(by
Madhavi Sood aka Madhavi Mohandas-Author of ‘From the Silence Within’ )
I was very
pleasantly surprised and feel honored to be invited by Kabita Sonowal to write
a Blog on the New Year for BookChums.
Yet even as I
replied back in affirmative to her, I could not help but feel that Christmas
and New Year come so close together and are so ‘connected’ – both giving all a
message of New cheer, renewed hope and of New beginnings, just as simply as the
Festive Christmas Season brings in tidings of sharing, loving and giving and
forgiving.
Its that time
of the year, I always go into a retrospective mood, reflecting on the past,
dreaming of a better future whilst toiling in the present! And when I hear
those strums of Christmas carols ‘Give me Joy in my heart....’ and candles and decked up Christmas trees and
joyful excited kids wanting to know what Santa Claus has given them as a
present; my heart and soul always gets brimmed with joy and soul gets filled with
shimmering hope.
Personally the
Leap Year 2012 has brought so many tidings and even as it goes onto the next
week, ushering in the New Year 2013, I feel nostalgic as I pen down my
thoughts.
As I look
back, on a personal front, the year 2012 has left its impact on me by being
able to get my first book ‘From the Silence Within’ published. It is my first
step ventured out as a Published Author of a Book and that too on Poetry. A
step I had taken with great thought and good intentions, even as I am
frantically trying to finish my next fiction book manuscript. I was glad that I
got good reviews and appreciation for my work.
Indeed there
is so much of talent in India ‘the Land of Rabindranath Tagore’ for Poetry. I actually felt this young talent when I had the good fortune
to be invited as one of the Chief Guests on 8th Sept2012 to read out
my poems for the event of ‘100 thousand poets for Change in the World’ envisioned
by Michael Rothenberg and organized by Open space and Dipalle Pamar that
culminated on 29th Sept2012. I had the opportunity to meet other
like-minded poets and people and listen to their poems and realise the latent
talent of so many who write and appreciate poetry. I also felt many ideas,
intense poetry for change that were read and performed and I could feel the
pulse of Change already happening.
This year has
been very eventful for me personally too. I managed to ‘connect’ with all my
friends and some of my teachers with whom I had somewhere lost touch with.
I remember also
of all the fun I had enjoying immensely the Drama Workshop I conducted for children
from ages 3yrs-14yrs at Amanora town organised by Entre Nous Events in the
summer. I saw a lot of talent, expression whilst interacting with these little
ones, teaching them drama, role play, mime with a lot of fun activities along with
my daughter actively participating in it. Towards the end of the event, I felt touched
and enriched when so many kids came and hugged me asking me whether tomorrow
also would there be a fun event? My little daughter too made so many new
friends along the way. By far she has been my best critique for such activities
telling me straight in the eye when the class was boring or when it was loads
of fun! So I guess, ‘Child is the Father of man’ – a lesson I learnt soon, close
from home.
Going a
little more back recently to the day I got the invite from BookChums. I was
busily preparing for the Workshop on Personality Development and Confidence
building for the Undergraduates being invited by Prof. Dr. Mrs Soniya Chavan of
St. Mira’s College. It was also the day that the most unfortunate incident of
the gang rape of a young girl, a medical student at Delhi had taken place. And
though I was deepy angered, anguished and shocked at what had happened - I went
on schooling my thoughts and made the Presentation, making it as interactive as
possible.
These
Workshops have always given me opportunities to feel the pulse of the youth and
their aspirations. I realise that there is no dearth of talent in a vast
Country like India -rich with resources, heritage and its diverse people and
cultures. All that is actually needed, as I perceive it ; is more
opportunities, more enterprises to nurture and channelise their creativities
and vibrant energies for their own personal growth and for making their
indelible mark upon time with more achievements. And most importantly the safety
and security of being able to do so.
Later I
penned down all the rage and then sat down meditating and praying. I felt just
like many others whose voices are being heard through all the News media
channels – calling out to the Justice makers to give justice to the girl who is
bravely fighting life and death.
“ ....... What’s the matter with all of us?
Queuing up, jostling, pushing and squashing each other.
And people still not taking heed?
What does one live
for – to die unheard, unwept, uncared.
Or to be engraved on stones and pillars
With names carved on graves of pride? ....... ”
...excerpts from one of my poems from my book ‘From the
Silence Within’ published by Leadstart Publishers.
My mind was
racing in Rewind mode even as I watered my plants, pulling out a few weeds here
and there, feeling happy at the way my small kitchen nursery was slowly growing
while my little daughter was busy chatting and singing along with me and my
husband sipping tea looked on and commenting on the state of what was happening
in India today.
