Those good old days of letter writing and greeting cards.

“There is simply nothing as personal as a handwritten note. In a stack of bills and flyers, it's a treasure in a sealed packet, full of promise and potential. It is a lovely reminder of someone far away."

Letter writing is an art, which is long lost in the modern technology of the new times. There used to be days of pen pals, which now social media and email has taken over. The art of choosing the right words and sending greeting cards for all occasions too has gone, taken over by the greetings through mails.  Very few people take pains to write a personal hand written letter or send a greeting for those special occasions.  In today's, modern world that has no value, I guess. Writing is a privilege,  a gift to yourself and others.

The process of writing is special, which is almost a personal journal of a relationship. Part of the beauty of writing, is really finding a beautiful sheet of paper and using materials that heightens the significance.  It’s an experience. The art of letter writing is one, which a person reading it feels that the sender is personally talking through the letter.  There is nothing like a hand written letter or a greeting sent personally. It’s that personal relationship cultivated with a lure of a personal touch, a love for handwritten letters. With the digital age of emails and text messages, the handwritten note that has the personality and the passion, is not valued anymore, though it is the mark of someone’s touch.

I was always one of those peculiar kinds who loved collecting letters, and the stationary that goes with it.  Selecting a greeting card too is an art. Now there is no  clue of all these, it is  just stuck to text, tweeting and twittering. Today you email or text, but not really in touch.  Hand written letters are more expressive than emails or text messages.  Though you are constantly chatting, very little is said and human emotions are substituted with punctuation or emoticons or short forms.

When is the last time you wrote someone a letter? Not an e-mail or a text message but a real handwritten one with paper and pen, mailed in a stamped envelope. One is so addicted to the instant communication that it seems very ancient and remote. An instant messaging is enough, with a lot of abbreviations that is difficult to keep up with. A letter is a personal one, more so because you hardly receive them. They matter a lot because it is something personal in an increasingly disconnected world and one that takes time and effort to write. 


 To put it in a nutshell, the greatest benefit of letter writing is that it is like keeping a daily journal, that makes you slow down to think. You can benefit from slowing down a little, think of someone you care, turn off the computer and write to them. It is like personally talking to the person you are writing to.Letters are intimate, words from one mind or heart to another. Today even e-mail letters are declining, being taken over by  instant texts and messages. 
Hand written letters need time and thought. They need sitting in solitude with your words before sending them out. It is crafted, not just dashed off, it is personal and for an individual, a little work of art. Letters allow us the beautiful ability to collect treasured thoughts and feelings, which is like talking to that individual personally. Even a greeting card takes time to be chosen, reading the words within to suit and a handwritten note in them, adds a personal touch to it. It is a tangible reminder of the life, thoughts and love shared. It holds a concrete space in this ever changing world. 

Sometimes, I do feel like we may be losing touch with how important personal connections are. It's so easy to get caught up in using our smartphones and computers to send messages and e-mails that we forget how lovely it is to receive a genuine letter.Can you reflect on the last time you received a handwritten letter or card from someone. The act of writing a letter engages you altogether differently from typing or using a computer. The combination of thoughts,  feelings, reflection and motor skills  are needed to craft your words into the letter that you are writing.

The finger has taken the place of a pen. I still cherish writing letters and sending beautifully worded greeting cards.

The mountainous trekking of Life.

Life is like a mountain with highs and lows and many a time you have to change course and speed to reach the peak. What is important to remember is that you are headed forward in life's journey. On a mountainous path you may be on a well traveled or less traveled road. Sometimes you reach an unknown territory that may seem difficult. As you climb up in life, just like these mountains, there may be obstacles and challenges, that seem insurmountable, you may stumble and bruise yourself, but just remember though the path is difficult, when you reach the top after having gone through everything the view is breathtaking and beautiful. After all the hairpin bends in your path, it is majestic and worth all the pain.

The mountains of your life are all the obstacles and challenges out there, but you have to reach the peak sustaining all the challenges and enduring all the pains. If you really take time to know, deep within that you need to climb a mountain, then it holds meaning for you. When you climb and get good tidings, peace will flow as sunshine flows into trees, the wind will blow freshness and storms their energy. It is a great challenge, but when you finally reach the top you will realize that it is worth all the pains.

