Reflections

Reflections .. a collection of verses and poems that convey emotions, in a manner that is simple and yet profound.

http://reflections-fromtheheart.blogspot.com/

Society

We live in a civilized society. It consists of people from all walks of life going about their daily lives, professional and personal. Each day, people interact with each other, they socialize, they collaborate, they grow families, and they break relationships.

We have rules and regulations that help us in our interactions. Follow the rules, and you are welcomed by all. But break them, and you are incarcerated and locked away in a cell.

This is how civilized societies operate .. for the greater good. One gets rewarded for the good deeds, and punished for the bad ones.

I sometimes wonder what is the purpose of the punishment. Is it to make a person realize his mistakes and become a better person? Or is it to act as a deterrent so the person does not make the same mistake again?

Are either of these goals ever achieved in reality?

Today, sadly, it is a terrible state of affairs. Corruption and greed have muddied the very principles on which free societies are formed. Money and clout can buy you freedom from the most heinous of crimes. Street-smart lawyers can take a open and shut case and turn it upside down. Not only is justice rarely served, but the innocent person ends up at the gallows.

It is time for each one of us to refuse this injustice .. refuse to accept the status-quo .. refuse to just sit back and watch the show.

It is time to stand up and make a difference .. for the greater good of society.

Anniversary wishes

Thirty-six years!

That is the number of years that my parents have been married. My mom was 18 and my dad was 24 when they got married. It was a love marriage but luckily within the same community .. otherwise I am not sure if I would have been here writing this :-)

I called to wish them this morning from work. They were getting ready to go out for dinner with my brother and bhabhi. I asked mama what papa had bought her as a gift. She laughed at my silly question and gave the phone to him.

"It's not Diwali yet" was his reply. When they were visiting us a few months back, he had made a promise to get her a diamond mangal-sutra, something she had wanted for some time now. My father never buys anything impulsively .. one has to put in a lot of effort to get something .. and especially jewellery!

"I will keep reminding you" was my response back as I smiled.

They were still on my mind long after I hung up the phone .. and I realized how much I miss them.

Happy Anniversary mama and papa.

A new beginning

Starting today, I am turning a new leaf .. and become a vegetarian.

This is not the first time that I am doing this. My previous attempt was a few years back, and it lasted eight months.

I sincerely hope that this time around, it is more permanent.

Worlds apart

"Can you get S ready for school today?" my wife asked sleepily. The alarm had woken me up as well. Normally I just turn around and go back to another round of sleep, while she gets up to get S ready for kindergarten.

"OK" I replied while getting out of bed. I got myself ready first, and then went to wake up our daughter.

"One more minute, please" came her sleepy reply as she slid under the blanket to hide her eyes from the light that I had turned on in her room. After a couple more of these "one more minute" pleas, she finally got up. Thankfully she had slept well, and was well rested and in a good mood.

After getting her ready and some light breakfast, I went out with her to the corner of our street. It was a nice cool morning. Our neighbour was dropping his son as well, and we exchanged the customary pleasantries.

The school bus came right on time. S gave me a quick hug and climbed onto the bus and waved bye. It was a beautiful start to my day!

I was smiling while driving in to work. I usually have the radio tuned to the news channel. There was a report on the Blackwater security firm in Iraq and the killings of innocent civilians.

My mind began to reflect on the people who live in a war zone. Do they get a peaceful night's sleep ? Do they wake up in the morning and call the day beautiful? Are they ever able to send their kids to school without worrying about seeing them again? How do they cope with the pain at the loss of loved ones?

One world .. and yet worlds apart.

I have learned

(These are not mine .. wish I knew who the author was .. )

I've learned -
that you cannot make someone love you.
All you can do is be someone who can be loved
The rest is up to them

I've learned -
that no matter how much I care,
some people just don't care back.

I've learned -
that it takes years to build up trust,
and only seconds to destroy it.

I've learned -
that it's not what you have in your life
but who you have in your life that counts.

I've learned -
that you can get by on charm for about 15 minutes.
After that, you'd better know something.

I've learned -
that you shouldn't compare yourself
to the best others can do.

I've learned -
that you can do something in an instant
that will give you heartache for life.

I've learned -
that it's taking me a long time
to become the person I want to be.

I've learned -
that you should always leave loved ones with loving words.
It may be the last time you see them.

I've learned -
that you can keep going
long after you can't.

I've learned -
that we are responsible for what we do,
no matter how we feel.

I've learned -
that either you control your attitude
or it controls you.

I've learned -
that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first,
the passion fades
and there had better be something else to take its place.

I've learned -
that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down
will be the ones to help you get back up.

I've learned -
that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I've learned -
that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.

I've learned -
that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to
doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I've learned -
that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had
and what you've learned from them
and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I've learned -
that no matter how good a friend is,
they're going to hurt you every once in a while
and you must forgive them for that.

I've learned -
that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I've learned -
that no matter how bad your heart is broken
the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I've learned -
that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.

I've learned -
that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other
And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I've learned -
that we don't have to change friends
if we understand that friends change.

I've learned -
that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret.
It could change your life forever.

I've learned -
that two people can look at the exact same thing
and see something totally different.

I've learned -
that no matter how you try to protect your children,
they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.

I've learned -
that your life can be changed in a matter of hours
by people who don't even know you.

I've learned -
that even when you think you have no more to give,
when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I've learned -
that the people you care about most in life
are taken from you too soon.

I've learned -
that it's hard to determine where to draw the line
between being nice and not hurting people's feelings
and standing up for what you believe.