This 100 word post is in response to the picture prompt by Faith Fiction Friday.
We should always be ready for 'take off' to fly away to our eternal home!
While our home is in heaven, we have a responsibility here in this beautiful world God created for us.We have to live the life we were meant to live, within the parameters set by God.
He has commanded us,'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'Mathew 22:37-39
God has gifted us the ability to love,have compassion,show kindness ,be caring and to live in peace and harmony.Use them!
Above all,realise the power of prayer and forgiveness!
Remember Jesus had said, "I have given you an example, that as I have done, so should you do."(John 13:15)
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This 100 word post is for Faith Friday Fiction prompt...
I gazed at the awesome calm scenery and reflected that it has so much meaning for me! I saw the huge rock in the forefront,the uneven rocks,the stream and the colourful trees.
Jesus Christ is the solid huge rock I lean on!
The uneven rocks remind me of the rocky path Jesus tread while carrying the cross for me !
The stream reminds me ,“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.' (Isaiah 43:2).
The trees tell me that a man who delights in the law of the Lord is "like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither."(Psalm 1:1)
When the Lord lives within you ,you will see God's manifestation all around you!
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This post is for the Creative Writing Wednesday prompt!
And this picture is the prompt ....
I danced away all night! My friends and I swayed round and round on the lush green grass with gay abandon under a starlit sky .
We danced till our dancing shoes were worn out ! In the wee hours of the morn ,as we were about to leave ,we glanced back and saw that the grass on which we had danced in a circle was now a trampled ring of brown grass!Mushrooms had sprung up encircling the dance ring !
As my fairy friends and I were flying off to our home,the Pixie Fairy Land,we laughed gleefully at the thought of humans looking at our fairy sprinkled mushrooms, in absolute awe and wonder and calling them 'Fairy Circles'!
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The prompt for week 57 of our GBE 2 group is "Two Days Ago".
Two Days Ago…
I completed re-reading ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’ by Baroness Orczy. The last time
I read the book was 44 years back when I was in junior college .It was the
first novel I had read! Till then, I was into Archie's comics and believe it or
not, Phantom comics!
My novel-reading journey started
when I was introduced to novels by a class mate Savithri , who was a voracious
reader. One day, I had accompanied her to our huge college library and as she
was choosing her books, I stood there all lost amongst the racks and racks of
books. She picked up the 'The Scarlet Pimpernel’ and told me that when I was
done, I would be hooked to reading! Was she right? Indeed, yes! Baroness Orczy
was followed by Daphne du Maurier, Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens, Jane Austin
and the Bronte sisters. It was then, I was sure that I wanted to major in
English literature in college as I was all at sea in science and maths. I
realize that I'd been a slow starter at reading but then, I’m glad I did it
finally!
Coming back to ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’ , the book is about Sir Percy
Blakeney, a Georgian British society fop who leads a double life as a dandy and
as the Scarlet Pimpernel, a superhero who rescues French aristocrats during the
Reign of Terror that followed the French Revolution. Since Baroness Orczy put
pen to paper, the Scarlet Pimpernel has been a source of inspiration to many
twin life superheroes like Bruce Wayne/Batman, Clark Kent/Superman, Zorro and
Phantom. I was so taken in by the 18th and 19th century royal settings and
their genteel English language that Barbara Cartland and Georgette Heyer became
my favorite light reads!
But then, reading classics is a delight and a league apart! They have stood the
test of time .They began by surviving and survived by being fun to read. They
have enchanted and entertained readers for decades! Moreover, I love to come
across the many words that are no longer used!
One of the saddest effects of modern society with distractions like video
games, TV etc, has been to take young people away from the joy of reading great
literature. Survey shows that youngsters of today prefer glossy magazines and
contemporary best sellers to classic novels and favor watching the movie
version of the classics to reading the books.
Why talk about the youngsters? I love the new chic
lit novels as well,especially Sophie Kinsella and her shopaholic series!
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For GBE 2 Blog On" #56 If I Had My Life to Live Over...
I have often griped and grumbled about wanting
to live my life all over again, as I yearned for a quality life!