Climb the mountain of life slowly, enjoying the view, facing all obstacles, keeping  the good moments and forgetting the hard climbing through boulders. You go through exciting adventures, all that matters is you take the challenges, move skillfully, with courage and determination. Life's destination is to learn from the journey and walk to the peak. Life's path also like mountains, needs stopping over and looking around, learning and enjoying the present moments. Mountains at the bottom, like all wilderness, challenge you and it is a winding path with all harsh conditions, rocks, lack of oxygen and tired muscles. In the journey you keep putting effort and that gives a big sense of accomplishment. It is a proof that if you can do that, you can also go through anything in life, that is worth your efforts despite the fear and doubts. No one can take away that. When you reflect upon life and its challenges, you are ready to face anything.

There is something about the natural landscapes that instill life and inspiration. You just think of a mountain and it connects to so many aspects of life. The sight of a misty mountain has a magical effect in your heart, mind and soul. A mountain is a strange metaphor for the insignificance of man, and an awesome reminder of nature. It depicts stability, obstacles, strength and courage. Climbing a mountain is a metaphor for overcoming obstacles and challenges life throws at you.  It indicates adventure and can also be seen as a pinnacle of life.

Climbing some peaks of life needs the nerves of steel. Most people love the valley below because they feel it is secure, familiar and comfortable. Very few opt for the mountains due to the challenges it holds and the effort that is needed to climb involving lot of stress, hardships, discomfort and a great deal of courage. Those who  reach the top know that it is worth the effort and that is the secret of life.

If you are faced with a mountain, you have several options. You can climb it, and cross to the other side. You can go around it. You can dig under it. You can fly over it, which is easiest. You can ignore it and pretend it is not there. You can turn around and go back. Or you can stay on it and make it your home, stand there in admiration, breathing in the misty fresh air, and enjoy every bit of it. It is up to you to make it beautiful. Keep close to nature's heart and wash your soul clean.

Mountains of nature and life has always been with me and I love them. They inspire me, and fills me with a tranquil serenity. The majestic mountains silhouetted against  the sky and clouds hovering over the mountains, captivates my heart.

The 'Fly' or 'Die' attitude of Life.

Even the greatest, powerful, and most positive people have their weak moments. A time when you need to push yourself and stretch your wings to soar high. If you never stretch at such a time, you will never fly in life. You can learn a great lesson of life from birds around you. Among birds eagles are symbols of strength, bravery, courage and great independence. Being strong and positive does not mean that you will never get hurt, but it just means that when you do get hurt, you will never give up or let it defeat you. You become stronger than what tried to pull you down.

Freeing yourself from all the clustered doubts and thoughts,  is not very easy, but you have to do it to be who you are; to fight the negativity that tries to seep in. The birds always inspires and  are messengers of life. A nest is a safety zone of comfort, so are favorable conditions of life.  But  if you are always made to face the unknown and fight challenges, then you find that the unknown is an experience that makes you what you are. You never know your strength when you are only in a comfort zone. When you are facing the unknown only you learn to grow and live life fully.

A young bird is often pushed out of the nest to learn the strength of its wings to make it fly. A fledgling-a baby bird that has some feathers, hops around and almost ready to fly, is pushed out of the nest to help them learn how to fly. So are the challenges that come into your lives, they make you realize how strong you are and you need to push yourself, to fly out of all adversities. It is a FLY or DIE situation, if you want to fly you have to fight it out, but if you succumb to it, you die.

When I was working as a teacher , the School  premises was such that created  oneness with nature.   I used to watch with fascination,  birds make their  nest with things available to them, the  eggs,  hatching, feeding by mother birds and when they were old enough, the push of the mother bird, to make them fly. The first time it was pushed, it kept going down and then it flapped its wings, and the mother bird picked it up to the nest, till finally it flapped and flew away. It was an experience and a lesson I learned. Birds always inspired me to ponder on life.

What made me contemplate on all this is, the breathtaking flight of birds in the evening. It was drizzling and I lifted my face towards the sky to feel the raindrops on my face. The sight of a flock of small birds, black with a stripe on their long tail feathers, flying in the shape of a heart made me gaze at them awe struck. As they were flying in gay abandon, they changed patterns from a heart to a wave, then a line and finally to a V formation. I was really in a trance watching them and feeling inspired. Like a man, it has such beautiful mysteries.

