Word of the Year – 2025 and 2026

My word for 2025 is Present. My intention was to dedicate the year to being more Present. It’s hard to comment on how Present I was but I can share what the moments of being Present opened up for me. Being Present opened me to the beauty of what is when I stopped wallowing and let go of what could have been. By being present in anxious moments, I learnt how isolating and lonely anxiety can be. It taught me the power of compassion, kindness, and a support system that you can lean on. Being Present means daring to come face-to-face with uncomfortable emotions and truths of your life and mustering the courage to work through them. Being Present in moments of ease and lightness is a way of expressing gratitude for blessings in life. You soak it all in. Being Present is being engaged, and living and loving deeply. And it is a gift you can give yourself and to others time and again. Yet very often we find ourselves unable to choose Presence. Such is the strong hold of the conditioned mind! But when the mind is willing, it can move mountains!

That brings me to the Word for 2026 – Practice. What you repeat, you get better at! Practice is nurturing because it does not ask you not to fall, just to pick yourself and begin again when you slip. Thoughts and emotions come and go, but consistent and disciplined effort is the strong ground you can practice on. So here’s to a year of Practice, Practice and more Practice.

2025 – A Year in Review

It’s time for the yearly ritual of looking back on the year that has gone by. In the past years, I have relied on my blog posts and pictures to recall the events from the year. Not so this year due to my sporadic blogging and lack of backing up of my pictures due to storage issues. So falling back on my memory here.

This year has been a roller coaster year with ups, downs and everything in between. We traveled quite a bit. I went to India twice. The first time combining it with a trip to Malaysia for a wedding. The wedding was super fun, reconnecting with friends who are family to us, and embracing the next generation of traditions and festivities. As you grow up, you realize that genuine friendships and authentic relationships are far and between and when an opportunity presents itself, you just need to seize it with both your hands. And what is not to love about Malaysia, a rare combination of nature and modernity. That India trip was short but sweet and meaningful with visiting temples, spending time with appa, amma and my sister-in-law and family. The second India trip was fulfilling, combining work and personal commitments and I am so very grateful to the powers above for the timing of the visit.

Close on heels of the first India trip was a weekend visit to Paris. This trip was about hanging out with family although the novelty of the city was enamoring. Da and Ram continued with a trip to the UK. Later this year, Da traveled to Israel on a business trip. We missed Hari when we went to Ithaca during the summer. Another place that is close to my heart! Those beautiful waterfalls, one can never have enough of them!

This was a big year for Ram. He graduated from Middle School and the Indian Heritage School. He climbed ranks in Scouts. He got Black Belt in Karate. The pressure of High School is certainly weighing on him but he is hanging in there, alternating between working hard and hardly working.

This was a milestone year for Hari. The child is an adult. With internships and other commitments, getting family time is becoming more and more scarce. We have learnt to make the most of it when he is around. He works super hard but knows to chill as well.

Da had to face a curveball in his work life but managed it well with clarity and focused efforts. I am proud of his resilience.

As far as I am concerned, some of my extra curricular activities have come to an end. Teaching at Indian Heritage School and being on the library board. They were passions close to my heart but I am also happy that I let go as I am able to make time to explore other interests and passions. I celebrated 20 years of working in the same company and am grateful for the financial freedom and personal growth it has offered me.

The reckoning and the awakening that comes with mid-life is hitting me hard, and the pull to live a life aligned to my values is getting stronger and stronger. Every now and then, a little voice keeps whispering, how are you going to live the rest of your wild precious life? (thanks to Mary Oliver for this poignant ask in The Summer Day poem). I don’t have an answer but the questions gives me a reset and inspires me to live an intentioned life.

If you have been reading me this year, thank you for sticking with me. Just say hello and let me know how you are doing and if it is not asking too much, I would love to know what you have been up to and what life has taught you this year.

Uninterrupted NOT!

Gosh, if there is one thing I can say about my blog, it is that it has gradually faded into oblivion with my other personal pursuits.

At least until last year, I was steadfast in writing during November. One could argue that I started the gratitude posts in November stating that I have travel commitments and would keep them going for as long as I can, which is what I did. But then, there have been years when life kept me on my toes but somehow the pull to write and the push to keep the streak going were strong enough for me to make time for writing through life’s commitments and curve balls.

This year, I just let it be. I had worked very hard in the Fall and I simply didn’t want to push myself harder in any aspect of my life. Letting it be was an act of self-care. But then I came back in December and made grand proclamations to catch up and I did not honor that. Not proud of it at all. And a little bit troubled by it as well since I had made a similar commitment to myself to write a 100-day private journal and I did not follow through.

The reason I bring this up is our interests and hobbies are fragile. At least for me, they are. For some, the passion itself drives the practice. I have a tendency to drift in the direction that life takes me. So, this is just a reminder to myself that my passions need to be grounded in intention and the discipline to keep coming back to the practice.

