Forever in Our Hearts-Our One and Only, We Miss You

This piece I write, is to remember a special lady, and is a platform to revive the old memories we have of her. This piece I write, is not something to exaggerate her strength, or undermine her fears.

She was my aunt, almost like a mother to me. She was joyful, kind, always smiling and was never the one to give up. She was a sister to my father, a daughter to my grandmother, a wife to my dear uncle, a mother to my favorite people of all times. She was my Didi Umeeta, who dedicated her life to make life meaningful for her children and husband. She was one to value every breath of life, and one who always advised me that education is the most powerful tool in the world.

As a child, my grandma told me, she was vivacious, lovable and obedient. She loved her parents and siblings and was always much loved, being the youngest of the three. As a good daughter, she would dotingly call my grandma many times a day, no matter how packed her schedule was, just to say “hi, mom!”, buy that round filling-less bread from BreadTalk my grandma loves and buy slippers for her. Her cakes, oh don’t get me started, her cakes are the reasons to failed diets. Whenever we found out she was baking, we would have a small lunch portion to allow some gobbling during tea time ☺

As a mother and my aunt, she would take us out for dinners, lunches, playlands, shopping and more. I remember my trip to India with her, where she preferred to sit in Starbucks the whole transit, but ended up roaming around with me to satisfy the 12-year-old’s desire to see the whole of Changi. As a much chubbier me, she would give me dresses to try and when they didn’t fit, she would tell me to keep it for “next time”… Guess what, as I am writing this, I am wearing one of her dresses she passed me ☺

Nope, none of the above would justify her as a human being enough.

When we found out that something inside her was damaging her, our hearts broke. She was young, all of 40 years old with her whole life ahead of her. She didn’t deserve to be going so fast… but she was, slowly and slowly….

2 years. It took her 2 long years to finally receive her peace and solace. Unbelievable pain, mental trauma and worry for her family above her trial towards triumph.

It brings a smile on my face to remember that during those 2 years, not one moment she complained about her health, not one moment she blamed God, not one second she wished this illness on somebody else. She got through all of it with a smile on her face, prayers, positivity, courage and faith that everything would be ok. She was one of the bravest people I knew, who handled this ordeal of life with such braveness.

We celebrated her last Christmas in the comfort of her house, with gifts, Santa and children. She looked healthy and happy as ever. A few days later, she was back where she needed to be, under the hands of a doctor…

My birthday. 20th January 2012, she took her last breath under life support. I was one of the few lucky ones who got to say goodbye, and I whispered my promise into her ears, which only she and I know of ☺ The day I celebrated the beginning of my life, was the day we celebrated the end of her tough ordeal, something she didn’t deserve to live with…

We miss her and we wished she was still between us today, happy, healthy and still baking. But her departure was not seen as a battle we had lost, it was a battle she had won, finally won, and deservingly won…

You all will be happy to know that her baking lives on, in the form of her blessed daughter, my sister Neelu, who bakes as good as her mom did. I am so proud of her today, who kept her mom’s dream alive, simply by being as talented as her mom was… And we still get super hungry when we hear Neelu is baking ☺

Forever in our hearts you will be, Di…we love you

Ways to Make Your Life More Meaningful

Okay, before we get in too deep, let me first clarify that I am not a 70-year-old philosopher who has lived life fruitfully. Neither am i a certified self-help speaker who gives books a run for their money. I am your typical 24-year-old who turns the couch pillow when I spill ice-cream or pesto sauce. But, I have recently found ways to make me smile wider and thank more, as compared to the grouchy lil one complaining for every little mishap, as little as the lost wi-fi connection.

So below are few ways I found interesting to add lil happiness into our otherwise dull life (sometimes!). Not necessarily in the following order:

1. Get a job you love
Simple tip, yet so helpful. I have always been lucky enough with my jobs, job title and job description. But I know people who often complain and they wake up every day ruing about the fact that they have to go to work. I mean, you work at least 5 times a week, 8 hours a day. That's more time you spend at home, isn't it? Life's too long to be stuck in the wrong job. Be brave enough and hand in that resignation. PS: first find out what you actually love before suing me for being jobless :p




2. Spend time with children
I work in a school and children are my daily routine. I find that their innocence are irreplaceable and they somehow have a way to win your heart. I have also have my young cousins, aged 7, 5 and 4 who are siblings. You can imagine my babysitting sessions once a week!


3. Spare (and value!) quality time with our folks
Most of us go out with our folks because "we were asked to come along". So wrong. Our parents, yes, they do have their ways at times, but when you find time to listen, you find ways where you find youself to be so similar to them. Ways you could never value if you didn't know them.


4. do some charity
My Sincere Hearts partner, Ekta Melwani and the rest of my crew are sweethearts! They have helped make this dream of ours come true. I find that this point brings out the gratefulness in you, and a certain feeling of satisfaction to your life, knowing that you made at least someone smile today. Not much money to spare? Donate blood to PMI. Health conditions don't support? donate some energy just by helping out :)


5. Click more photos
May they be the duckface, goofy face, pretty face or with your friends, family, special someone or a selfie, photos are fun! No explanation required, I believe?





6. find people who you truly laugh with
Life is way too complicating to be with people who make it even more so. Let go of people who burden you and stick around those who give you tummy aches from laughing.



7. pamper yourself
For you who overthink before spending time or money, ITS OKAY! its okay to get that expensive manicure, its okay to buy more than just one pair of shoes, its okay to facebook endlessly, its okay to have a little more french fries, its okay to lick that cream cheese of the red velvet, its okay! AS LONG AS you keep it under control. SOMETIMES is the key word. Also, spend more time doing what you love, may they be dancing, singing or the like.



Following the above have made me a little happier and I hope you find them helpful too!!!
Much love