Italy

She was at Salento Airport. From there she was driven to Hotel Orientale. Everything was so beautiful - she was basking in the beauty of Italy. 

She reached the hotel and shyly said "grazie" to the chauffeur! This was the first time she had gotten the opportunity to speak Italian - it was one of the many foreign languages that she had been learning since the lockdown because of the pandemic. She was mighty pleased about it.

She had reached one day before the seminar. The seminar was scheduled for the next two days - Sunday and Monday. Today was Saturday - the rest day - and a luncheon had been arranged for the media - it was at the banquet room. She had hours to rest and get ready for this luncheon. She decided to check into her room. 

Her room was on the first floor. It was tastefully decorated and the window overlooked the beautiful region of Apulia in southern Italy. She quickly dressed up and sat looking at the picturesque Apulia. Soon it would be time to go for the luncheon. 

Today's Recessional Hymn

If I were a butterfly,

I’d thank you, Lord, for giving me wings;

And if I were a robin in a tree,

I’d thank you Lord, that I could sing;

And if I were a fish in the sea,

I’d wiggle my tail and I’d giggle with glee;

But I just Thank You Father, for making me – ME!

’Cause you gave me a heart and

You gave me a smile

You gave me Jesus, and

You made me His Child

And I just Thank You, Father

For making me – ME!

If I were an elephant,

I’d thank you, Lord, by raising my trunk;

And if I were a kangaroo,

I’d hop, hop, hop, right up to you;

And if I were an octopus,

I’d thank you, Lord, for my good looks;

But I just Thank You, Father, for making me – ME!

‘Cause you gave me a heart and

You gave me a smile

You gave me Jesus, and

You made me His Child

And I just Thank You, Father

For making me – ME!

If I were a wiggly worm,

I’d thank you, Lord, that I could squirm;

And if I were a crocodile,

I’d thank you, Lord, for my big smile;

And if I were a fuzzy-wuzzy bear,

I’d thank you, Lord, for my fuzzy-wuzzy hair;

But I just Thank You, Father, for making me – ME!

‘Cause you gave me a heart and

You gave me a smile

You gave me Jesus, and

You made me His Child

And I just Thank You, Father

For making me – ME!

1992

What do I remember from the year 1992?

Probably nothing!

It was the year I turned 16.......

Was it sweet 16 for me? 

Not at all because in 1992, we lived in Durgapur and I lived in my world of cricket and tennis. It was the year of the cricket World Cup and South Africa had come out of the apartheid policy and they were my favourites - right from Kepler Wessels to Jonty Rhodes to Hansie Cronje - all of them were my favourites. Also, Sanjay Manjrekar and Waqar Younis and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in tennis. I lived my life watching cricket and tennis as there was nothing else. 

I guess the craze for these sports and sports people is what got me into journalism - I was super excited to meet them and write about them! I discovered that I could write and thus the bug of sports journalism started gnawing at me and my 1980s dream of becoming a teacher took a back seat.

It was the year when all the vagaries of a 16-year-old teenager came cascading upon me - all thanks to books and Bollywood movies and songs - especially the songs like Pehla Nasha (Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander) and Wada Raha Sanam (Khiladi) - I remember being crazy for these songs! 

The songs created havoc in the heart - I wonder how the intellectual PhD students decided their course of life? Did they never fall in and out of love? Or even have crushes? Didn't they ever listen to these romantic songs? Didn't they ever think twice before taking such important decisions about their career? Didn't they ever look back?

Well, for me it was the year when even the idea of a Prince Charming was taking place in the heart!❤️ I had two ambitions in life - to be a sports journalist and be swept away by my handsome Prince Charming.

OMG, I remember so much about the year 1992. And at the beginning of the post, I said I don't remember anything that happened in 1992. But the more I am writing about this year, the more I am reminded about it.

No Philosophical Writing

Dear DLL Jesus, 

On all social media platforms today, the philosophical writings of St. Edith Stein have been posted. My simple heart is unable to understand some of these heavy writings. Your Magdalene can neither write nor understand these heavy writings about her love for you. All I know is that I love you a lot and I am nothing without loving you - you are the be-all and end-all of my life! I feel guilty when I offend you and happy when I can overcome my regular temptations. I have never offended you intentionally and thus my heart desires to die loving you - a peaceful and happy death - in your church! It will be okay if no one comes to my funeral - after all what is the use of remembering me after my death? 

So Lord, this simple Magdalene of yours knows just one simple thing she loves you very much!!! That's my philosophy of life!

