As we bid farewell to 2018 and welcome 2019 here is to wishing you a Bright, Blessed and Happy New Year! Here is to hoping that we can celebrate 2019 together and take it one experience at a time and one opportunity at a time!
Those who know me and who follow my work and my writing would know that this year has been a year of interesting sorts! It has been a combination of happiness, sadness, growth, learning, acceptance and an abundance of blessings. Clearly this has not been the reality for me alone but it is also the reality for many the world over. As we move forward let’s continue to take it one day at a time and remember that every time you feel down there is always something positive here to help you through a tough day.
For 2019 I urge you to do the following:
·Take the good with the bad
·Find a positive to every negative
·Always be true to yourself
·Be the best that you can be at all times
·Live life without regrets
·Value every moment
·Count your blessings and be thankful for all that you have
·Never waste an opportunity
I urge you once again to please download SGSPosts for positive and uplifting messages if you have not already done this. It is an app which delivers messages by His Holiness Param Pujya Dr Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji that are based on ‘peace, love, brotherhood and universal co-existence’ across the world.
Happy New Year 2019! Here is to 365 days of meaningful living, growth and positivity! From my entire family to you and your family best wishes for a blessed year ahead!
It’s been a long time since I posted a message I am sure you will agree! In this post I am opting to focus on life’s experiences. The thing is that I have learnt the hard way not to depend on many persons. I am also sure this will be agreed upon.
My circle is small but the lessons I have learnt are many. Thankfully my faith has never been in man but in God! My belief has always been in Karma (not in thinking of others suffering for the wrong they do as I do not have energy for that- with me I just pick up and press on- but I believe that we are all responsible for our actions) and being good and doing my best. This is what I always give to the world.
Some things to remember:
Have confidence in yourself.
Never give up.
Know that many people will show you want they want but the reality of what they are depends on their words and more so, their actions.
Remember that with every negative experience you should always look for the positive that comes out of it.
Change comes when people make a conscious effort to want to change.
If anyone makes you angry do not give them that anger. You suffer the most as you work yourself up and they do not deserve that satisfaction. Take care of yourself and pray for them to learn from their bad ways or pray to have less of that to deal with.
Nothing lasts forever. Believe that today is a present and tomorrow will get better. Today is your challenge for tomorrow and helps you better appreciate the good things when they come your way.
Being afraid never got anyone anywhere. Believe in yourself.
Take it bit by bit and day by day!
Make every moment count.
Putting of something always makes it harder to do it.
When in doubt always work with what you are sure about. This helps to clear away the uncertainties.
Take care of yourself. Nobody can do this as well as you really well as you can.
Today makes it one year since my dear grandfather passed away. We, his grandchildren, called him Baba!
A token of our love from all family members of the late Ramlal Dookie
We miss him but we know his pain and suffering are over. Our love for him and the love he showed us is something we will never forget. He is gone but will never be forgotten.
Have a look at this video and listen to this bhajan by His Holiness Dr. Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji:
So very true!
Here are two pictures I am happy to share:
This is a picture taken a few months before Baba got more sick and ended up in the hospital. Nanny and Baba had puja and Nanny placed a mala around Baba’s neck and did Aarti for him- October 14, 2014My grandparents (Baba- The late Mr Ramlal Dookie and Nanny- Jassodra Celia Dookie) after Puja on 14 October 2014.
I have been thinking of all the things I wanted to share with Baba in this past year- my graduation, my internship, our fishes, our plants etc! He has given us so much memories and now his pain and suffering are no more. That is our comfort and the fact that we have each other!
I called him as often as I could and before marriage he would ask about everyone at home and after marriage he would always ask, “How the boss?” referring to Shiva. I enjoyed those times when I was able to sing Happy Birthday to him and when I was able to talk to him and spend time with him.
I would always value the time I was able to spend with Baba in his last days at the hospital. Even then we were being taught valuable lessons-every single one of us who was there!
Knowing that when there is birth there is death is a reality we have always been taught but what matters is that we have made the most of the time we had Baba and all our other loved ones in our lives and we keep doing that for all those who are still with us.
Guidance from the Holy Scriptures is our comfort!
We were fortunate to have Baba, our grandpa, around for the time he was here. He was able to see us all grow up- children and grandchildren. He was also able to see some of his great grandchildren and each of us has similar memories but also different memories. Either way there are lots of memories for each of us to remember!
Baba was always a great Devotee. He was always prayerful and continued chanting the name of God in his last moments!
This is a post I wrote last year to celebrate Baba’s life:
This one captures our gratitude to Level 16 Ward 12 Suite 5 of the San Fernando Teaching Hospital for the high level of care and attention they gave to him.
Maybe you might also remember this next post! It captures the relationship my grandparents shared. On the day Baba passed away I had a presentation to do for one of my courses, Critical Analysis of Media and TV Coverage with Mr Roddy Batchasingh at COSTAATT. Baba had passed away in the morning and I had class in the evening. My presentation was dedicated to the bond my grandparents shared and my song of choice was “Thinking out Loud” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQLqu-ThMOY by Ed Sheeran.
Gone but not forgotten: The late Ramlal Dookie: November 14, 1933- March 19, 2015
Father of seven (7) children born to Jassodra Celia Dookie- 6 girls and 1 boy- Doris, Dora, Dolcie, Devi, Jaggs, Bena and Rajdaye, my grandma is the mother-in-law of and my grandpa was the father-in-law of Ranjit, Winston, Fyzal, Sharaz, Hosein, Rosemary and Rajesh.
He was the Brother-in-law of Mynee, Bissondaye (Betty), Bharose, Doodnath, Sita,Vinda and the late Sookraj Ramlakhan (my grandma’s siblings). Grandfather of 15 (Rishi, Savita, me, Adesh, Ria, Ricky, Sarah, Imran, Candice, Premnauth, Susan, Joseph, Josiah, Vincent and Leah), he was also a great grandfather of 5, uncle of Dilip among many others and he was a friend of many.
Apart from loving his family, anyone could associate him with riding his bicycle which he did for many years and with fishing with his seine which he enjoyed a lot.
Celebrating Existence 