Yes, the Year
2012 has been very eventful with so many upheavals, uprisings and people
reaching out and connecting with one another and a kind of collective
consciousness happening in India and across the globe.
This year we
saw India Rising together with movements like the one championed by Anna Hazareji
for a Fight Against Corruption, people speaking up and Voicing their thoughts,
fears and dreams for a better India – all coming out on the streets.
There were
similar incidents in the rise all over the World in Libya, Egypt and generally
unrest and people seeking answers and questioning and wanting and wishing for a
better world.
There have been marches for Peace all over the world in 2012,
whether as reactions to even the incidents of violence just a fortnight back of
a misled youth indiscriminately firing at little children and teachers alike in
Connecticut.
Though you
and me may not be directly involved in all these unfortunate incidents, yet
cannot help but wonder where the mechanics of progress is leading us onto?
Thanks to the
internet, mobiles and other means of
communication, technologically we are making advancements in the field of Connecting
the World via Internet applications, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, stumble and
so many others yet we are all so disconnected where the question of being human
and humane comes. The recent happenings makes me shudder at what kind of progress
we truly are making?
Yet somewhere
deep inside me there’s a tiniest ray of hope too as I know and feel we are on
the threshold of making real progress, a real leap towards a better consciously
driven India and the World too.
As the sea of
humanity approached this very eventful December 2012 with eventful dates like
the 12.12.12 and 21.12.12 date of the New Mayan Calendar of which so much has
already been spoken about.
The very
eventful year 2012, that will be marked as a Time of uprisings, raising of
consciousness levels of humanity, of technological advancements, Nature’s fury (Sandy
storm) and also of universal shame in the form of mass killings in different
incidents (Connecticut, Delhi, Tripura, Baramati, etc,etc. ).
Indeed I feel
that the Year 2012 that was once predicted to be the end of the world or
doomsday as spoken, perhaps its the actual end of all the wrongs, menaces and
evils our society and human beings as a race. For each human being is feeling
and does get affected by the pain of another fellow human being. And to me that
is a great positive step that humanity can make towards the light.
So much has
been spoken about the Year 2012, with the claims of the World coming to an end,
everyone frantically connecting and doing all that they would wish to do. some
going paranoid and hoarding food and things anticipating disaster.
It was as if
a pain inflicted in one part of the world was felt and resonated and echoed in
other parts of the world with the same feelings of sympathy and compassion.
So in our
quest for material gains, nature had been teaching us a lesson in compassion to
one and all by showing fury... in natural disasters.
As the year
2012 is coming to its last few laps and time will roll onto a New Year 2013, so
many thoughts, flashes of reflections cross my mind.
And as we
will all bid adieu to the year 2012, usually most celebrating with friends and
families, do give a thought of what you would want to do or be or achieve or
simply wish for from the time of the New year 2013, yet to arrive.
I usually
like to pen down my thoughts point wise like a Wish list and then work towards
each of those goals. Some times one dream leads us onto another and I move in
serendipity, taking all that comes in my stride.
Each New Year
brings in rays of hope, of new tidings and beginnings and of issues resolved,
redeemed and reach out to each one of us bringing in new hope and new zeal to
dream, do and be more... as we ring out the old and ring in the new over time,
lets reflect on what we want more in life? Is it to beget more materials, or
more happier satisfying relationships. Or more from life each day and moment of
the New year?
I realised that the true meaning of Life is
not just in the living but living by utilizing the best of my talents that God,
energy divine has bestowed and blessed me and each one of us with.
Breaking of a new dawn (one of my
Poems from my book 'From the Silence Within' and apt for the New Year 2013)
I’m filled
with hope for I wait.
For tomorrow I shall lift more loads.
For onto distant lands I have to
reach; flying in the sky.
I don’t mind today’s jostling and
pushing.
For time and money and everything
else will stand still.
As I journey this life’s tempests.
I’m sure I’ll reach my destination.
These thunder squalls; and dark
spells.
No longer frighten me.
For I have loads to lift, many more
mileposts to cross.
Before I find the light.
With a smile, and a lighter heart.
I see the eastern crimson fresh sky.
The light has changed.
I awaken to the breaking of a new dawn…
Copyright Madhavi Sood 2012. All Rights Reserved.
 |
| RAINBOW WISHES TO ALL FOR A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013 (Madhavi Sood- Author of 'From the Silence Within'). |
As the clocks
will roll and strike its chime taking us from one year of time to another time,
I am hopeful that the worst has gone and the best is yet more to come.
On this
hopeful note, I take it upon myself to wish All Readers, bloggers and all at BookChums
and Everyone a Very Happy, Healthy, safe and Prosperous Rainbow New Year 2013.
Let the Light
shine upon all of us, Let all good things begin.......
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