Wordsmith at work

 The Song of Our Bond—Book Review   Book Title: The Song of Our Bond Author: Pinki Bakshi Number of Pages: 100 Publisher: ukiyoto     The Song of Our Bond, a 100-page novella written by Pinki Bakshi, is a poignant tale of childhood friendship, love, resilience and relationships. The story is set in the 1970s in Eastern India. The tale centres on 9-year-old Bengali Meena and 10-year-old Oriya Kasturi. Meena’s family moves to Khurda Road in Orissa from Kolkata, and it's there that she meets Kasturi. Kasturi helps Meena navigate the unfamiliarity of her new home. The girls strike up a friendship as solid as a rock. Does the friendship remain rock solid? Soon, circumstances force them apart when Kasturi and her family move to America. Both girls are heartbroken. Kasturi leaves behind a teddy bear for Meena, whom they call Kassy. Meena finds solace in Kassy. She whispers her doubts, fears, and insecurities to Kassy. The girls continue to remain in to...

Thirty to forty years ago, we read advertisements or watched advertisements on television about products we wished to purchase. We flipped through encyclopedias, atlases, and dictionaries for knowledge and information. The internet and cell phones had not yet entered our lives.  When the internet and cell phones took over our lives, the story of all our lives changed dramatically. We typed furiously into our browsers, searching for anything and everything. Our browsers reveal our curiosities, our anxieties, our dreams and hobbies.  I remember cutting pictures and newspaper tidbits for school projects.  For my sons’ projects and assignments, I quickly logged into Google, typed my queries and searches in the search box, and helped myself to whatever relevant information Google provided. As time passed, the boys learned to work on their own. Today, there isn't a single child who doesn't know how to work on a computer or cell phone. Down the years, my quest for knowledge...

  What Does Peace Look Like To You?   It feels rather strange to be writing about peace when the world is so fractured and disturbed. Every human being craves peace and strives to be at peace. Peace is often spoken of as the absence of conflict or noise, but to me it is something deeper, something more profound, a feeling that I wish to experience within me.   My personal peace comes from: ·         Completing a task that has been on my to-do list forever. ·         Conducting a difficult conversation and seeing it through better than I expected. ·         The acceptance of a situation or circumstance, and relinquishing control over it. ·         Savouring the quiet of the early morning with the right sounds around me—birdsong, the hum of the kettle, or even raindrops falling gently on a windowpane. ·   ...

    Success is generally measured by wealth amassed, milestones achieved, promotions, and trophies won. Success on an ordinary day encompasses none of the above. It’s accomplishing the small, mundane tasks or routines that I have laid out for myself or experiencing small wins and joys. It is not loud and shiny but quiet and soft. For me, success on an ordinary day would look like not hitting the snooze button or even waking up refreshed before the alarm goes off, all ready to take on the day. It would see me incorporating more movement into my day, getting some sunshine, pausing to savour that morning cuppa and going along with the flow of the day. Success would be the way I choose to respond, rather than react to difficult situations and people. –That cheerful conversation with a friend that leaves me smiling is another kind of success. When at the end of the day, I still have energy left to read a few pages or whisper a few words of prayer, I call it success. ...

   WHAT DOES HOME MEAN TO YOU NOW?   I’ve realized that the definition of home for me has changed over the years. It no longer centres around a certain structure, an address. The house I grew up in was a small cottage filled with love, laughter, stories, discipline, and routine. There was Mom, Dad, my brother, and me. The walls echoed the sounds of happy chatter or noise. These are now simply memories that I visit now and again. At 61, home may have various connotations:   It’s a sanctuary of love for rest Home is where I unmask and let go of the persona I present to the outside world. It’s my landing pad, where I kick off my shoes, turn on the music if the silence gets too loud and am my quirky best. ‘ Home Sweet Home’ is a slightly disorganised space where plants wait to be watered, or a pile of books need to be arranged or furniture needs to be dusted. The kitchen in my home may not be the Cordon Bleu kind, but I enjoy rustling up meals for loved ...