You need to know your inner potential, trust in your talents and creativity, fight all challenges life throws at you time and again, spread your wings, soar and fly high like a majestic bird. You may crash but the more you get up and come out of it, the sooner you will be soaring back to life. Only you can push yourself, to stretch your wings and fly high in life by challenging the very core of life itself. Even in solitude, a bird sings the most beautiful melody of life.

There are beautiful insights that you learn from a bird about life. What I have always pondered is, not to feel ashamed to learn from others, not to get affected when others crap about you by being mean or nasty, not to feel burdened and weighed down by the struggles and pains of day to day life and that you have the strength and courage to flap away with a smile. A bird can teach you that it is easy to build a house, but you owe it to yourself to always make  a home, be happy with what you have and always  learn to keep a  happy balance in life. To value  spending some  time in solitude. Birds enthral me.

" Be like the bird, pausing in her flight on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing that she hath wings." Victor Hugo.

The awe inspiring beauty of the insignificant.

 "Who would have thought it possible that a tiny flower could preoccupy a person so completely that that there wasn't room for any other thought." Sophie Scholl.

Often it is the unnoticed and the unseen that adds beauty to life.Tiny things have a subtle beauty. It is those small things which may seem unimportant, of no meaning  or consequence,  but becomes the most beautiful and awe inspiring things in life. Life sometimes has a way of making us look at our journey and reflect on the most insignificant entity of life. Sometimes it makes you startled when you realize the insignificance of the very core of your life. A journey with more of pains, obstacles, challenges that you have overcome with a smile, but feeling that it had no significance whatsoever even when it was a struggle of life; it makes you look at the tiny, weeny, small events that you missed or left it as insignificant.

All these contemplation came through when I  really started admiring the baby's breath and the tiny flower of bougainvillea. The baby's breath too are tiny white flowers  in clusters that stand for their purity, innocence and everlasting love. Baby's breath is tender, delicate and quick to bloom. These tiny flowers  are seen   in most bouquets and that's how I started loving that flower. But those days I never knew it was the baby's breath. The tiny white flowers gained my admiration and I used to love them, when my friend, Suja started sending me baby's breath flower clicks and I realized that the tiny flower I loved a lot was the same.

The actual flower of the bougainvillea is small and usually white, but each cluster of three flower is surrounded by three or six bracts with bring colors. Usually known as the paper flowers because of the papery quality of the bracts. But I closely looked at the small flowers, that is breathtakingly beautiful. A tiny  white flower, with a tinge of green, pink and a tiny yellow stamen.  It is seen in many houses and in the streets, but  never stopped to look at the flowers like other flowers. The tiny fragile flowers inspires me to think,  that there is nothing  insignificant in the life.

A quote on a symbolic photograph , "Like tiny wild flowers, hope brightens up even the darkest of corners," shows the importance of  looking at all the small things of life with a different perspective.To see a tiny flower bloom in intricately woven beauty is  definitely one that inspires  me to hope  and be happy . That always used to make me think of the weeds, least looked at, but always the ones that gave the highest hope in the time of need. The insignificance is its beauty and the rebel that grows anywhere though least sought after, but always positive. All these  very insignificantly plays a positive message to those who look for it.

On a collective note, you are just a flash in the pan. Sometimes you insignificantly do a lot, not for the sake of being recognized as the one who really worked for something, but for the welfare on the whole. You make a lot of sacrifices, pains to create something good. Every single thing is important, it is never insignificant, though it may seem to be at a point of time. A rebel with a lot of how, why, when, what, who, where, is always an insignificant entity for very many reasons, but the significance shines out as a positive spark when you least expect it.

 " Tiny is the flower, yet it scents the grasses around it." It is a 'ripple effect' concept that says small things may have a large effect. It really doesn't matter how small you really are in all aspects of life. It is easy to acknowledge words and things you can see. It may not be significant to many, but they are reflected in many ways. You start realizing the value of the insignificant things when you value the core of life. Positive thoughts may irritate many, but its value is known only at that time when you realize that being positive alone can make you fight life itself. Loving the insignificance of life, may be like a telepathic message that many fail to understand.

The spoken words just brush past into nothingness as it is not valued. But the unspoken, the unseen, the unnoticed become very significant when you are fighting a lone battle of life itself, bearing the brunt of everything and many a time the value of it is realized and longed for when it is lost forever with life itself. To thrive when conditions are good is easy, but to thrive in unfavorable conditions of life needs grit and perseverance.  It is then the value of a positive influence is felt the most.
The fights to challenge the threats of the very core of life, makes you love all the small things that are immaterial in life. You value and hold close all those little blessings and moments that came into your life to give new meanings  and help you fight the challenging times of life. All the little things become the most important ones that gives immense joy.

