• Toyna

    Get Well Soon (in the mind)

    After a long gap, yesterday, I was down with fever again. Around 5 in the evening, I could no longer continue to work, so decided to pack my bags and head home. Immediately upon reaching the home, I went to my room to catch some rest. This bothered Yog, as he is used to me hugging and cuddling him as I get home. He followed me into the room. Toyna followed him behind and like a big elder sister explained to him that Mama was not well and had to rest. She took him outside to play and quietly shut the door of my room. Even though my body was…

  • Thoughts and Quotes

    Age is just a number

    What is it about getting old that really makes you forget your age? Is it the fact that you are now busy counting the age and the class of your kids? Or is it, that your mind is cluttered with too many things to remember? Or is it, simply because you would rather choose to forget a number that doesn’t seem as exciting anymore? After a series of embarrassing moments related to forgetting my age, I am really trying to find the answer. On second thoughts, maybe, it is because, you would rather focus on the zillion things still left to be accomplished, rather than counting a number, which doesn’t even…

  • Yog

    Amma and Amuu

      Yog said his words when he was 5 months old. These words were “Abbba” calling out to his dad. I waited a long time to hear him call me “Mama”. Then one day, few months back, he started saying “Amma”. Since that day, his whole vocabulary has consisted of pretty much one word only, “Amma”. When he sees his dad coming in, he rushes to him and says “Amma Da” ( “Mom come” in Telugu). When he wants to ask a question, he says “Amma ??” with a questioning tone, his eyebrows raised and his palms turned upwards in a question. When he is happy, he throws his head back, laughs…

  • Professional,  Thoughts and Quotes

    Errors in Life

      One important thing that I have learnt in my long  ex-career as a Software Tester is that wherever there is a human element involved in any product or service, there will ALWAYS be errors. Humans are responsible for adding the beauty, the emotions, and the intellect to our product and services; but let’s be honest, they also add the errors. When someone walks up to me to tell me, “I am 100% confident there are no errors in my deliverable. Please don’t delay this by another review. ” I can only sigh and tell them that humans were made to be imperfect. It is Ok to be imperfect! I know…

  • Professional,  Toyna,  Yog

    God Bless Home Project Managers

        We have been working with a tough client for more than two years now. We have been abused, penalized and battered by this client for a long time. In spite of all the trauma, the team stuck on, determined to make it work. Today, as we went in for one of the few final sign off meetings with the client, we managed to delight him beyond his expectations. He was so happy, he invited us for lunch to show his appreciation for all our hard work. The drive back to office, was as expected, very very peaceful and happy. In my mind, I was glad it worked out…

  • Thoughts and Quotes

    A Part of Me, A Part of You

    As we enter the park, full of green hills and valleys You leave my hand, run ahead and never look back The distance between us grows but it doesn’t bother you at all You are never scared to venture far You know I will still be there to see you jump, or see you fall Remember these days and remember your Mom will always be there To shoulder your worries or your care One day, you might not see me physically around But then too, know I will always be found In your laughter, or your eyes In your fingers or in your smile A part of me will always…

  • Toyna,  Yog

    Mother Disorder

    After more than an year of having shelved all my books, I really felt the need to read something today. The kids were in bed, the kitchen wrapped up and still some time at hand before my regular sleep time.  It seemed like the perfect setting to indulge in some reading. I warmed a cup of milk and leisurely selected a book to read. Since both kids were sleeping in my room, I decided not to disturb them by switching on the light there. I gingerely closed their door, and walked into Toynas room to relax myself on her bed. The moment I switched on the light, I was greeted…

  • Yog

    The Medicine Chest

    I have an aversion to medicines. Just the sight of medicines makes me gloomy and the thought of being dependent on them can cause me a severe depression. No wonder then, that as soon as sickness passes our home,  irrespective of who is sick, I am pretty messed up myself. The bad news is that no matter what we eat and how we scrub, sickness is a sure shot visitor once in a while. The victim of its most recent vist was none other than little Yog. As he lay in bed, burning with fever for three straight days, our room resembled a mini hospital.  Steamers, thermometers, allopathic medicines, homeo…

  • Thoughts and Quotes

    A Friend in Need

    A friend from far, going through some difficult times, sent me this message online, “Shilpa, I was feeling very low and looking for something to cheer me up. I thought I will read something you have written. Since I was not in the mood for Facebook, I went to your website and read the blog, A letter to Toyna. It made me feel much better. Thank you for writing and posting!” Knowing the pain she is going through, I am sure this particular blog would’ve helped her. But for me as an aspiring writer, the moment when I realized that what I write can actually help someone by bringing a…

  • Toyna,  Yog

    Toyna n Yog

    I might be the biological mother for Yog, but honestly, better than me, he has two more mothers in our house. One, without doubt, is his grandmother whom he spends a lot of his waking time with. The other, quite unexpectedly is 9 year old Toyna. When Yog was born, I hadn’t expected Toyna to be able to connect much. After all, there is a significant age gap between the two. On top of that, she hardly has any time after her school, homework and friends to spare with Yog. But as the two are growing, the connection is so deep, it seems it has always been there. When Pavan…