I’ve always admired people who love to dance. Yesterday afternoon I attended a dance recital which featured my daughter and other dancers. As I watched her, I smiled with a wide grin, cheering her on in my seat. She twirled her hands in a circular motion and her feet moved back and forth in rhythm. Her arms reached up and the expression on her face exuded happiness. Although over seventy people sat in the audience, my daughter didn’t hesitate in [...]
Everyday life
In the last few years, the desire to remain still is what I crave. It is a real struggle. A few evenings ago, I attempted to spend an entire hour stretching my limbs in a class setting. Extending my hands above my head while my legs reached to some point I couldn’t really see, but felt. As my limbs pulled in varying directions, the pain of the stretch surged up my leg and the sensation of discomfort stirred inside. The [...]
I hear the faint sound of morning peeking into our bedroom window. I know the golden coins of sunshine will hit the pavement soon. First, there is the stray car, a honk of the horn, and the crunch of the gravel as an early someone walks their dog on the street. Sinking into my sheets, I hear the deep sigh from my daughter, one that indicates dreams of playing in the sand, talking loudly with her friends, and running from [...]
“Am I a good mother?” This question paused in my ears. To be honest, I was a little surprised by my mom’s question. I talk to my mom everyday on the phone. And our conversations are generally about the mundane. It’s a flurry of how are you’s, what are you doing today, can I talk to my granddaughter when she comes home from school. So when she posed this question to me yesterday, it required me to stop and wonder [...]
Sixteen and nervous, I pretended to walk with purpose toward the piano. On the right and left of me, there are people who have various expressions on their faces: boredom, anticipation, and happiness. Most are parents who are eagerly awaiting their child to play their particular piece. Before I stood up, I looked to the side and remember my mom, mouthing, “You will do great. Good luck!” Doubt filled my head. Although I practiced my piece a thousand times, I [...]
This past week, I read A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, by Betty Smith. This particular passage resonated with me, “Sometimes I think it’s better to suffer bitter unhappiness and to fight and to scream out, and even to suffer terrible pain, than just to be. . .safe. At least we know we are living.” With those words in my head, I revisited yoga for the first time in many, many years. My struggle to embrace an authentic peace are often [...]
I’ve talked about my aversion to turbulence, both in air and life. The feeling is one we all know, our emotions crunch inside of us and the unsteady terrain delivers a continuous stream of uncertainty. There is very little comfort in those kind of moments. You have to sit in it, your mind tricks you into believing that you are locked into this irregular flow of varying emotions: fear, anxiety, and ambiguity. The last few months I’ve certainly struggled with [...]
“Names have power.” – Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief Living in Texas, the name Rudri received much attention. In grade school, many of my teachers couldn’t pronounce my name. There would always be some unique pronunciation of my name, like Roo-Dry or some similar variation. A teacher would attempt to enunciate my name at least three of four solid times before he or she eventually gave up in trying to say it correctly. Every year as I graduated from [...]
When I was a little girl, white encyclopedia books filled the space of our brown bookshelf. Sometimes I would pull a random encyclopedia and flip to a page and absorb something that wasn’t a part of my current world. I learned so much within the confines of my room. I believe that’s when I really felt the power of the written word. Books can do more than transport you. They can provide a place of conversation, refuge, and relaxation. I often [...]
The last few nights the desert air breathes through our windows. There is a defined chill that passes through the pores of our screen. I hug my Jaipuri blanket and sink into the warmth of our bed. Outside cars are hurrying even though it is almost ten o’clock at night. In my ear, the chimes ring with a faint echo. A sound of helicopter strums a little song. And then within minutes, a wholesale change steers the air in a [...]
