Seven Things I’m Grateful for This June: #GratitudeCircle

June spells a lot of excitement for us, every year. Both the girls are June babies, so it’s celebrations galore. Summer vacations also add up to the fun and the “not doing much” mode. It’s usually travel time, but this month our travel plans had to be put on hold, as the DH was neck-deep in work. 

So here are the Seven Things I am Grateful For This June:

1. Reading: I’ve finally managed to break my technology dependence and return back to my passion for reading. I read mostly in the afternoons and nights, sometimes while sipping my morning cuppa, as well. And I’m so glad to be reading  two very wonderful books, Elizabeth Gilbert’s, Big Magic and Liane Moriaty’s Big Little Lies.

 

2. Birthdays: The girls turned ten and twenty. Wooooahhhh!!! What really happened? I wonder!

Both brought in their milestone birthdays with lot of fanfare. The ten-year old has a ritual of celebrating her birthday with grandparents, as her friends are mostly away on vacation. (We sill end up having a mini party once her friends are back though) We had my father, in-laws and SIL over and we all hopped across to a nearby resturant for her birthday lunch, but not without opening the gifts galore.

She had been dreaming of getting a tortoise, though the DH was dead against it. Eventually that idea fell through and she settled for some Mollies and Neon Tetras, in a fish bowl, thanks to Dadi-Baba. The Mollies are live birth givers and lo! behold; they gave birth to twenty fries as well, out of which eight remain now. From being a parent of a ten and twenty year old, now I’m a grandparent to eight Molly fries. The follies of the forties!

The twenty year old, spent most of her birthday with her friends (“I’m twenty you see”). I’m the one *rolling her eyes* this time on. Though we did go out for our favourite Japanese meal to Town Hall, and that was fun. The DH squeezed in time amidst his hectic schedule and yes, we even managed a pre- birthday breakfast at DiGhent. The eating out has to stop in July now!

 

 

3. Helping Hands: After having some decent help at home for many years, suddenly the month of May saw a mass exodus. I was left to manage all chores on my own, for almost a month, till by God’s grace, I did find a live-in help, but only towards the end of June and a cleaning woman also. Thank god for small mercies; my sweet natured cook stood by me like always, in rain or shine.

 

4. Trip to Hometown, the Land of Nawabs: In all the madness of not having a help at hand, one fine morning I booked my tickets and just left for my hometown. Thanks to my ever-supportive DH, I managed to squeeze in five-days, to go visit my father.

I had not visited Lucknow since Ma crossed over in February. I was not too sure how it would feel to go to a home bereft of her. But the uncanny thing is, we felt her benign presence all the time. Her picture literally smiled back at us, every time Babi (my father) and I returned from a jaunt to the town. Babi and I went and watched two movies back to back, ate out and spent quality time together. I even rustled up some of Ma’s special Bengali delicacies and in all probability her magic hands worked through mine; the dishes just turned out like hers. 

I also got to catch up with my dear nephews, SILs and brother too. That was an evening of loads of fun and banter. So very grateful for these precious memories. 

 

5. College Admission: The twenty-year old had taken a break last year, after a difficult stint in a prestigious college. But by the grace of almighty, she got admission is Gargi college, in Philosophy Honours (Delhi University). Hopefully this will be the start of a brand new chapter and new beginnings alike for her. We as parents, personally  feel the well-being of a child comes first, before any degree or formal education. Please wish her luck and keep her in your prayers. 

 

6. My Second Book, April Anecdotes:  I’m grateful my second book April Anecdotes, a compilation of twenty- six stories of discovery and joy, was released in the month of May in association with Blogchatter. Blogchatter worked tirelessly with us, engaging with us in various promotion building activities. Though I did slack in a few, as I was busy managing home minus a help at that point of time. I’m truly grateful to Blogchatter for the impetus and the great work done. Thanks Richa, the lady behind the incredible community.

I took three print copies of my book in June, and sent my first copy to my mentor from Soka Gakkai Buddhism, Ikeda Sensei in Japan. I’m very, very grateful and over the moon, as on 30th June I received a reply from him, wherein he thanked me for the gift and sent his best wishes. That was the highlight of my month. Just for your knowledge, Sensei is ninety plus and still arduously writing books and replying to all his disciples who write to him. 

April Anecdotes will be available on Amazon very soon, in July. 

 

7. Write Tribe Festival Of Words June 2018: I’m glad I participated in WTFOW again this year, despite my initial reluctance to do so. I had taken a month-long hiatus from blogging, post the AtoZ Challenge, and WTFOW, a week-long writing challenge, helped me get back to the groove. I maxed out on fun by writing this post:  Rain and It’s After Effects: #WriteBravely

There was a lot to be grateful for in June, and I won’t be surprised if I might have missed out on a few other things here and there. Would like to live in eternal gratitude always, and thanks to Vidya’s Gratitude Circle we get to do just that and more, month after month. Thanks dear Vidya. <3

 

 

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