Now the big
IF has given me a chance to do just that! I close my eyes and gleefully reflect
on what I would love to change!
I think
about…
My parents
and siblings.
NO, I would not exchange them, for all the
treasures in the world.
My
education.
I was
never a class topper, but I’ve managed to scrape through school and college. I
am still learning .So I guess that’s
fine!
My husband.
In spite
of being short tempered and a workaholic, he’s loving, caring and responsible.
So maybe he’s ok too! :)
My in laws.
They
have always been there for me! Great!
My children.
They are God’s gift to me. I love
them so. If they have turned out to be, headstrong and short tempered with
definite views, I blame it on the family genes!
My friends.
We enjoy
our own space but together times are fun times.
Charity
Work.
As president and member of social
organizations, I’ve pitched in my bit!
DONE.
It’s an eye
opener! It seems that I would not have my life any other way!
Well, not exactly!
I would have loved to travel, holidayed at exotic places with my children and wish
they did not grow up so fast. (Ranting of an empty nester?) A major craving –
Wish I had lived in the big city near my siblings instead of a small town!
Anyway, life is not a bed of roses and
I’ve had my huge share of thorns. But the fragrances of roses have eased the
pain of the prickly thorns. The prickly thorns have taught me patience and compassion,
putting my trust and faith in God completely. I’ve learnt to never give up on my hopes and
dreams! The difficult situations I had to face, the puzzles in life I had to
solve gave me strength and wisdom too. I am what I am today because of the
prickly thorns!
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| Our High School |
It had been 45 years since I sauntered past the
wooden stairs, the assembly hall and out of the front porch of our high school
in Nilgris, a hill station in South India to start a new life, college life. Since then, I’d never met or seen my class
mates! So naturally, when four and a half decades later, our High School Reunion
was organized, I was thrilled and appalled!
I was
thrilled at the prospect of going back to our school after 45 years and meeting
my class mates. How can I ever forget our school, nestled in the blue
mountains, surrounded by tall eucalyptus trees, silver oaks, clean chill air,
dew drops on the lush green grass, chirping birds, our school principal, Mr
Fox, my classmates- the girls in navy blue skirts and blazers and boys in grey
with navy blue blazers and of course the red and grey striped ties?
But then, I was appalled that I’m a much older woman at present
(signs of vanity)with tinges of grey hair, expanded waistline with maybe a
wrinkle or two! Anyway, with oodles of self doubt and uncertainty, my curiosity
about my classmates got the better of me and I attended the reunion.
As I arrived at the school campus, I saw the present
students seated under trees and laughing. Was it really 45 years since I too
sat with my friends under those trees? Seems like just the other day!
Anyway, meeting my batch mates and my schoolmates
was an awesome experience! What amazed me was the fact that nothing had REALLY changed,
in spite of expanded waistlines, grey hair and receding hairlines! Though time
had separated us and perhaps time had changed us, I could still see the same
mannerisms, the same smile, the same boisterousness and the same zest in them. It
was like picking up the threads of yesterday and not of 45 years. Maybe that’s
the power of the bond that we form, sharing childhood and early teens!
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I look around my empty nest, feeling lonely
and gaze out of the window. ‘It’s still snowing,’ I tell myself, as I watch the
white snowflakes drifting down gently on to the icy white carpet.
Suddenly a movement catches the corner of my eyes.
I turn to see my neighbor’s small daughter, Amanda running around in circles in
the snow, laughing and squeaking in delight! Curious, I peer closely and notice that she is
trying to hold on to something. Is it a snowball? No, it looks more like a
cotton candy with sprinkles of chocolate! ‘White and chocolate marble cotton candy?
Maybe it’s the flavor of the season! I must taste it, when I go to the fair
next time!’ I think aloud.
I put on my
coat and go outside to help Amanda retrieve her candy. As I near Amanda, I
realize that the chocolate and white vision has life!
