Lakshmi Iyer's Blog, page 39
January 28, 2019
Leaning In
The sambar bubbles merrily on the back stove. The vegetables in the sambar are just done, not mushy, not too hard. The color is a golden yellow. The smell of ghee elevates the whole experience. The only thing missing is coriander. The okra is crisping evenly, specks of brown amid the green. I smile to […]
January 24, 2019
Looking For Unicorns
I am bored. I am in the study in the twilight hours. A patch of time after the madness of evening homework, showers and feeding ravenous children. Dinner prep is on the cards. I sink into the chair that has molded itself to my form over the years. My feet sigh with relief as I […]
January 16, 2019
Glorious Days
Laddu is hard at work at the breakfast table, the lamp throwing a halo around her tiny head. Her hair covers her face. “What’s next after GO amma?” “How do you spell AKKAS?” I call out spellings even as I muddle through improper fractions with Ammu and Pattu. After the twins stuff their homework into […]
January 13, 2019
Zindagi Gulzar Hai – Entrenching Patriarchy
It has been a few years since my last television soap opera fix. I have been hearing of Zindagi Gulzar Hai (#ZGH #ZindagiGulzarHai) on my social media handles for years. I had it on my watchlist for a while before I got to it this past week. The show started slow and promisingly enough for […]
January 8, 2019
Drifting
I am on the phone with my Amma as she prepares to leave to India for the winter. My cell phone rings flashing the number of an old friend. I hang up and reach for my cell phone. This woman and I go back a decade, working alongside on a banking software product. We exchange […]
December 31, 2018
Happy New Year 2019
One year bites the dust. Another emerges from the ashes. I wish for me and for you in this new year: Time for reflection Ways to practice mindfulness Balancing family with work Plenty of dinnertime conversations Lots of hugs and kisses Quality over quantity Country over party Kindness over everything else I am rooting for […]
December 30, 2018
Family Is Love
My feet hurt. The delicious kind of ache that comes from knowing all of your work is done and all that stretches ahead of you is a night of dreamless sleep. I have been meticulously unpacking suitcases, folding clothes and putting them away. The process has taken me longer than it should because I stumbled […]
December 22, 2018
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
Dear Readers, Thank you for following, engaging, sharing and connecting with me here. I am grateful for your readership. I wish you all happy holidays and a very happy new year! I will be away celebrating with my family and will see you all in the new year. Warmest regards, Lakshmi.
December 18, 2018
Year In Review: 2018
Each year draws to a close, I skim through all that I have written over the year and relive pockets of time from each month. January started with news of my father-in-law breaking his hip. Saathi traveled to help him while I held the fort, taking solace in routine and school. February brought with it […]
December 12, 2018
Silent Epidemics
Special Needs Mom. I roll over that label in my head. It feels alien, like when you first refer to yourself as Mrs or spell out your address to friends for the first time. You are not quite sure how you arrived there. But you are there, with all the baggage that comes with that […]