I love tiny flowers, weeds and all those little things that others feel as insignificant. In the light of what's happening, it is more imperative  for me to always have a positive and upbeat attitude, someone with a positive glow. It is not what happens to me that counts, but how I react to all that is happening, where life is taking me and the attitude towards it. A positive attitude can cause a chain of reactions, being a catalyst and a spark.

"Glow in positive influence,
Though tiny and insignificant,
Its effect you may not see,
it may spread in ripples,
And make a difference,
Down the path of life."

Pave your own path with a smile.

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and 

I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference." 

Robert Frost. 

In the new crossroad of life, take the path less travelled and make a difference in life. Make use of your talent and creativity to create the best experience of life. You are the master key to 'YOU'. Believe in yourself and be yourself. Keep a positive attitude, take up all hurdles as a challenge and keep going forward. Your determination and perseverance is what makes you unique and special. Reason with the mind all that your heart dictates and create a balance. Ignore all negativity, explore and achieve.  Time has the greatest power. Aim to accomplish what you crave for, pursue those that you love doing and then do them so well that you 'Stand Out' and shine. 


Believe that you can excel in every field, with a positive influence, never bowing down to the challenges and pressures of life. Attitude and influence can be compared to a liquid that flows into and out of all of us. Character is what flows into you directly affecting what flows out with a great impact. Aspire to inspire and meet all challenges; motivate yourself to reach the highest peak of life. Life is a continual flow of learning and teaching. Always accept the concept of abundance and purity instead of deficiency and toxicity. You have the power within you to be something amazing. 

Do your best always.
And fulfil all your dreams. 

Aim for the expanse of the sky,
Reach out for the impossible,
Be humble and simple,
As your name depicts. 

Stand tall to cut through,
All clouds of doubts,
Believe in your ability,
To glow each day.

Always be the little angel,
 Open deeper potentials
Within your heart and soul,
And shine forth with a smile.

The Gifted creativity of Life.

"I believe talent is like electricity. We don't understand electricity. We don't use it. You can plug into it and light up a lamp, keep a heart pump going, light a cathedral or you can electrocute a person with it."
Maya Angelou.

Talent is an inborn gift, but creativity is a skill. Though an inborn talent, one has to reach out and take it. That taking may be as difficult as not waiting until it manifests on its own. It is the underlying passion, a feeling inside,that brings it out, loaded with words and a lot of meaning. It is long patience, an effort and intense observation that flows out. Talent is having a fountain of words in the mind. Not everyone has an underlying talent and rare is the courage to follow that talent and make it creative.

Talent is always on its own level, which rises like the sun, rested, refreshed and  ready to dawn; always full and aplenty with new treasures. Those that are genuinely talented are unaware of their own ability and potential. It has its own increases and decreases, like everything that breathes. As Sophia Loren quotes, There is a fountain of youth: It is in your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring in your life and the lives of people you love."

Writing is a play of words, adeptly placed and turns out to be either a prose or a poem. Writing a poem is an inborn talent and a poem is usually a whisper, a shout, thoughts turned inside out, a laugh, a sigh, an echo passing by, a rhythm, a rhyme, a moment caught in time, a fear, an anguish, an epitome, an euphoria, or a glimpse of who you are. It is often like a spider's web beautifully spun with words of wonder, with all the woven laces that is held in place by the whispers of the heart. The depth and meaning of a true poem lies in the intricately placed words and the spirit between the lines.

Gifted is a man who has the innate ability to do a particular thing, it is talent inborn, one can really never change it because it is fixed inside and cannot be lost. Creativity is a skill to write or create something in a unique way. As the saying goes" Eyes that look are common, but eyes that see are rare." It is a rare eye that sees and captures those that are realistic and natural. The creativity is a skill that can be developed with experience, and experience is a knowledge one gains through grit and perseverance. There is a strong relationship between talented, creativity and experience.

Some just blow up their talent and passion; while some use their talent to connect to everything around them with creativity and experience it. Be it writing, photography, painting or any form of art and craft, it is the passion and the underlying inborn talent that makes them creative and experience makes them excel. While talent is inborn, creativity is an ability that needs to be noticed, recognized and nurtured to bloom. An opportunity for the creative talent to be expressed. It is the characteristics of creative talent to be curious, persistent, metaphorical and open to ideas.

