Lakshmi Iyer's Blog, page 57

I Am Jane Doe – Terrifying, Gripping and All Too Real

Late last night, I tucked my youngest into bed and watched her fall asleep before I crept away to the comfort zone that is my laptop. After writing a post that was a look back on 16 years of wedded bliss, I turned to Netflix. I scrolled through the sections aimlessly until my eyes stopped … Continue reading I Am Jane Doe – Terrifying, Gripping and All Too Real

State Of The Union – Sixteen Years

I watch him squint in the twilight, his face looking bare without glasses. “Can you read this?” he holds a tiny molded toy (Tsum Tsum for the initiated). I look at it in turn and give it back. I can barely see anything. “Made in China,” he reads and looks at me expectantly. I stare … Continue reading State Of The Union – Sixteen Years

Translating Angst Into Activism

A little after 8:00 PM I sat at my desk, headphones on, still breathing heavily from having rushed through chores post dinner. The glass doors to the study were locked and the children peered from the outside. I waved and turned my attention to the screen. A video conference with over 220 people from all … Continue reading Translating Angst Into Activism

You Are Not Alone

“What is on your mind?” exhorts Facebook when I turn to my phone in a moment of despair “Craptastic (pun intended)” I type and then backspace, watching each letter and my life disappear into an unseen void. My fingers are smudged with dosa batter drying into a white powder that flakes off as my hands … Continue reading You Are Not Alone

Book Review: When Dimple Met Rishi By Sandhya Menon

I kept running into people on twitter raving about this book. They described it as cute and gushed over it. I am sucker for rom-coms especially the cutesy ones so I looked for it in my library and placed a hold. I finished the book in a couple of hours. It is an easy read, … Continue reading Book Review: When Dimple Met Rishi By Sandhya Menon

On Politics, Liberalism And Being A Snowflake

The year was 2000. I filed my first tax return. I think I was owed money from the government. I am not sure but I did not follow-up or deem it worth my time to find out. I was young, unencumbered and singularly apolitical. In the few years I had been eligible to vote, I … Continue reading On Politics, Liberalism And Being A Snowflake

Of Standing In Judgement

A couple of days back, we sat as a family at the dinner table passing rotis and subzi and talking about our day when Pattu decided to show us her newfound trick of drinking water from a tumbler without touching it to her lips. We were suitably awed and I quipped “you have earned your … Continue reading Of Standing In Judgement

Odds And Ends

I step out of Laddu’s preschool and walk leisurely. “Are you Laddu’s mom?” the little girl walking toward me asks. I nod, pleasantly surprised to be addressed that way. She smiles, wishes me a good morning and skips behind her twin. Their mother walking a few paces behind stops and chats with me before she … Continue reading Odds And Ends

What I Want For Mother’s Day

I am at the sink rinsing out the small steel cups that are smeared with guacamole. “It could have used a little more salt and lime juice,” says Saathi taking his time with his share. “Amma makes the best home made guac…” trails off Ammu. I am smiling. In the weeks Saathi was away, the … Continue reading What I Want For Mother’s Day

On Privilege, Race And Unpacking Cultural Legacies

Late one night this week, I stood at my doorway waving my friends good bye. There was a bite in the air and a breeze that made me long for a warm wrap and perhaps a hot cup of tea. The clock showed a little past eleven. I turned the porch lights out and made … Continue reading On Privilege, Race And Unpacking Cultural Legacies