Time And Tide Wait For None

Sometimes I have the tendency to put off things that should be dealt with right away. By postponing the task  for another day, I found that things have got amassed and the task, mind-numbing .Like for instance clearing my emails that have gone beyond a thousand. That does n't mean I have a  thousand friends sending me mails everyday. My two boys recently became members of an online game site and pleaded  with me to sign in for their  newsletter and from that day onwards,my inbox has been piling  with mails, mails that keep coming  from Aliens,Robots and Farm animals. Then there are the spammers who send dubious mails trying all sorts of  tactics  to convince me into believing something about  winning a lottery or  that I have been  bequeathed  with a fortune  from  a relative whom I have never heard of.Do I fall for those !No way..Somehow or the other, spam mails  have found their way into my inbox,turning  my mail box into a junk box. A boxful of doubt and uncertainty. Hence it’s obvious, I find it difficult to put together the good and dispose the bad mails. Now just imagine how cluttered my inbox is with all those mails hoarded. 

Nevertheless, without any further consideration, I planned to do something, at least check the mails sent by real people.Unwaveringly,I acted fast. Avoiding another wasteful moment, I  hurriedly ran through my mails.What a surprise! Most  of the mails  looked  like they had come from outer space .I too seemed to be caught  floating into space. However after a while,  a few stars caught my attention. The ones I suppose came from this planet.  This one  I am sharing with you is exemplary.It swiftly brought  me back to earth.

It reads something like this..".Now I know why I am gaining weight.It’s because of the shampoo I am using when showering .The label on the bottle says ‘for extra volume and  body’. Therefore  I have decided to use washing liquid ,for the label in that bottle is encouraging.It says ‘dissolves fat  that is otherwise difficult to remove’.

Now do you think I did what I had to do ..No! Perhaps  another time..For I am still in the process of unraveling the treasures sent by real people and  yet again have postponed  clearing my mail box.

Something To Reflect Upon

This was an email forward that was sent to me.This is a story  of   a father  explaining to his child the challenges that she may have to deal with , passing through life's journey.


Happy Reading!

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

A daughter complained to her father about her life and how things have been so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and she wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed that just as one problem was solved another arose.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen, filled three pots with water and placed the fire on high. Soon the three pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the other he placed eggs, and the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently wondered what he was trying to do. She had problems, and he was making this strange concoction. In half an hour he walked over to the stove and turned down the fire. He pulled the carrots out and placed them in the bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in the bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.
Turning to her he asked. “Darling what do you see?

“Smartly, she replied. “Carrots, eggs, and coffee.

He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Her face frowned from the strength of the coffee.

Humbly, she asked. “What does it mean Father?”

He explained. “Each of them faced the same adversity, 212 degrees of boiling water. However each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. But after going through boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg was fragile. A thin outer shell protected a liquid center. But after sitting through the boiling water, it’s inside became hardened. The coffee beans are unique however. After they were in the boiling water, it became stronger and richer.

Which are you, he asked his daughter? When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

Are you the carrot that seems hard, but with the smallest amount of pain, adversity, or heat you wilt and become soft with no strength.

Are you the egg, which starts off with a malleable heart? A fluid spirit. But after a death, a divorce, an accident you became hardened and stiff. Your shell looks the same, but you are so bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and heart, internally.

Or are you like the coffee bean? The bean does not get its peak flavor and robust until it reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water gets the hottest, it just tastes better.

When things are  worst, you get better. When people talk the most, your praises increase. When the hour is the darkest, trials are there greatest, your worship elevates to another level. How do you handle adversity?

Mother's Musings

Cleaning The Clutter In Us

Cleaning The Clutter In Us

When ever the word clutter, is mentioned, we immediately think of the room, the computer desk or the kitchen. But how often do we think of the clutter in us, the clutter we have created and collected in our heads. The clutter collected up there is an emotional baggage we carry within us, which in other words could be phrased as  a profusion of total confusion. As much as reorganizing  an unkempt room by putting things back in proper places, we need to seriously focus on clearing up the mess holed up in our heads too. All that litter collected in our mind could result in an emotional mayhem. Chaos and confusion takes place, storing bitter and negative feelings, that allow our brains to get tangled and go kaput . And more still, if we didn’t undo these knots sooner, there could be a propensity to let these uncertainties take control of our lives, which could eventually lead to a  nervous breakdown. Next time, let us not think  only of  tossing away  the scraps from the kitchen counter or the unnecessary items from the bedroom dresser. Let’s begin to clean that rubbish off the mind too. By bottling our emotions, there’s always a tendency to flare up at the slightest aggravation. By decluttering and tossing away all those negativity, our minds become  more smarter, much cleaner and healthier. Thus, we become better persons.. 

Spring Cleaning And Clutter- Free!

Recently the whole family got busy, engaged with spring cleaning and clearing the clutter that had got collected within the last several months. After days of delaying this household task, we decided to start clearing without further delay that particular day. Even my five year old showed a lot of enthusiasm helping around, carrying the thrash bag here and there and trying to fill it up with whatever he thought was garbage!,
The very first thing my son did was to get this particular pair of shoes and said, ‘This is Garbage! I held on to it, as if for dear life before he could dump it into his thrash bag. I was wondering how children observed everything and anything., This one pair of shoes which I loved dearly was a bit tattered, nevertheless I enjoyed wearing it , because it always made me so comfortable .I could walk with ease. Incredibly I‘d never got a leg pain after I‘ve walked, confidently with these, during our many fortnightly outings to the Mall.
Then there was a pile of books, which had to be tackled , with my elder daughter. Those books had been in her room, in the same spot, for several months now, but she wouldn’t let me go any closer to them. Eventually it was decided all the books would go into a cupboard, that was out of view and for later use for my other daughter,( if she finds anything interesting to suit her tastes!)
My husband and I had decided that the things which were not used anymore should be given away , so that someone else, could enjoy. Out came clothes, shoes, socks, shirts, etc. from every nook of the house. I appreciated the whole family’s helping hand; the work got done faster and easier. For my sons this was a fun activity, they were so generous in parting with some of their toys to put in the charity box. My older son loved playing with the duster; he even imitated his Dad, wearing a piece of cloth tied loosely around his nose, like a mask.
By the way I love garage sales! But to organize it here in the country we reside would be a bit of a hassle! Nevertheless I have no regrets depositing all the stuff that was not in use for ages, into the charity box, which was installed close to a popular Mall nearby my home.
It didn’t take a while to understand that by doing this task of cleaning the house together as a family we had plenty of quality time together. No strict rules were imposed on the work task and there was no time limit , but the concept was to complete before night approached. So after a hard day was done, everyone felt tired but happy to see the house neat, clean and clutter free. But I was wondering for how long!
I came to the conclusion by making the children participate in this household chore; we were actually inculcating and developing their skills, sequentially, to complete a given task. They will also learn to arrange and put their toys away in boxes than keeping them scattered on the floor. We also teach them values like being responsible and being productive.
The kids learnt to work as a team. I fervently hope this ‘working together’ notion will be put into practice again, during our next spring cleaning day!