Only a gifted man can play with words and bring forth what is in the mind. It is creative talent that bleeds from the pen, in the form of chords that tug the heart, create a flutter, touch the soul to ponder over or dive into its depth to sink and then float in them. It lingers on in your heart, mind and soul to haunt, provoke thoughts, contemplate or inspire. The command over the language and the expertise to use it the right way is an added ability to the creativity of talent.

Creativity is a mind skill that equips a man in any area. What matters more is to make use of the gifted talent to create, a natural ability and flair to make something that is beautiful. The beauty is developing analytic, creative and practical skills without the 'know-hows' and that comes out of a gifted talent and the zest to be creative. Life as such is creative in all its forms. It is a gift of life to be born talented, becoming creative is an added skill and experience adds beauty to everything.

"Use what talents you possess. The woods would be silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best." Henry Van Dyke.

Believe in the underlying talent,
Create the unbelievable masterpiece,
Challenge all hurdles,
Shine like the sun,
That your name depicts.

Burst out through the clouds,
With worded rays,
That shrouds in cluttered clusters,
In the depth of your,
Heart and soul.

Be reminded of your infinite potential,
With the pen that is mightier than the sword,
Let thoughts always flow out,
To reach the expanse of the sky,
And reach greater heights of life."

Mind is like the vast expanse of the ocean.

We are like oceans. A positive approach to this subject, that the ocean is a vast expanse, as a comparison to the mind. The contents of the mind, the visions, sounds, thoughts, when clouds of doubt engulf, making waves of infinite uncertainty.   The very phrase says it all....fathomless....mysterious... Soft and calm; rough and salvaging like the waves. The depth of character like the ocean beds which during the ebb and flow of life exposes personality that was hidden inside like the sea shells.

Why are we compared to the oceans? It is a thought that is always  contemplated upon. The ocean is liberating and captivating, a destination and an uncertainty.  It may be because man as a whole can never be understood fully. But there are people who are genuinely what they seem to be. But the mind of man is like a horse that is always racing, that he himself fails to understand.  Oceans depict the soul, the sub consciousness, emotions, and nature; the best parts of existence and dreams, often somewhat opposed to, but not necessarily conflicting to the intellect. They represent the unknown, hidden depths, unexplored thoughts, emotions, feelings that may not surface outward. They are also connected to the soul, the tranquil, inner part of self that lies in its core, the depth.   

Isn't it the emotions that make a man lose all his understanding, ethics, reasoning, etc., to a personality that becomes mysterious to him? When fear factor takes over, a sort of confusion takes over the mind. This fear and the confusion creeps in, enslaving it to its full capacity. Coming out of this, needs strength of mind, by making use of the mind in a fruitful way, giving and feeding the mind space to motivate and inspire itself in every way.Mind is like the ocean in many ways, both have a titanic capacity for anything and everything. The largest and most awe-inspiring waves are the invisible ones, that move on in the depths, unceasingly.

Thoughts are like the ocean. They come and go or engulf the mind at times. Sometimes thoughts and emotions do smack us like a tidal wave, making  it difficult for the mind to be calm and watchful.When it is riding a wave, being hit by a tsunami or being in a peaceful state,each moment is a gift.  The proverb, “An idle mind is the devil's workshop" says it all. That is where the fear originates. If only we look around, we can find lots of ways to keep the idle mind occupied. To use the time in a fruitful way by doing something, we love to do. Pursue a hobby, read or write. We just have to look around us to find ways. It is a way of becoming one with nature, emotions and other things and becoming one with oneself.

The vast expanse of the ocean represents life and living. The struggles and hardships a man goes through and how that affects the mind. A tired overworked body and the constant fight of life, tends to weaken an otherwise strong mind. Oceans are sources of inspired art, poetry, healing and contemplation. It is a calming presence, to reflect, dream and hope for.  

Mind is like the waves of the ocean, when some cover us with tides of refreshment,  others drown us in floods of turmoil.We need time to visit the ocean of our own mind! 

"Mind can be compared to an ocean, and momentary mental events such as happiness, irritation, fantasies, and boredom to the waves that rise and fall on its surface. Just as the waves can subside to reveal the stillness of the ocean's depths, so too is it possible to calm the turbulence of our mind to reveal its natural pristine clarity."~ Kathleen McDonald

In the core of a heart, is it’s most puzzling ways.

