Goodbye 2013

Past year took a lot from me and gave me a lot too. It took away my standing, it took away things I loved, things I thought I will always have.

And somewhere, I decided to not give up.
I challenged myself to become a leader and became the president of a great organization.
I got asked to be the master of ceremony for a 200 + guests event and I did it and faced my stage fear yet again.
I was on radio and spoke my mind.
Travelling came knowing on my door twice and I said yes both times.
And now, I am living my worst fear of being alone..

And all this would not have been possible if my family, my parents did not believe in me.

I am so thankful for the time I got in the past year with my parents, it brought me so close to them.

And so, as we have all bid 2013 a goodbye, lend a ear, a hand and a shoulder to someone, reach out to someone out of the blue, you never know, they might be waiting for it all along.

And put up a good fight with life, it will eventually give in.

Be kind.

I met someone who had not played field hockey since quite a while. She was rusty but you could tell she was happy being back on the turf.

I found out that she would be unable to come to the mini tournament next week. I also found out why.


Our parents are such an integral part of our lives, they are our first heros and heroines. They are with us throughout, supporting, loving and caring for us. To see them go, to know that they have only few weeks to live, that is one of the hardest things to live, to feel.


Be kind and be gentle to people around you, you dont know what battle they are fighting today.

Days turn into months and soon its time.

To relive all of it, is a hard thing. Unpleasant moments from last year are running in my head, the courage to accept those calls, to go back to work on Monday, the call from the manager and then finally the partner...endless moments that I shouldnt have to remember, that I wish I had forgotten but are still afresh. The fear engulfs me and all I can do is watch the clock tick and wait.

Lost somewhere, stuck elsewhere, but strong enough to stand by it by God's grace.

Carrot, egg or coffee bean

Something I read..

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as though just as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil.

In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

After sometime, she turned off the burners. She took the carrots and the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did, and noted that they were soft.

The mother then asked the daughter to take the egg and peel it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee.

The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter.

"When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"

Ask yourself: Which am I?

Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor and brings out good from the bean. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.

When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity?

Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes their way.