Love, Loss & Acceptance | Shail's Nest

http://shailsnest.com/2012/03/12/love-loss-acceptance/
Finally she did it!!! My Friend and blogmate Shail Mohan has her poems published!! Yay!

Life's maze

We meander

Through the maze,

We meet,

Wandering in a daze,

We seek,

Learn the depths of each other,

We smile

Reaching for the other’s hearts,

We draw

Lines that zigzag and crisscross

We dream

Every meeting fills with joy

We hope

Every parting is warm with promise

Of meeting again, the way we are Now.

 

Creative Challenge #77 - Friends

Pieces of my Heart
Droplets of my soul
Mirrors of my Self
Twins of invisible Dimensions
Friends, for all seasons.

Heres something I wrote a while ago on the same theme. This was for a friend who was moving away. Friends

Enjoy more Entries on Creative Challenge #77

My Friend Sophia

I do believe that people come into our lives for a Reason, Season or a Lifetime.  This is about my friend from Childhood, Sophia. If I have to talk about her, I will have to start with my mother.   Her Mother and my Mother were best friends.  My parents came from remote villages in Coorg, where everything was simple.  When they migrated to Bangalore, they must have felt, completely out of their element, more so for my mother. Bangalore, was a hodgepodge of different people and in the 70's, to find someone speaking the same language/dialect as you was difficult.  Sophia’s mother was the first one to befriend my mother.  My mother still talks of Benny(Sophia’s Mother) with a lot of affection.

I remember my mother being “Sick” when her Mother passed away, for many days.   I was about 4 years old(or maybe younger). I couldn’t understand what happened.   We never met often but I thought of Sophia often.  You see, she was one of very few people in my life at that time who knew they were older than me, yet didn’t Boss over me and somehow I knew she was Special.   It felt good to be around her or just talk to her, and I believe that hearts don’t lie.  After her Mother passed, she went to live with her Grandmother and aunt in Mumbai(then Bombay).  Through my school and college phase, we’ve maintained contact via letters and emails.  Everytime she came to visit her Father, we met and spent a little time with each other.  It felt right, and good. I enjoyed her company, shes articulate, kind, generous and has an appetite for knowledge in all forms.  Apart from my classmates from school, she is the one who has been in my life forever.

There are a lot of things about her that makes her dear to me.  One of the things I admire about Sophia is her willingness to experiment with ideas and work to make them a reality.  In my experience, it’s a small percentage of people in this world who are both, thinkers and doers.  Most fall into one or the other category.

Sophia and her friend Shashi decided to open Shambhavi – a Gym for Women in Nasik, Maharashtra.  It was so well received by the women that it earned an article on the local newspaper - The Nashik Times, a supplement of the Times of India- Nashik Edition.

Before I post the Newspaper, here is a little about Sophia, her Business Partner Shashi Bangera and the Beginnings of Shambhavi, in Sophia’s own words.

“Shashi Bangera - There are a list of adjectives that describe this unconventional Aquarian (Born 22 jan 1960) – highly spiritual, spends hours in meditation, full of life and energy, ‘Krishna’ bhakt, extremely enthusiastic, lover of life, sensitive, intuitive, can get along well with both the kids of the neighbourhood and their grannies and everybody else in between varying from the rickshaw drivers to the dhobis to the watchmen. Ever willing to be of help. Fiercely independent, she started living on her own since the age of 19. She has had a colourful life filled with varied experiences, some of which defy belief. Intermittent ‘shayar’ (poet). Lover of music.  Has worked in the field of fitness for the last 17 years. Out of these, the first 12 were spent in Bombay, managing gyms there, which included supervising the men’s section too.  She has been with Shambhavi since its inception.

Sophia Andrade Kapadia -  Born 9 feb 1970.  Like the proverbial rolling stone, I have tried many occupations and businesses till I found my groove with Shambhavi. It has rooted me and at the same time given me wings to fly. It has given the ring of ‘purpose’ to my life.

I have done courses in yoga and naturopathy. I am a voracious reader and I try to apply this knowledge and the diverse talents I possess in my work. It has given me a deeper understanding about women, their thoughts, their aspirations, the shackles that bind them, the difficulties they face and their fears.

SHAMBHAVI – Empowering women

The seed of starting this venture came from the thought that as women, we are forever putting ourselves last in line. We think of others, husband, kids, in-laws, relatives, the boss, office colleagues and sundry and then if at all give some attention to ourselves. This is highly imbalanced and in turn skews up our life. Instead, if we seek to fulfill our various roles while not neglecting ourselves, we are able to be better human beings feeling joyful and fulfilled in our lives.

This is how TULA was born on February 5, 2004. The word ‘Tula’ stands for balance. It also means ‘for you’ in Marathi, the state language of Maharashtra. The tagline was TULA – balancing a woman’s life.

Must say it was an uphill task and many a time, bowing to the pressures, we felt like chucking it all up. What stopped us from doing so is that although we had to struggle to pay up our bills, the work was highly rewarding and gave us tremendous job satisfaction.

Deep into our fourth year, we kept getting messages and intuitions to go in for a change of name. On one of our visits to Baba Nityananda’s Ashram at Ganeshpuri, we even came across the name – Shambhavi.