The home is where the heart is, heard most commonly,  the most important of all your body organs is the heart, the exact home of your body. The one that is always used, misused and abused the most. It is never taken care of, until it is too late and gives a warning signal in the form of a block, thickening or a fast beat. It is a well known fact that the heart gets affected in mental clarity, creativity, emotional balance and personal effectiveness. The heart and mind are always at loggerheads. The stress and strain of day to day life too is an important factor. Your heart is vitally responsible for just about everything that gives your body life.

“If you think with your head, a heart is just an organ that pumps blood. But if you think with your heart, you know that a heart is the core of human existence. A heart feels, emotes and expresses. Often a heart is given more importance than the brain. The heart is the most symbolic part of your body. Logic says it is better to think with both your head and heart, to save the heart from the wear and tear of day to day life."

The heart is  metaphorical or symbolic as the center of emotions including affection, love and care. The heart races due to many reasons. It races when you are in love; you see something alarming, when you are sick, when someone surprises you. There are many reasons why your heart races. But when the heart races without any reasons, it alarms you, because you don't know what is happening. Palpitations are the unpleasant sensations of irregular and forceful beating of the heart in the chest. It sometimes pounds against your ribs so much that you feel it will explode any time.

As age catches on, it is very alarming to feel your heart racing at such a fast pace, that you get uneasy and the chest feels as if a big boulder is on it.  It is very puzzling, when you have to go through various tests to find the reason for your racing heart. It is sometimes a premature contraction of your heart because of the irregular heartbeats. What causes it, you never know. You might feel as though the heart is fluttering, throbbing, flip-flopping, and  the rhythm of the heart too fast or too slow. You sometimes spend sleepless nights due to the unruly beating of the heart, making you wonder what could be the reason for its fast beats, “the flutter of the flip-flops.” The heart finds it difficult to keep pace with what the mind is battling.

You hear about flutter in the chest and stomach, which at a certain age is enjoyed. But when your heart flutters non stop at any given time, it is time to sit up and think. They say it is an adrenaline rush in response to a fight or a flight, causing blood pressure or a racing heart. It is time to wake up to the fact that your heart is fighting hard. Just like the rhythm of life, it is vital to keep the rhythm of the heart too. A tired and fatigued body loses both the rhythm of life and heart. The born fighter in you fights to keep the rhythm, but at times both body and heart lets you down, which makes your challenge even more powerful. Staying positive against all odds is the only solution and makes your fight too,  stronger and powerful. And the mind has to win against all odds and fight till your heart stays quiet and calm.

"Your attitude affects your latitude" , is it a cliche? The optimism and hopeful expectations does influence the health positively. The body sometimes plays havoc, in spite of the positive outlook you have towards life, could be because  the body did not recuperate properly. Rather than simply seeking positive happiness, you need to learn to create a harmonious attitude between emotions, soul, spirit and body. That needs patience,  perseverance, grit and determination; to become a warrior and survivor, in spite of all the emotional and physical challenges of life.

The most beautiful music in the world is your own heartbeat because it assures you that you have survived all the battles of life, even when you are  fighting a lone battle with your pains or  your body that refuses to sometimes retaliate and recuperate. You fall in love with your own heartbeats when it races in such a way that it threatens to run out your life. While the mind fights, the heart races at its own accord.   I sometimes wonder what  a heart, the largest muscle in your body  could do to the core of your life as the mind fights all the battles of life with a smile.

"Deep inside my heart,
In the ante chambers,
It is on a rampage,
As if it would explode.

My heart flutters,
It races rapidly,
With spasms of pain,
And shortness of breath.

Unknown are reasons,
Squeezing my heart,
It beats musically,
And knocks its walls."

The fleeting life.

Nature is the most beautiful gift in life. Everything that is related to nature is magical. A magical moonlit night, with cool breeze caressing and sweet fragrance of the flowers that blossom only at night, spreading in the air is a breathtaking experience. Nothing can be more  beautiful, pleasing and comforting than that, after a tiring long day to soothe you. To watch a flower blooming at night enhances your joy and wonder.

You get such joy observing the Nishagandhi, the queen of night bloom at night, a variety of the night blooming flower. They bloom once a year by midnight and droops by dawn. A fascinating flower that is both puzzling and intriguing, a wonder of nature, that stems from the side of a leaf. It is stunning, inspiring and has an intoxicating fragrance, giving an insight that is profound. Sometimes you don't recognize the value of many simple but beautiful things in life. It may become valuable at some point of life and become hidden gems.