Treating Myself

I went on a date with myself today. Just being with myself, knowing myself, and befriending myself!

UMASS Center of Mindfulness offered an all-day virtual silent retreat. Primarily, meant for current students of the programs, the center extends the invite to alums as well. The day was filled with a series of sessions led by variety of teachers. Each one a gem. Each one softens your heart, strengthens your spirit, settles your mind, and brings awareness to your body. Not to mention, you do this in a community where you don’t know anyone individually yet you feel this strong sense of belonging and togetherness.

Immense gratitude for this generous gift.

Reflections and Intentions

Another year has gone by just like that!

Highlights of the year for us have been our India trip and Hari starting college.

We went to India after what felt like centuries. We soaked in the company of my parents and sister-in-law and her family and couldn’t have asked for a better gift. Cherry on the cake was meeting our extended family too.

Hari starting college was bittersweet. We couldn’t have been more excited for him. But it was also a bit of adjustment for all of us, which I have written ad nauseam here. But life has a way of teaching you to adapt. He will be going back this week after being home for 5 weeks. He enjoyed the break from adulting, and we let him be more of an adult with his own routine and preferences when he was here. That seems to have struck a happy balance.

Ram has been an active seventh grader. His new adventure this year was taking part in the First Lego League, which he quite enjoyed. Scouts, guitar and karate continue to have his loyalty. He worked very hard on his scout merit badges and has been having a blast learning new songs on his guitar. Books, drawing and creative pursuits remain his sanctuary!

Da’s work has kept him on his toes and he changed jobs and is liking it.

No big changes at my end. I find myself drawn to “being” rather than “doing” more these days. In that sense, perhaps I went with the Flow, my word of the year. I am most proud of working with Ram on a personal fitness goal for his scouts project. The project itself was low key but it taught me a thing or two about how much the mind resists and persuades you away from discomfort and has given me a lot to work on.

For the new year, I am setting an intention to explore my inner resources and work from within. My word of the year is “Within”. Wishing me well and here’s wishing you all well in your pursuits and endeavours.

Word of the year

The word that spoke to me is Galvanize.

I am a big believer in organic growth. I trust and have faith in the process. On the flip side, I am happy to go along when things happen to me but not driven enough to initiate and make things happen. Sometimes I wish I worked more doggedly at things that I am passionate about. I wish I imbibed a little more of the oomph factor and acted with a sense of empowerment. I am embracing the word galvanize to infuse excitement and energy into the things that I do.

Onward and Upwards 2022

Showing up for yourself with patience and grace, day in and day out. Giving more of yourself to the present moment and soaking in the fullness of it. Hobbies and passion that stretch and fulfill you. Rest and recovery that replenish you. Faith and hope when anxiety and fear strike. People you can lean on, relationships you can count on and friendships that matter. The courage to just be in the face of difficult times and the knowledge that this will pass too. Physical, emotional, and financial well-being. Wishing you all these and more in 2022.

Word of the year

The word that resonates with me this year is Nourish.

This year I want to nourish the whispers of my heart, the ones that drown in the daily humdrum of life. The voice that asks me to read more, write often, practice dance regularly, go on daily walks, spend more quality time with kids and Da, do my part for the community… you know the finer things in life.

The million dollar question is how to nourish these deeply held desires while delivering on other life and work commitments? I have no answers, all I know is at this moment in time the whispers are compelling enough for me to search for an answer(s).

If you have any hacks that work for you, send them my way.

Summer Yoga

Those of us who know UL, know how passionate, sincere and present she is. The year that Ram was born was a turning point in her yoga journey as well. In that we share a special connection. Ever since UL started teaching yoga, I have wanted to learn under her guidance. The pandemic and the reimagination required as a result of that, lifted the distance barrier and gave an opportunity to learn. That hour and 15 mins was my restful place on Sunday mornings during the summer. My mind kept calm. My thanks from the bottom of my heart to UL for the experience.

Thanksgiving Prayer

2020 has humbled us like no other. It has brought the whole world down on its knees in a matter of days. We are nothing but a tiny speck in the grand scheme of things. Humanity has witnessed and continues to experience losses of all kinds (physical and emotional health, sustenance, loved ones, and what not) and of differing magnitude (from the daily stress to life altering events).

There is so much suffering and disruption. We all have been stripped off of our safety nets and forced to embrace uncertainty. We have been taught to adapt and reimagine. To never take anything or anyone for granted. To cherish blessings, to live in the moment and to show genorisity of spirit.

I start this thanksgiving month with a silent prayer. I hold the suffering in my heart and seek protection. Let there be healing, resilience, second chances and lightness. I pray for continued safety and well being. For you, me, and the entire human race. Let us become better, stronger and kinder individuals.

For the love of writing, as an act of self-care and as an opportunity to reflect, I am embarking on an exercise to be deliberate in expressing gratitude. If this sentiment resonates, I invite you to join me in this journey – what are you thankful for today?