Speechless? Then smile.

I love to see smiles. I like smiling a lot too. Laughing aloud that is. As kids we could cry and laugh so easily. With age, we don't know if we should cry first or smile or smile first and then cry at given situations. To make matters worse, we hardly smile.

Often Im maddened at the way my kids smile and laugh so happily. So easily. The way they hide their fear or guilt behind a sweet smile. And how sinfully stupid I am to shout at them just because I feel its not funny. But looking at things from their perspective, life would just be another episode from Alice in Wonderland when we demand respect, denounce trivialities and pronounce every possible restriction to every possible situation. And grown ups are grown ups when we say its all in the name of safety and security or shall we say taming the wild with etiquettes thats right?

I tell you we grown-ups have to take a walk down the childhood alley more often. I mean, there are so many things that we can smile off. So many worries that we need not even bother about. So many tales that are better left under the carpet than bragged about over breakfast, lunch or dinner, on the way to office, on the daily trip to the grocer or any possible moment of togetherness. What's wrong with us? Why can't we just leave the past behind with a smile?

I really really think a smile can save many things at once...

Recently I had attended a workshop ... An interplay workshop where we had the opportunity to laugh and laugh and laugh in the most hilarious way oblivious of the surroundings we were in and we really laughed and laughed and laughed till tears rolled out! Its amazing the way laughter can cleanse the soul and leave us feeling so light...I hadn't laughed all that much since ages. Honestly, I wonder if I ever laughed that much at all...

What I did realize that day was that, each of us have some kind of energy in us that is seeking every moment to find a way out to manifest into what I dare call God's Will. But what we do while this energy awaits freedom of expression is stiffle it off with ever so many irrelevant reasons that we call duties and priorities. We have the answers to most of our problems. But we hardly give ourselves the time to think about it.

My friend Ajith is a jolly good person with a famously loud laugh! Its as warm as his soul and as infectious as the mirth he spreads around during coffee-breaks at office. He loves travelling. I wonder what would be the answers to what he means from questions like do you like watching the drop of rain that knows it has to fall down from the leaf but still clings on to it only to let the morning sun shine through it ? Have you ever stopped to hear the sound of silence? Have you ever laughed out till you could laugh no more? And on days when salary days are yet a long wait away, the bloke hits a serious note with are the naked truths of life alive, glaring and grinning at you?!

Powerful images in every question. My answer, a smile.

Ria's sun-glasses

When Ria, my nine year old was just six months, we spotted that her eyes were squinting. Both of them, like black marbles in a white pool of jelly. I noticed them particularly when she looked up as she drank from me.

We first thought all kids' eyes were like wobbly jelly. Soon we realized that No its kind of not okay. Consulting the doctor he confirmed that she was definitely squinting in both eyes and we would have to wait longer for her to respond to digital vision tests. All the doctor could do was peer into her eyes with hand held devices while she squirmed in my arms, all of just 2 or 3 kilos at six months.

Ria was terribly underweight. Her premature arrival into this world could have been one of the reasons for her eye muscles to have weekend whilst she came out of me naturally, in a hurry to be more precise.

However, she picked up like a normal kid soon and when she turned three we took a chance on ayurveda for strenghthening her muscles as all others advised correction surgery which we were not ready for on such a tiny soul.

The three week courses every six months at Sreedhareeyam, an eye research institute at Koothattukalam in Kerala, was very effective. The right one turned almost normal and the left one seemed to be cooperating too.

Now, at nine, we took her to Dr Sunil's Eye World in Kalamasserry, Ernakulam for her correction surgery. In less than an hour on the 9th of April, she was gifted with a normally oriented left eye. "Thanks for fixing my eyes," she told the doctor and team that worked on her as they tapped her back to consciousness.

A fortnight more, the sutures in her eye would be gone and the redness in her eye would leave too. Ria is recouping from her surgery behind a pair of smart pink rimmed sun glasses and three different eye drops and her dear friend Arya who drops in to chat and read for her every once in a while.

What she liked best was the funny machines and the green gowned people in the operation theatre and the lights around her till she dozed off and forgot all about it. She didn't like the pricking of her tiny arms for intra-venus support and no she didnt like them clipping of her long eye lashes.

A book worm that Ria is, she will have to give reading a short break. She can however watch TV from a safe distance. She can eat, drink and be merry too, everything under the protection of her smart pink rimmed sun glasses to keep away dust and harsh lights.

After the next two months of summer holidays, my little princess would be sporting a fine new look to school and life. Good luck to my little princess!

Tom & Jerry

Life sure is funny. To me its like finding a way out each day. Just like Tom and Jerry. The cartoon duo celebrated their 70th year of togtherness recently. And they remain the world's favourite pair of friendly foes. I wonder if we guys will make it half that much in life, love or passion for outwitting each other.

I picture myself and my Sony exactly as Tom and Jerry. We are literally sharing space in our home only to find ways to throw the other out of it. And the truth is we just can't exist without each other.

Our latest object of contention is our little daughter, who turned a year and a half today. The argument is who does she look like? Even a blind guess points to Sony, but would I let go?! Never! She looks exactly like me i told him while washing her for a nappy change.

He pointed to the no-comments place and said, "Of-course, she looks exactly like you!"

I could only splash water and at a loss of words I went wblwblwblwblw wishing for a nice egg to plonk his face with just as Jerry would bombard on Tom!