However, the hassles of paperwork involved in going for a name change and skepticism, made sure that I kept putting off this task. Finally push came to shove and on April 6 2008, we formally changed the name to Shambhavi. “SHAMBHAVI – empowering women”

‘SHAMBHAVI’ has many meanings. It symbolizes the Divine, Feminine aspect of the Universal Energy, that is nurturing and creative, the counterpart of Shiva.

I must say it has had a good effect. The very sound of the word Shambhavi emanates energy. Good things are happening. And the future looks very promising."

Now for the Newspaper –

Heres to Sophia and Shashi - May your Intentions come to Fruition.

Friends

Being there always,
anytime, anyplace.
Cheerfully caring and kind
Loving without reason
Giving when there is a need
Telling it like it is.
Listening, when
there are no words
Memories shared,
Bringing a Smile
Helping through the pain
Lending a shoulder
when tears flow
Congratulating without envy
Happy without jealousy
Never harsh with words
Or harsh in thoughts,
Maybe far apart, but
Always near in thought.
Remember we are
Friends, for ever.
Waiting for you.
Your friend always.

P. S. Wrote this a long while ago for a friend who was leaving our hometown.

Poetry Posse Tour starts here

Tribute to Friends

This is my entry for Rajashree's festival of Friends.

I am the kind who is very reluctant to give a title of friend to someone unless I feel confident enough to bestow that title on them. I have some really great friends. Some of them as old as my teeth and some very new- still, walking on eggshells. A few have been lost in time but not forgotten. I wish them well always, no matter where they are- May the sun shine brightly and the rain fall softly them, so they see the rainbow they have made my life.

I think I have been very lucky when it comes to friends. I have had, what I consider very pertinent messages come through them which have changed the way I view life. I call them my visible angels. Usually they are the ones who shine light on my flaws and become safe habours when I need one. During my school days, I hardly knew what it was that made friends. Anyone who played with me was my friend. But in high school I learned that Understanding, Honesty and Trust were important ingredients in friends. Gradually the simple "you play, you my friend",  became a complex maze of qualities. In college, I learned that there was respect and boundaries with friends and that what holds for friendships holds for any relationship. For any relationship to flourish, we have to know how to be a friend. My oldest friendship, that I have still maintained is 22 years and youngest is 1 year old. I try not to make claims that this or that person is my friend. I am patient with giving this title, I usually let time tell me who my friends are.

I believe that we meet certain people when we have a need and once the need is met we move on. The universe has checks and balances system, so it gives when needed and takes away when the need is fulfilled. I also believe that Friendship, or any relationship for that matter is like holding sand in your hands- the tighter you hold it the faster it will slip out. So being possessive, clingy, self-centered, overbearing, dominating, jealous or overly dependent is not a way to be friends.. I have had a particular friend for a particular phase of my life. Although I maintained contact with most, somehow we end up being physically far apart. I have learned to cherish however little time I have with the people in my life. I miss them but I also know that they and I have already given each other what we need. So I have made it my life's policy to give something positive to who ever it is that walks into my life. From experience I have learned that distance does not come from physical distance but from the walls we create in our heads and hearts.

I don't think a page is enough to mention all my friends. They have my love and gratitude. It has been an honour to have them for friends. We have been there at different times for each other to laugh with, cry with, rave and rant with, play with and get mad with. It's a smile on their faces or the food we ate from the same plate. Its been that blunt honesty or that diplomatic guidance. Its been a hand up at a dark moment or a push down as we blew our trumpets but we were there for each other. To silently sit with each other when we didn't want to talk or to get into a chattering rampage when we felt like it.. To eat ice-cream on a rainy day or hot pakoras on a hot summer evening, to talk about our fears and know that we wont get laughed at. We talked of our frailties knowing that we wouldn't be taken advantage off. We complimented each other when we needed assurance, freely giving what was needed and could be given at the time, accepting what was given without asking for more. Friends have taught me to be their friends, they have a share in who I have become.

Thank you. You all know who you are.
As long as Forever is
Your friend
Rashmi.
P.S this song reflects the way I feel about friends

Sorry I couldnt find a translation. Will put it up when I find one.

Update - I got the song translated -

If god said to me "ask what you want to have"
I would ask for a gathering like I have today, someone to share a cup of wine, someone  to share a meal with, someone who journeys with me, someone who understands my heart. Someone awesome cause they shine like the light.
Friends are my conscience, my life
Love between close friends is the biggest Bond anyone could have Friends are my conscience, my life
Whereever the strings of the heart is strummed, there is always the tug of love.  In those whose hearts there is love, people always admire(surrender) to them.  Love brings beauty, love brings simplicity.
Friends are my conscience, my life.
If my life was lost for a friend, it isnt something I will regret.
If my friend is sad, it means I am no more alive.
Cause, where we are, in that place there Happiness dances and sings.
Friends are my conscience, my life.
Why does my flower like friend seem withered,
It does seem like he has become a victim of someone's evil eye
Nothing is hidden from me, just let me listen to you.
Tell me what does a smile from you cost(implies I am willing to pay the price whatever it is)
if you want I will bring the stars and moon from the sky
I will bring the most youthful, beautiful
Hope you enjoyed the lyrics. Some words cant be translated to give off the appropriate meanings.