The curtains are drawing close to 2016.

It has been a year of profound learnings, huge upheavals, surprises that were wonderful and not so wonderful, new beginnings, new journeys; all foisted together into a bunch memories. I’m carrying forward all those things that made me stronger, better and left me with a positive after taste. Rest I’m burying , far away from the deep recesses of my mind. Though I won’t forget to take along the precious life’s lessons that came with the turbulence. 2016 has been a medley of the bitter and sweet, the sour and the pungent. Yet, it’s been rewarding like any other year. For most of us it’s been a challenging year and we can’t wait for it to get over. The first nine months left me shaken but not stirred. The last three months have been thankfully good to me, or maybe I have chosen to turn the difficult debacles around and handle them positively. So I’m glad to sign off on a positive note.

The year started on a sombre note, with some jangling here and some jingling there. My older angel brat attended her school passing out ceremony which was a proud moment, celebrated with much fervour. She looked not just pretty, but stylish and super and then before we knew it “the boards” arrived and she had managed to score well. So much so that she got admission in one of the well know, prestigious universities. It was cause for much celebration. But  some of us in the family fought a battle with sickness, yet worked our way to emerge like the phoenix from the ashes. Alongside came a painful fallout too. But I endured all of this, sometimes faltering and sometimes bouncing back with determined spirit, to never give up, whatsoever. What took me through was the tenacious support of my family, a soul friend who stood rock solid and not to forget my Buddhist practise and comrades in faith.

In 2016 we lost some of the worlds most precious icons like David Bowie, Carrie Fisher, George Michael, Muhammad Ali, Alan Rickman, Glenn Frey, Harper Lee, Nancy Reagan, Leonard Cohen, Prince, Fidel Castro, E.R. Braithwaite, Debbie Reynolds; to name just a few. I was pretty much heartbroken when I heard about George Michael. Well, he was my teenage heart-throb, just the way he had been to so many others when we were growing up. Though I had stopped following his music for a while now, it left me and I’m sure many others with that empty feeling.

My birthday this year was really amazing, a surprise getaway, tucked in the wilderness of Gurugram. I felt pampered and joyous. We undertook some fascinating holidays too in 2016, which will stay etched in our minds forever. One to Kerela and the other in Karnataka with a drive down to Goa. Also a little getaway to Dalai Lama’s land. And my must-must-do-once-a-year trip to Bombay. I guess they were all instrumental in keeping me afloat too.

Another wonderful experience was taking the Soka Gakkai Buddhism Level 2 exam. I haven’t enjoyed studying so much as I do, when i study the Buddhist texts. Taking an exam had never been so much fun, as it was to take this one. I don’t know if I’ll pass or not, but one thing’s for sure that it imparted me some very valuable life’s lesson, which I am and will be carrying forward.

This year I also learnt that money can’t buy happiness. I was always conflicted by this thought, and I took up work, just so that I could earn those extra bucks. What really counts is doing something that makes one happy. Once this realisation dawned upon me I took to writing for myself, and writing what I enjoyed. Well. it hasn’t earned me moolah or followers but it gives me a sense of great pride to have my website and to write for myself and for people who would love to stop by. I had stopped writing for a long, long time. I felt vulnerable opening up my life to the world. But at some given point of time, I made peace with the fact and started writing. I owe it to a huge set of friends, acquaintances and family who believed in my writing and motivated me to keep writing. And yes, I also started to believing in my writings and myself too. Well. that’s the crux for most things to fall in place right.

I have always valued and loved nurturing my family but this year was a revelation of sorts. Family came first. Yes, there are some friends who will stick by, but family despite the differences will stand by you, come what may. So, I chose to dedicate my life to them, and that brought me so much closer to some very important people in my life. Again my Buddhist practise played a huge role in lending me this wisdom.

So it’s time to bid adieu to 2016, a Year of Debacles, A Year of Precious Life’s Lessons, A Year that Will Never Come Back. Yet a Year of Expansion.

I’m so ready to embrace 2017. A year when I intend to get fitter (oh! they all say so, but what the heck!) and to write a lot more and broaden my creative horizons. Also a year when I will love myself a little more, and a year when I will give more than I receive and read more than I ever have.

Bring it on 2017!