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We all need mirrors to remind us of who we are

Change

A change is brewing

Swift and strong

It engulfs those ready

And carries them along

Those unprepared

It leaves them in ache

And those who resist

It devastates in its wake

Like a whirlwind it comes

In the blink of an eye

Ripping from the seams

Without so much as a sigh

Unsuspecting like the grim reaper

And just as dark it sometimes is

Look it straight in the eye though

And its purpose can't be missed

The wisdom that hindsight affords

Reveals change as a friend

One that has shaped and almost nurtured

According to a master plan

Hence what might seem painful today

Might just be a blessing in disguise

So don't despair just yet

You might just be pleasantly surprised

-- Margaret Desouza

Blude's thicker than water

When Sir Walter Scott said "Blude's thicker than water", I wonder if he thought of the phrase based on acceptance (on what is and should be complete acceptance within a family) or perhaps he was referring to loyalty or even love. Also, did he actually mean "outsiders" can't accept/have loyalty/love as much as family would?

Is one who truely loves another- more likely to "accept" *everything* the person is- whether or not certain actions are *right*? Put another way- could complete acceptance in the name of 'love and family' sometimes lead to a *compromise of conscience*?

Where then, does 'tough love' come in- where one needs to pull up another out of a deep love/concern for their well being? Does it mean, this person who pulls up another out of concern, has a lower acceptance? In which case, would I prefer a lower acceptance (or tolerance) of my behavior from one who loves me, rather than 'complete acceptance' and a 'free hand' based on compromise?

Now where does 'judgement' fit in? Can one not judge another, and still demonstrate a low tolerance to an action that is wrong? Is low tolerance construed as 'judgement'? And if tough love is a right approach to a beloved, won't it at some level imply judgement and/or 'non-acceptance'?

Perhaps it finally comes down to the approach one takes when dealing with another; one can hold another and still correct the person's wrongdoing; perhaps that is acceptance- like how a parent would hold their child and tell them what is right or wrong;

-- thoughts of a friend

Thats me in the corner; losing my religion.

I rest my head against the ground and plug in to the earth- and it tells me it’s secrets.

The background noise fades, the internal voices are quieted, and breathing slows down and fills the moment. I am transported to a new place. Here, my rational world is rendered irrational & senseless; perspective reaches new heights and wisdom rears its wondrous head. In this place, the things that truly matter in the larger scheme of things- take center stage and the rest are just a blur in the background- career, entertainment, the stock market- even the very things that I think are important to me and define who I am- none of it really matters. It’s a dream we live in- which passes in a blink of the universal eye; so precious and yet so flitting and frivolously lived. We are given such precious gifts and we don’t even know it; we are capable of so much as a race. We pay more attention (for example)- at signing petitions for not cutting a tree, at being vegetarian, but often walk past a starving/troubled human being without a second glance. We have lost our way and most of the time, don’t even know it.

I rest my head against the ground and plug in to the earth- and it tells me its secrets- if only we would listen.

-- thoughts of a friend

A star in the night

There is happiness everywhere
Christmas- the silver lining,
to mark the end of another year
The curtains closing gently,
over this another gift of time.
The world pauses for a brief second,
to ponder its joys,
its hardships and everything in between.
A sigh- of peace
and quiet contentment and gratefulness
Against a backdrop of laughter and merriment
A lone tree decorated,
a humble attempt at a crib,
a star lit up in the night- what Joys!
Old fears and foes forgotten-
even if only for a brief moment in time
Eyes close, in a dream world without any regret
Only frost on the windows of tomorrow-
not a care to be had
Today is beautiful and life is beautiful
May the joys of today be with you
now & always- wherever you are

--- Margaret

Canon Photo Marathon 2010

Margaret and I took part in the Canon Photo Marathon this weekend. We were given 3 themes, one at a time and had 1 1/2 hour to capture a picture per theme.

Wanted to capture military personnel for the first one. Make three, four of them stand at attention and one of them indulge in a chocolate. Capture a side view, depth of focus shot, zoom shot but couldn't convince them. The second idea was to capture a back view of one old man in the middle with two old women on either side with walking sticks et al and then would play around with their hands to get the 'caught in the act' shot. Too ambitious... I know!!! Finally Margaret agreed to indulge when there was less than 5 mins left for submission.

Theme 1 - Caught in the Act

Caption: Caught Chocolate Handed

Theme 2 - Reflections

Caption: Shadow of Youth - Reflections of the Past

Theme 3 - Let there be Light

Caption: Music and Spirits can Light up your Life

Home is where the heart is

I saw them in our homes

Creating, building… quietly, stoically...

Up and down the stairs they would go,

poor and always working

Glancing at us, curiously-

wondering about us as much as I wondered about them

An acceptance of this intrusion was unspoken-

both by them, as well as by us

We would eventually live in these homes

These homes that were built by their hands

And the earlier acceptance of co-existence will forever vanish

And they will be kept out of our homes, our societies

Cast away on account of being poor

Cast away on grounds of suspicion

And yet, we will live in those homes,

which wouldn’t have existed were it not for them

We will be sheltered,

while those who built our shelters, will be homeless

We will be protected,

while those who created our protection, will have none

We will prosper and be comfortable,

while those who were instrumental in creating that environment,

will be cold, wet & starving

We will all have to answer for this someday

And when that day comes,

I hope more mercy is shown to us,

than we choose to show to those who need it today.

-- Margaret