgent angiography, requiring either an angioplasty or a bypass surgery. We drove the 1200+ miles continuously, breaking only for the night, until we reached home a day later. By then we knew that the situation was rather serious and my husband took the next flight out to Bombay. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse soon after he arrived, and a multiple bypass surgery was performed that very day. But she was in good hands and for that, I am forever grateful.

I am also very grateful to the folks on Twitter who spread the word about our need for blood. A special shoutout to Ankit and The Glam Gang for offering to donate blood to help a complete stranger. Close friends and family held my hand through excruciatingly long days, via Facebook, email and phone.

Yes, there are good people in this world! Thank you all very much!

Another couple of days should see my mother-in-law return to her home after a two week stay in hospital. She's frail but she's tough on the inside and we are all very hopeful that she will draw on that to regain her strength and quality of living.

Our time together, as a family, working and vacationing over the weekends in California became extra-special. The last two weeks had been full of adventure and unending fun.

Pier
Pier