Sunday, 24th May 2009.
9.02 pm.

Blooper 1

* I'm sitting on the couch at home with the laptop on. Papa walks across, sits on the other couch, and accidentally drops the remote on the floor. We hear a loud crrraaassshh.

Papa : Aaaaaah!! (sounds like as if he dropped gold or something).
Amma : Aiyooo!! (sounds like someone fell of the balcony).
Darshi : aiyo, its just the remote la.
Papa (looking at Amma) : Why you scream so loud?
Amma (looks at Papa with annoyance) : Because the sky is so high!

*Silence. And then I burst out laughing.


Blooper 2

* I'm at Thana anne's house having dinner. My 3 year old niece, Priyankka runs up to me, dragging her stuffed dog. She's tied a ribbon around its neck.

Priyankka : Akka , look. Its my new dog. His name is Drownie. He's nice, he won't bite.
Me : Really? He's so sweet. Can I pat him?
Priyankka : Ya you can. See, he is a good dog. He won't even bark.
Me : That's nice. What is his name darling? Drownie? or Brownie?
Priyankka : (gives me that aiyo-you're-so-slow look) Its DROWNIE! Drownie.
Me : Is that spelt with a D or a B?
Priyankka : Aiyo Darshi akka, its B!
Me : How do you spell his name?
Priyankka : (another aiyo-you're-so-slow look, smacks her forehead and then says... )
D-O-S-T-U!
And then she walks off in a huff.

*Silence follows. And then I burst out laughing.

:)

Never in my life have I been this tired and exhausted, trying to juggle personal life and work all at the same time. So what is dharma, if you need to do both duties at home and at work all at once?

How do I be that dutiful daughter, fulfill work demands, and do sai work all at the same time without getting worn out and burned out?

I think I know the answer. Realising that it is the answer isn't so easy, ironically.

Dear Lord,
Please grant me the courage to carry on and the strength to do all that I have to do without faltering or failing in any one task, at any time.

Monday,11th May 2009.
5.33pm.

I offer myself at the Lotus Feet of my Loving Father, my Loving Baba.

Dearest Swami,
I realized a long time ago that Life is a Teacher.
And I also realized a long time ago, that Teacher is You…You are my Life, Swami.

The Walk For Values Malaysia 2009 – we dared to dream for the stars, only because we knew that You will see us through it.

10th May 2009.
SS3 Basketball Court.

All around me were people in different shades of green. A little girl laughed and ran towards her father. She was dressed like a sunflower, and her face, as radiant as the petals that she carried.

Messages of Love, Peace, Truth, and environmental issues were splashed across placards, sandwich boards, and on the people themselves. I could only see smiles, laughter, and vibrant costumes.

As I sat there, on the floor of the court, soaking all the energy from the Walk For Values 2009 in, I looked up at the majestic trees against the blue sky… for a split second, I could’ve swore I saw You, Swami.

And tears welled up in my eyes. Luckily, I was wearing my shades. My thoughts flew back to the very first Walk For Values meeting we had in SS3, in the beginning of the year. We had a vision – to embark on a journey so powerful that Your message of values remains engrained in one and all, for eternity.

The endless meetings, dead ends, solutions, exhaustion, joy, and love all came rushing back at the same time. It was overwhelming to see so many people, from all walks of life, coming together to Go Green, and spread the message of Your Love through this simple but powerful walk.

The weeks leading up to the walk were the most testing, trying and daunting ones. The last minute changes, the unfinished paper bags, the decoration tasks, and the preparations pushed us to a level we had never gone before.

Yet, despite the tension, the work, and the uncertainty, we smiled and laughed at it all, firmly believing that You will make it happen! When the intention is noble, and the cause is pure, what is there to worry about? We surrendered completely to You, Swami. We pushed ourselves to give You only the best, with firm faith that You will be happy.

If I wish, you can be before Me instantly
If I wish, your life can be changed dramatically
If I wish, you can attain God in no time
But for Me to do that
You first have to melt My heart
Melt it with your devotion
Melt it with your love
Melt it with your selflessness
Melt it with your perseverance
Melt it with your unshakable faith
Once you pull the string to My heart
I run and lodge Myself in yours.

That is our ultimate goal, Swami.It was the only reason that kept us going, even at 3.00am in the morning, with almost no sleep, and massive exhaustion. And we were still standing that morning, at the court. And all I could see was Your Love, spreading from that little basketball court in SS3, to the entire neighbourhood. The shouts of Go Green! , messages of values on Your Messengers of Love… it was pure Love, manifested in the form of this Walk.

Thank you Swami, for giving me such a loving family of brothers and sisters, the Sai Youth of Central Region. The bond that we share is unbreakable, and sealed firmly with Your blessings and Love. There were many times where we felt like almost giving up, but we never did because we knew Your unseen Hand will nudge us the right way.

And in the end, what was the connection between the Nature and Your teachings?

The scriptures (Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita) declare, "All Nature is God" and "The Lord is in all beings". When learning about the sublime secrets of the trees, appreciate the Creator and strive to understand the principles behind creation. Life is a tree. The mutual relationship we cultivate and cherish are symbolized by the branches, twigs and leaves; the thoughts arising in the mind are the flowers; Ananda (Joy) is in the fruit, Dharma is the sweet juice it contains. The tree is held firm by the very roots which fed it...roots that symbolize faith and self-confidence. Nurture the roots well.
-Divine Discourse, February 18, 1980.

We offer this walk at Your Divine Lotus Feet, our beloved Father. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for blessing us with Your Love.

I Love You, Swami. Thank you for lifting us higher than the sky!