New Year with Nephews

We celebrated our new year by cutting the cake in the wake of the New Year, keeping ourselves awake beyond midnight like usual, but unusual about this New Year was the cake and nephew Jeswanth. After 2015 I stopped cutting cakes for the New Year, not that I don't celebrate the new year, and though I lost interest in cake cutting, the real reason was no one to celebrate. 

For the New Year 2013, all my cousins met me on New Year’s Eve and stayed at our house all night to cut the New Year's cake and celebrate with joy. That was the last time I enjoyed the New Year and later years were just we 3 - me, mom, and dad - woke up till midnight, watching television, which boomed with a loud greeting of the happy New Year and a few greeting calls from dear ones beginning our year. 

Usually, my brother used to go to bed early or visit his friends on New Year’s Eve, so it was only the 3. Now, after shifting to the native home with my uncle's family in the adjacent portion, we have at least a few people around, but I still miss the cousins' company with whom I find delight. This year, my uncle's family came up with a surprise cake, and the arrival of my nephew is the reason behind it. This being his first new year (and first time seeing a cake), he was excited only to pick up the cake to eat rather than cutting the cake.

My nephew's activities have increased a lot these days, it's fun to watch them, and he's eight months now to sit and crawl on his own, and except for the time he sleeps, it is hard to control. Keeping an eye on him has become a must. He was kept awake till midnight to cut the cake, but unhappily, he has kept away from eating the cake as we can't feed him the same without consulting the doctor because he just got well from diarrhea.

Kavin - my other nephew and brother's son - 2 months old, visited us last week. As per custom, a newborn baby has to stay at his maternal parent's home for at least 5 months before moving into the paternal home. So, they stayed only for two days, and he's too little to have fun as he smiles and cries at the same. He notices the movements and sounds to either smile or cry, and he's someone who sleeps all day and is awake through the night. So, his wake-up time is too little in the day times to play. 

Welcome 2022

The sun, setting between the row of trees in the neighborhood, Besant Nagar. The sunset here to rises somewhere as a brand-new morning or a day, as well as a year, to dismiss is impossible. However, let wish and welcome the new year to bring a lot of positivity in lives (better not to be covid positive); cheers to mind, the goodness of health and prosperity for everyone to sustain and progress in life. Wish you all a Happy New Year, 2022.

Christmas décor 2021

Last year covid has spoiled the mood of celebrating or decorating for Christmas. Though this year also the situation isn't far different. The practicalities of the mask and the vaccine have allayed concern. But still, we aren't coming out of protective wear as Omicron is speeding up in the country. I have done a simple tree decoration and put some serial lights over the balcony and indoors - the LED light from Deepavali retains the living room.

As usual, mom decorated the Christmas tree on my behalf, or to say, she did everything, on my instructions. To add fun, I bought a set of Santa caps, specs, and a band for my nephew Jeswanth to dress like a Santa. He already has a red dress to match the accessories, but he is interested in playing with those rather than wearing them for the poses.  

A candid of dad and mom with the little one

I share some photos of the decor and Santa Jeswanth here. And I wish you all Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Let the new year brings hope and ways quittance of the Covid. Stay safe and celebrate safely. 

You can see the gingerbread house and birth of christ I made with popsicle sticks in 2018.

Tree in the living room, before it put on balcony.

Prohibition to Laughing

If there is something unique that belongs to the human race is laughter. Though animals do laugher sometimes like the simian, it's the sense of humor that enriches our human lifestyle. Insisting we love and care and bring happiness to others and relieving stress like us. Life isn't and shouldn't be serious always; to keep it away, laughing is a great gift the human could have. 

(My happily laughing nephew Jeswanth)

They say there is no better medicine than laughter and that laughter is scientifically proven to help release certain hormones and help reduce stress, the leading cause of heart disease. And prohibiting such great cause laughter is an inhuman act and the prevention of natural ways of treatment.  

I think you have now guessed what I am talking about, yes North Korea's ban on its citizens from laughing, drinking, and shopping for 11 days! Drinking and shopping can be secondary, but laughing is a basic sense of being human, and banning it can not be brought within any definition. Simply a foolish act of inhuman. 

There is no wonder the announcement coming from a country ruled by a dictator, although I feel sorry for the plight of the people of that country and would like to condemn this act. What is worse was they also banned crying loud (and moving out the body) if anyone dear to us dies during the 11 days - the mourning period of former Korean leader and father of President Kim Jong Un's 10th death anniversary. 

Laughing is a natural tendency towards anything that moves us in a light-hearted way and an emotion that infects anyone (in good nature) who comes across. Banning laughing is a force you could not implement at all; since crying and laughing have been the only acts child could do, and prohibiting it is quite an offense against natural law and the pinnacle of oppression. I wish the lifestyle of North Koreans changed and they experience freedom from the stubborn kid Kim! lol 

Do people care or advise?

I observe most of the time, people advise rather than show care. I do not complain here, and my concern was that in place of care, why do you do log advice. For someone who suffers, only kind words and emotional support would comfort, in the first place, and that does not mean you shouldn't advise; there are places, where rather than being wise, warmth upholds life. 

I believe advice helps in the development, and that comes along with the experience is worth listening to, and care is what reassures our presence and those in need, often those in distress. But in the name of advice, some criticize people when they are in difficulty -  piercing the existing wound rather than applying a gentle ointment over them. 

For a crying child, the mother's warmth is the first and best thing to console; an adult is no different from a child when he broke down, and his anticipation is a few comforting words, and after that, any kind of advice would be appropriate. In the world, there isn't an easy thing as advice - a thing that everyone gives us, or we give others either we or the other like it or not. 

In place of emotion, how could you place knowledge? There should be advice based on improving one's condition rather than worsening in a tone of accusing someone. There are ways to measure or test one's mentality, but the level of emotion is relevant to heart and love, and your intelligence does not work when looking for relief from the thing that clings to your heart. 

Some people anxiously wait for someone to fall to make fun of them. Finding fault in everything someone does could be a disease, and nothing is possible without a failure; just because you are right in a few instances does not mean you should always be, and those who make mistakes will do only that. 

I think love is the basis of care, and no one could care without the same. Even those who advise us, have based on our care, the way they express themselves can also be harsh at times, as pointed out before comforting the person listening. I think this from the point of most of the time because someone needs or anticipates care when they feel down, our words and comforting should raise their spirit and courage to stand up rather than fed up with our advice. 

Take Care