A dazzling candle, an inspiration!

You held my hand, showed me new horizons

You were the lighter that ignited the flame in me.

(Image Source: here)

These lines are extremely true for the person who inspires me to be a better blogger with every passing day.

I started the blog Love, laugh and reflect in April, 2014 to just connect with my readers and write about my books. Yes, you heard it right. I was not at all a serious blogger one year back. I was an occasional blogger, whose main focus was writing books. 

Once I wrote a post for Indispire in July, 2014 where the topic was Are people losing the habit of reading? That was the first time when Gaurab Mukherjee visited my blog and commented on my post. Since then, whenever he found a post of mine good enough, he has left an encouraging comment. 

Soon, my second book, The Hidden Letters released and Gaurab was extremely kind to spread the word about my book and review it on his blog. I was a fan of Gaurab’s writing and after reading my book, the admiration and appreciation became mutual.

He was such an intelligent, easy-going, grounded and helpful person that we became good friends in no time. Shortly, he asked me why I do not write for the contests of Indiblogger and Blogadda. I told him that I am a content developer and I cannot manage time. He told me to give it a thought and assured me that I would surely win. I listened to him and wrote for the contests. And surprisingly, I managed to win 4 contests in three months. This definitely intensified my interest in blogging.

Earlier, I was quite reluctant to publish my stories and poetries in my blog as I wanted to save them so that they could be published in some anthologies. Gaurab eradicated my notion by telling me that I am just obstructing my creative expression by thinking in this manner. It made me think deeply and from thereafter, I feel more comfortable publishing my creative writing in my blog than waiting for some anthology to publish them. He encourages me whenever he likes a story or article or poetry of mine without failure. 

Gaurab also helped me to improve the look of my blog, enhance my Alexa Rank and interact with other fellow bloggers. He showed me that blogging can be such an enriching and beautiful experience. Honestly speaking, he made this passionate author a passionate blogger. And today, my blog means so much to me. It is as dear to me as the two books that I have written.

I am a big fan of Gaurab’s writings and I consider him my mentor. His short stories and articles are extremely thought-provoking, honest and soulful. I always look forward to reading them.

Check out his wonderful blogs:

Processing Creativity 

Processing the Life 

Today, I would take this opportunity to express all my gratitude to Gaurab Mukherjee. Thank you, from the core of my heart!

A dazzling candle, that’s what you are

Who don’t hesitate to lit another candle in need

Therefore, you shine brighter everyday

By spreading your light and illuminating people in need.

 I’m blogging for #YouMakeMeWIN to honour  Gaurab Mukherjee who has influenced me and deserves to be nominated at WIN15.

The Aroma Melody

The delightful sound of drizzles

Endearingly wiped off my slumber;

A whiff of ambrosial fragrance

Painted a smile on my sleepy face.

With closed eyes, I savored the aroma

Let it seep all over my senses;

Ripples of ecstasy charmed my soul

The blend of fragrances like a concoction of tunes.

After satiating my olfactory senses

I took a visual slice of my happiness;

How marvellously the rain, the coffee and the old book

Came together to compose the aroma melody!

The poem is written for Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Happiness

Memories and Stories of my Mother

My identity is your graceful blessing

My existence is your benevolent gift

I don’t have to look into the temple

You’re my Goddess, my guardian angel.

Your divine smile, a healing ointment

Your compassionate eyes, a whiff of fresh soothing breeze

In your beautiful, serene countenance

I find the tranquility of the whole world.

With care, dedication and love,

You have built the foundation of morals

On which I stand today with dignity

Pursuing my passions, fulfilling my dreams.

You’re my teacher, my Creator

I am just an extension of you

We are synonymous, we are alike

Mother! I am your reflection, your daughter!

A mother doesn’t only give us life, but sculpts and moulds us into responsible, beautiful human beings. Her sacrifice and her dedication in our upbringing is incomparable. The moment she takes her baby in her arms, she dedicates her entire life for her baby’s upbringing and well-being. 

