From Sanjana's Playlist.......

Real strength comes from within.

We may think that people support us, but only if you are strong enough to stand are we really able to do it.

A support system remains merely that, until there is motivation to move from within. This framework keeps you with the flow, but when we hit the eddies it is the sheer strength from within which enables us to break out of the current and escape it.

When we fall in life, we need a safety web. The strength of this is essential for survival. We all think we have strong webs- these may be of either of the following two types:

A strong web made of several strands- with the strength coming from the volume.

or

A strong web made of very few strands, but those which are extremely tensile.

When one of the strands breaks, the web needs to modify itself so as to cover the loophole.

Today I did something I have never done before, something I had always deemed impossible.

I ran fast.

I ran long.

I did 25 km.

I ran all alone.

I ran without music.

I ran with my thoughts.

As the very famous ad goes- “impossible is nothing”

It was my best run this season.

I have learnt to run on my own now. We never really know what we are capable of doing until we actually do it.

Life throws up the most unexpected situations.

As I heard in sanjana’s ipod- a song by Kelly Clarkson:

“What doesn’t kill you, only makes you stronger”

It is nine years to Ketu as of yesterday- 8th September 2012.

Many ways of Learning

The summer holiday this year had been unusual. We had a “Stacation”!( a term i just learnt ).

It has been a great Stay-at-home-Vacation. My work was easy and the kids were relaxed. We caught on all our movies, as well as entire seasons of TV shows.

The cherry on the icing however, has been....

“THE COOK-OFF”!!!!!

What started as a simple idea, turned into an elaborate project as I outlined the rules and chalked out the score cards. They began over the weekend, when they both attacked google to get their menus in order. Their list of ingredients was exotic and their dishes were ambitious.

As time passed by the personalities of both my children became apparent. Sanjana, the planner who is into presentation and winning.. Arnav on the other end of the spectrum was laid back, haphazard but very intuitive about taste.

Presenting the rest of the story in a short film......

The Cook Off

As Arnav observed very wisely at the end of it all........he says to me- “it was a learning experience, mom!”