St. Edith Stein (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross)

Dear DLL Jesus,

Hers is an equally beautiful story like all other Carmelite saints. But what I love about Edith Stein is that in 1933 at the age of forty-three, her dreams of entering a Carmelite monastery were finally fulfilled. She moved to a Carmelite Monastery in the Netherlands. This is what I like the most - she getting converted and living in a Carmelite monastery - what a beautiful place to live in - what a beautiful experience!

This is what inspires me the most - to be patient and wait – wait for your perfect timing in my life! If her desire to enter a monastery was fulfilled at the age of 43, even my long-cherished dream of living in a monastery will be fulfilled in your time. If not live, at least stay in a monastery for a few days as an OCDS member when we have our seminars and regional meets and Congress or even provincial level election - at that time, Lord, if it is your will, let me stay in a Carmelite monastery for a few days. Lord, I will wait patiently for that perfect timing!

Old Manuscripts

Today I found some old manuscripts of some of the short stories that I had written many many years ago when I aspired to be a short story writer. The stories have not yet seen the light of the day as I never forwarded my stories to anyone. These short stories are from a different genre and are very close to my heart. So I will publish them slowly here and be happy in my world. 

1988

Dear DLL Jesus, 

For many days now I have felt like writing about my life in the 1980s.

There are hardly many memories of the 1980s but they are happy ones - my dad had not yet become a ruthless man - he still liked me! 

The happiest memory of the 1980s is of my 12th birthday when my dad gave me 12 gifts. That was in 1988 and that year itself has happy memories for me. It was my 12th birthday and I had received 12 gifts from my dad. I was doing averagely good in my studies, at least passing in all subjects, I was the favourite of my class teacher and also of the Maths teacher. I don't know what happened to her afterwards - she suddenly stopped liking me - I was disheartened. But my class teacher who taught us English always liked me and she was the only person who ever called me beautiful. So I was extremely fond of her. 

It was the year QSQT was released and I had become a great fan of Aamir Khan. Since then many favourites have changed but he has been a constant favourite of mine!

I was an enthusiastic child and participated in all the school activities - just the way I participate in all the OCDS activities now! 

I had a garden which I loved ❤️ even though it hardly had any plants in it!

So basically 1988 is the most memorable year of my life!!!

Story of Life

Dear DLL Jesus, 

Today is the 6th of the month - the day I release my magazine every month and the day my Scripture reflections are circulated to everyone!🤗

These two things have already happened and I am very pleased with these happenings! The magazine has been receiving good reviews since the time I shared it on all social media platforms! No hard feelings this time!🤗

In the morning I received my pocket money as well - so no hard feelings there as well - and so the heart should have been happy as well - but it's not! This stupid heart is never happy! No matter how much I want to be happy, this heart doesn't allow me to be happy - it has its woes and is turning out to be a drama queen!

So now it heard the romantic songs on Spotify from the movies MPK "mere rang mein rangne wali" and from TEZAAB "Keh do ki tum ho meri Warna" and it has turned nostalgic and gone in the early 1990s. Lingering there and trying to make me sentimental. Whenever this happens all the memories keep flashing - how much my life has been influenced by these Bollywood songs and movies! I wonder what must be the condition of others - how could they be spared from the Bollywood temptations and focus on life - studies and careers - all the intellectual PhD degree holders, how could they manage to keep themselves away from such distraction? Be sure of what they want to achieve in life. I wonder about the kind of discipline and self-control they must have endured. Or was it family pressure? I had my kind of family pressure. These intellectuals must have had their kind of pressure - sometimes I wonder and feel like asking about their story of life!

Feast of St. John Mary Vianney

Keep them, I pray Thee, dearest Lord,

keep them, for they are Thine

Thy priests whose lives burn out

before Thy consecrated shrine.

Keep them, for they are in the world,

though from the world apart;

when earthly pleasures tempt, allure

shelter them in Thy heart.

Keep them, and comfort them

in hours of loneliness and pain,

when all their lives of sacrifice

for souls seems but in vain.

Keep them, and O remember, Lord,

they have no one but Thee,

yet they have only human hearts,

with human frailty.

Keep them as spotless as the Host,

that daily they caress;

their every thought and word and deed,

Deign, dearest Lord, to bless.

The 1990s

A lot happened in the 1990s,

When my heart was infected with numerous fatalities!

Some I liked didn't like me,

The eyes cried and had many queries! 

Teary-eyed I clutched my Teddu,

Grim-faced I confided in Motu,

With a sad smile, I caressed Snoopy 

And gently relinquished being sleepy.

This was my life in the 1990s

Until I learned to shatter my dreams!

Then I realised life could be awful

With never-ending yells and screams! 

Lord, I beg you to give me a few days now

To live life to the fullest,

To enjoy the resplendent affection

That felt like two and a half days in heaven!