Reboot

I started this year by selecting clothes for a friend’s funeral. What do you wear to a friend’s funeral? Maybe black, because that seems appropriate. Or white, because that’s what you see back in India. Or a bright color, because that’s who she was. Vivid shades of all things bright. I remember getting reprimanded once, because of my love for black, white, grey and blue. A bright orange t-shirt was promptly bought and slapped on me. And that’s all I wore rest of the trip.

You know, Ma and Baba have taught many a life lessons. How to be kind everyday. How to be brave when things don’t work your way. How to love truly and completely. But they completely missed this. How do you deal with the loss of a loved one. S said the hurt doesn’t go away. Just don’t procrastinate on plans anymore. Meet that friend you were supposed to. Call that person you have been thinking of for the longest time. Learn what you always wanted to. Because like Irene said, the wheels keep spinning. You can either spend a lifetime planning a future, or just be your best version today.

This birthday was full of some amazingly thoughtful gifts. A picture that we all painted at Griffith Park. A bookmark of a fond memory. A book of short stories from Russia. And a book that gave instructions on writing (and life). I have been told through many a books and notes that I should write. For my own sanity and for you to get an insight into someone else’s life.

“Writing and reading decrease our sense of isolation. It’s like singing on a boat during a terrible storm at sea. You can’t stop the raging storm, but singing can change the hearts and spirits of the people who are together on that ship.”
― Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

So, here I am. Consolidating all the blogs I own. Rebooting this year with an intent to write more often. About things mundane and important. You might figure in this blog too. So, be kind. 🙂 Like the book says –

“You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.”
― Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

So dear 2017, behave from now on. Enough about goodbyes. Let this be the year of happier things. A year of adventure. Of new places and new people. Of old friends and new additions to the family. Of love and laughter. Of kindness and warmth. Of rainbows and all things colorful.