Wishes for Those Days!

Labor Day

My namaskar to the millions who work very hard with very little compensation, whose weddings never make it international TV, whose struggles get donald trumped out, and yet whose spirit sustains human society...a thousand pranams to the workers of the world

Mother’s Day

In honor of the inner mother in all of us: the mother that allows to create children at times, at other times poetry, prose, music and dance, and yet at other times organizations and communities--to that Mother principle of the Universe, may She continue to nurture our inner child!

Father’s Day

Happy father's day to all my friends and family who are fathers!!! Children need their dad's active and responsible presence as much as they need their mothers. To my dad, for teaching me honesty and kindness, thank you!

Guru Purnima

I used to think renunciation was a formal public act of breaking familial and material ties. Amma taught me that it is an everyday practice of letting go. I used to think Guru is the "person" of the Master. But Amma said practice the Master's teachings sincerely everyday and discover the Guru within yourself. As Anandamayee Ma said: I the Guru gave I the disciple diksha! To that divinity in all of us, Om Guruve Namah!

Diwali

Diwali is a time for certain big businesses to make big money...but it is also a time for small vendors to make money. Find a flower seller seated alone in a dark road and buy from her. Find a vendor selling bananas from his cart and buy from him. Search for the neighborhood sweet shop that is not doing well because of competition and buy your sweets from them. Use market economy in a different way--spread your wealth around. Happy Diwali all!!!

Christmas

Christmas brings back nostalgia--of the time that I have spent with friends celebrating this day--from that Native American Church on top of the plateau at Acoma, through setting up luminarias on snow for a Christmas get-together in Chama, to the many Christmas brunches with friends. Miles away today, I remember you all for letting me into your families and circles. May the love that you shared with me return to you manifold.

New Year

This moment in 2011 is no different from that moment in 2012, except that you say I crossed this and now there is a new beginning. I jog on— composing words to thread into a sentence in the hope of an essay. Wishing all of us the strength, tenacity, consistency, focus, and compassion to complete this essay! Happy new opportunities all!