Hello, Mr. Bond, Happy birthday and still happy writing. Congratulations on your new publications for early learners—ABC  and 123, and Laugh With Me.  It’s no mean feat that you, sir, continue to regale us with tales that are so endearing in their simplicity and relatability. My first read was the Book of Humour, which left me in good spirits and grinning at the antics of Uncle Ken, your lovable grandparents, and others. After that, I acquired quite a collection of your books. … Sir, you use no bombastic words, nor do you script elaborate dramas, yet we remain hooked from the very first line. You write a haiku, a limerick, and a spooky tale with equal ease! How wonderful is that? I remember asking for your books at a local book fair and being told they were all sold out. You bring us the magic of the mountains, trees, rivers, animals, and even a tiny moth or snail in words that linger long after we’ve finished reading. You’ve written a verse...

  On Birthdays   Your birthday is the day you enter planet Earth, which calls for a celebration on that day and every year after until you pass away. Even after that, you may be remembered on your birthday. As children, most of us love birthdays. Our birthdays are usually marked by new clothes, a slew of greetings, a big fat cake, a party, and many presents. My mom usually baked a big fat birthday cake for me and tailored a new dress. I began my day by visiting church wearing my new dress and then carrying a bag of candy to school to distribute among classmates and teachers. The class joyfully sang the “Happy Birthday” song, and I enjoyed every moment of the celebration. My favourites were cooked lovingly by Mom, or we went out to eat. Over the years, I did have the occasional party, which was always great fun. With advancing age, quieter celebrations with family and close friends or perhaps a trip may become the norm. Then, there are milestone birthdays that mark sign...

    I recently celebrated my sixtieth birthday with some excitement and trepidation. It is a significant milestone and I am amazed by the swift passage of time.  As I begin a new chapter in my life, I’m given to reflection, introspection and gratitude.  Chronologically, I am sixty and grey-haired but I don’t feel sixty, except when that little voice in my head says to me, “Remember you are a little beyond middle-aged”. A cousin lightheartedly reminds me to avail myself of senior citizen discounts and bank interest rates. That will take some time to get used to. I ‘m enjoying that unique sense of freedom that comes with age. My Thoughts:   Reflection and Introspection : I look back on the life I lived,  the challenges I ‘ve overcome, the friends I made, the friends I’ve lost or drifted apart from, my thoughts, actions and reactions during each stage of life, the joys and sorrows experienced and the lessons I ‘ve learned.   Wisdom: Six dec...

Three birthdays and too much cake in one week.The significant other turned 61(age is just a number, you say), there was a milestone birthday with the firstborn turning 21and it was the lucky and last teenage birthday of the junior sweet tooth .   The milestone birthday made me realise that there is now technically one more adult at home. What's in store for me? I wonder.Three males - A twenty-one-year-old, a 19-year-old and a 61-year-old(read 16)I find myself pitted against 3 males!! One day at a time sweet Jesus!   Death and destruction have marked the recent past. Innocent lives claimed by cowards. Will justice prevail? Will the criminals be brought to book?  An outspoken journalist and activist is gunned down because she spoke her mind, a seven-year-old is brutally murdered because he fought his perverted assailant and a talented pianist allegedly jumps to his death . How more gruesome does it get? How many more precious lives wil...