The relationship between a mother and daughter is extremely special. The mother is the first expert, the first friend, the first teacher and the first philosopher of a daughter. In this article, I am going to share about the 5 most beautiful memories that I have with my mother, #MyFirstExpert

For me, the other name of music is my mother: 

(Image source: here)

Music is definitely an inseparable component of our lives and for me, the other name of music is my mother. My mother had a beautiful, mellifluous voice and she could play a variety of Indian instruments namely Tabla, Harmonium, Tanpura etc.

When I was a little kid, she used to wake me up by singing songs in the morning and make me fall asleep by singing lullabies at night. Then, as I grew up, she taught me music, accompanied me to music concerts, and motivated me to perform well on stage.

I got inclined and attached to music because of my mother. I really have those fond memories of me singing a song and my mom playing an instrument along with it. Those were some really lovely days!

My mother introduced me to the world of books:

(Image Source: here)

I cannot imagine a life without books. Reading is as essential to me as breathing. I remember my mother used to read plenty of stories to me when I was small. I used to listen to them with a lot of excitement and eagerness. 

One day, I told my mother that I was feeling very lonely because my friends in school were not talking to me properly. I was crying profusely that day when she told me that she is going to introduce me to some wonderful friends who will never let me feel lonely again in life.

I was surprised and asked her innocently who they are. That was the time when she explained me that books are our most loyal friends. Once I strike a friendship with them, they will always be there with me. I looked at her in amazement.

The next day, she gave me the book “Alice in wonderland”. I started reading and within those pages, I found the truth in her words. Since then, I have never felt lonely in my life. The friendship that my mom had developed between books and me gets stronger with every passing year.

 

My mother was my playmate: 

(Image Source: here)

I have fond memories of playing badminton, chess and carom with my mother. She was a really tough competitor and it was so hard to win with her. I used to feel angry after losing and one day I asked her why she doesn’t let me win easily. 

That is when she told me that she wants me to be more focused and wants to develop the sportsman spirit in me. She taught me the words: “You win some, you lose some. You must learn to accept success with humility and accept defeat gracefully.”

I used to really enjoy playing with her. Whenever I won, she used to cook tasty dishes for me and when I used to lose, she used to cheer me up by giving me a treat outside home. She was really the best playmate.

My mother taught me that happiness is in giving

(Image Source: here)

My mother used to always tell me that true happiness is in giving and I used to wonder how. 

 

It was my eleventh birthday. I got plenty of gifts from my friends and I was very happy. There was an underprivileged girl who lived near our house. Her name was Gauri. When I was returning home after celebrating my birthday, I saw her crying at one corner of the street. 

I told her not to cry and that it was my birthday. My mother prompted me to give her a box of chocolates. Finally, I gave her a box of chocolates that I got in my birthday. Gauri stopped crying and smiled at me.

Her smile was so genuine that it directly reached my heart. I realized that the pleasure I got from all the gifts that my friends gave me was not as much as the pleasure I found in making this underprivileged girl happy by sharing my chocolates with her.That day, I realized that giving is a bliss.

My mother was my cheerleader:

(Me with my mother in Darjiling, when I was 12 years old)

In my childhood, I was a little bundle of nervous energy. I used to get nervous before going to the stage and also in the ground during the annual sports of my school.

I have fond memories of my mother cheering me up whenever I took part in a race, when I sang in the stage, when I participated in the debate competitions and when I received prizes. She used to clap, hoot and cheer me up, without caring about the world. By being the most wonderful cheerleader, she successfully made me a confident person today.

Sometimes, I desire to write a book about you
But, then I change my plans 
Pages would fall short
The ink will exhaust
You just cannot pour the ocean in a glass.

You are the lullaby that makes me sleep

The melody that beautifies my life

The book that guides me

The goodness that surrounds me

O Mother! You’re my life sustaining force.

Wish you were with me today physically

Though I know deep in my heart,

We are connected spiritually

I can feel your divine hand on my head

Your blessings sheathing me wherever I go.

 

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