It is said that the Japanese call it, "Beauty under the moon," and according to the Chinese it is a fleeting impressive moment in someone's life, " A flash in the pan." A flower that rarely blossoms and only at night. It has only one night's life and withers away by sunrise, but still fills all around with joy at its breathtaking simple beauty, that talks volumes about nature with its secrets and surprises.

The blooming and drooping of this flower can be a metaphor of life. It is a symbolism of how life is short and to give the best of everything because it is not the length of life but the meaning that holds importance. How important it is to enjoy and savor the best moments with your loved ones because you tend to overlook them. It is really amazing how a flower could teach such beautiful and simple insights of life. A beautiful, yet short lived blossom that is a thought provoking reminder of life's vanity and glory. Man too passes through different phases and wanes off to the sunset years of life. The queen of the night, is at its full glory at midnight,  delicately and intricately interwoven with its lovely fragrance, that sends a chain of thoughts in the mind about life. You feel touched by a flower, one that is short lived yet  a magical wonder of nature.

"A midnight blooming flower, that blossoms once a year, drooping before the first rays of the sun, giving a feast to the eyes with its beauty and  enticing the beholder beyond words with its fragrance, by the magical insight of life."

Tiny Parachutes of Life.

 Life reverberates like a dandelion blowing in the wind. Life is like a dandelion that could be the reason why man always searches...wondering how the dandelions can bloom and then fade away into fluffy white pieces that take flight at the slightest breeze. It is a narrow difference that shows on life's choices and how those choices really make you what you are and what you become. It floats in the wind seems free and unrestrained but actually in a state of not acting of its own will. It gives hope that if it falls new life is generated, continuing in a different way, cultivating a sense of wonder to keep it fresh in all areas. Life is like the seeds that get blown out in the wind, planting new choices and new areas of growth.

A dandelion can grow in any place and survive even in the toughest of environment. It also has a deep root system that allows it to withstand anything. Its transformation is a beautiful one against all odds. They are blown in the wind, like the choices of life, the making of 'You' and the attitude towards life and challenges. They are at the mercy of the wind, still they give hope of life and  strength, like the strength you derive and the courage to navigate through all the strong winds and storms that threaten the very core of life.

Dandelions are symbols of positivism, progress and survival. The fluffy white dandelion seeds, each a tiny parachute  flying in the wind gives a positive influence,  a source of inspiration, determination and a willful directive to survive against all odds. It is also a reminder to reflect on what kind of 'thought-seeds' you are planting. It is an awakening to bring out an unassuming you with a positive glow, puffball explosion of inspiration, clarity and insight into life.

It is always simple things that matter the most in life, asking you to see your inner strength every time you face obstacles and challenges that come to throw you off balance. Life is  a beautiful struggle and your strength will take you forward. A dandelion flower once it dries, individual parachutes fly off to settle and grow, wherever the wind takes them. These tiny parachutes  taken away by the wind, fall and grow giving hope of strength and life. Each parachute an entity of its own.

They remind you of those souls who love to see dandelions and watch its tiny parachutes waft in air with wonder and sheer delight. Loved for its delicate, elegance, beauty and its simplicity that makes it stand out in a crowd despite their smallness. They stand strong as a perfect symbol of strength, reminding you to live life to the fullest and never give up, no matter what comes in your life.

As in life, each man is one on his own, as dandelions are. It is accepted as a flower-weed that leaves its indelible imprints on the heart and mind just like man and thrive on reality of life. Dandelions are symbols of courage and cheerfulness. It thrives and grows, withstanding all uncertainties of life. Even in adversities, they  manage to thrive with a cheer, comfort and hope. There is a lot man can learn from dandelions. Life and dandelions are similar in a lot of ways. Depends on what you intend to derive from it. Like the dandelions you too can be tough to withstand any environment, with its adaptability to any conditions, be cheerful and strong. It can speak volumes, if you take the time to observe them. A tiny parachute of life, that gives strength, courage, positivity and hope.

"Tiny parachutes of life,
Puffball explosion of inspiration,
Flying at their will in air,
Of dandelions that withstand,
With roots stretched deep that overcome,
To stand tall and beautiful,
A flower but as a simple weed."