Amanda smiles, ‘He’s Ginger! Mom and Dad gave me
this puppy for my birthday.’ Ginger seems to be a bundle of energy, sprinting
in full throttle, jumping and tumbling! As I move closer, Ginger stops and stares
at me, cocking his head! Then he dashes towards me, hurtling himself into my
arms.
I knew then that Amanda and the puppy were going to fill my lonely days
with love and
laughter!
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A Full Circle
I close my
weary eyes in prayer. My tired mind wanders, travelling through the rough and
winding paths of my life and dwells on a pretty face, with unpretentious
dimpled laughter, twinkling eyes, smooth flawless skin and dark curly tresses falling
about her shoulders. She literally breezed into our lives.
My twin girls, just out of their teens and I
were on the beach. What a perfect day it was! The blue sky, the sparkling sea,
the salty wind blowing against our faces , our hair tossed about and our sun
kissed bodies sprinkled with sand !We teased each other, joked and laughed
uncontrollably for no reason at all. I paused to think, ‘Life is good to a
single parent like me. My adorable girls fill my life with so much happiness’.
Suddenly, a gentle gust of breeze hurled a hat at us and I looked up to see a
slim figure, about my age, coming towards us to claim her hat. ‘Hi, I’m Anna’
she said. ‘Please, can I join you? I’m all alone. I’ve been watching you all
have an awesome time together’. She went on to add that being an orphan, she
had no family, never married nor had kids. Anna was fun and the girls took to
her.
When we returned back home, Anna started
coming over very often, showering the girls with expensive clothes and
accessories as gifts- a sure way to young girls hearts! Next, on the pretext of
teaching them facial make up tricks, Anna started spending time in the room
which the twins shared. Gradually I noticed a change in my children. Suddenly
it seemed that whatever I did was wrong, my past actions were dug up and
criticized. I was responsible for everything that went wrong in the house or
with them! I was hurt. Explanations did not matter. I was wrong and that was
that! Anna, even encouraged them not to tell me about the boys they were dating
as I would be sizing them up! I decided enough was enough and forbade her from
entering our house. My daughters looked at me as if I was an evil stepmother.
They went back to their rooms, packed up their bags and moved out of the house!
I caught a glimpse of Anna’s triumphant look, and it hit me, ‘Oh my god! She’s
sick. It’s been her diabolical plan to isolate me and my girls. She’s jealous.’
I wondered how many families she had broken up!
I sat there
stunned, trying hard to soak in the harsh reality. Everything seemed so
irrational and illogical. I was not even invited for my children’s weddings .I
was shattered and crushed .The beautiful weddings I had planned for my children
had gone to the wind!
Helpless,
distressed and defeated, I turned to God for refuge. I cried and prayed
incessantly. I clung on to His hands, clutched the hem of His garments tightly,
begging Him not to let go of me. My prayers went unanswered. Why? I heard a
voice inside me saying, ‘You would never question if you had faith and trust’. Yes,
He wanted me to be stronger and wiser with absolute trust and faith in Him! And
slowly but surely, I was molded to be what I was meant to be!
Time flew,
now my limbs are weak, my body frail and I am extra exhausted today. As I sit
sipping my tea, I hear a car pull up on the porch. I continue to sit, feeling
weak to get up. The door bursts open and my children with their kids enter,
holding orchid potted plants in their hands for me. Somehow, I’m not surprised.
It seems natural. It appears like I am expecting them! They rush to me and hug
me saying, “Mom, every day we see you in us as we bring up our children.
Everything we do for our kids, reminds us of all the things you have done for
us. Thank you for loving us .We now understand your unconditional love and
protective care. We are grateful for your prayers.’ They cried and continued,’
‘Last night we had a bad dream. Please mom, never leave us. We want to make up
to you, mom. We love you so, mom.’
I hug my children, my heart rejoicing. I feel
like jumping up in sheer joy! I send a silent prayer to God, ‘Lord, I can never
be happier, I am ready.’ God answers my prayer and I feel myself peacefully and
happily slipping away into oblivion, held lovingly in my children’s arms.
Didn’t I hold them so when they entered this world? Now I’m leaving in their
arms! A blessing indeed, denied to many.
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