Toast To Welcome Baby Melanie - by Jyothi Menezes

In the year of the Fearless Girl, a toast to welcome a new baby...

Thank you Jyothi, thank you Melanie’s Mom and Dad, thank you Melanie’s grandparents, for letting me publish this toast on my blog. It is a delightful welcome to baby Melanie, and is an inspiration to little girls and big girls alike.

Toast to welcome Baby Melanie

by Jyothi Menezes

Dear Friends and Family,

It is great joy and honor to Welcome you here on behalf of Baby Melanie’s parents and grand-parents.

This little girl, born in the second decade of the New Century, New Millennium – May she have a grand life, may she live to see the turn of this Century to the next one The Twenty Second Century. For me personally, it is an amazing coincidence that I lived here in this very condo for nearly 10 years in the last decade of the last century.

What a time to be born in. Pretty soon there will be driverless cars and fewer accidents on the roads. Drones will be delivering your Amazon packages – no, no we haven’t gone that far yet – I do not think they will be delivering your baby brother or sister – not yet.  Your country of birth – Canada - is successfully implementing Peace Keeping missions. Your country of Origin – India – is determined to eradicate poverty by the year 2020. So Baby, by the time you grow up, hopefully it will be more peace and less poverty throughout the world.

This is the Year of The Fearless Girl - Melanie be proud of your self – you are born in the year when the Fearless Girl Statue stood in front of the Mighty Bull in front of the New York Stock Exchange – to me, she seemed to say “I don’t’ care a damn about all your money and power – all I want to do is – do the right thing and have fun doing it”.  So stand boldly and fearlessly Baby and enjoy living your best life.

Baby Melanie - I am always amazed at how cool your parents are.  Perhaps it is their happy childhood in Mumbai, the Mangalorean Catholic values. Or as I would like to think – their Software Engineering background that makes them totally confident in any situation. I am sure that their own parents and upbringing had a lot to do with it.  I hope that you grow up happily in their footsteps. They say “It takes a Village to Raise A Child”, and I want to reassure you Baby and your parents that all of us gathered here and your circle of family and friends around the world are there to wish you well, to help raise you.

Here’s wishing Baby Melanie-  All the Very Best – Good Health, Long Life filled with great Joy, Happiness and Adventure.

Two words in Konkani “Wodlo Ja” – that mean a whole lot. Translation of those two words – “Become Big” – God’s Blessing to you to grow up Big – in every sense of the word – in health, wealth and wisdom – and bring great honour to your family, friends and community.

 And now I request my older sister, Dr. Nolda D’Cunha to say the grace.

Peace by Peter Duncan

It gives me great pleasure to publish a guest post from the pen of a budding young writer, Peter Duncan. Peter is the son of my good friends Krysia and John. He currently attends middle school. He wrote this poem on peace a few years ago, as a school assignment...

Peace lives in the rushing waterfall that is falling down like raindrops

Peace lives in the evergreen leaves that fall down like snowflakes

Please lives in the clear blue sky that is reflecting its reflection back at you

Peace lives in the huge trees that are tall like giants

Peace lives in the moments when I first opened my eyes and saw my parents’ faces

Peace lives in the moments when I went to school for the first day of kindergarten.

Peace lives in the moments when I turned 9

Peace lives in the moments when I go to sleep

Peace lives in the moments when my family and I are all together

Peter Duncan

I can think of at least 10 situations which I turned into growth opportunities since Jan 1. How about you?

1.   Not getting a badge, a computer, or systems access for 17 days, after I started my new assignment...

        I took it on as a meditation challenge to be cheerful and go with the flow…and I succeeded. Yay!

2.  Being the only one excluded from a lunch invitation one day

        As quick as I could, I got over any bad feelings about it. Plus I even had a cheerful response prepared, if anyone were to say, “Hey Minoo, sorry we didn’t think of asking you whether you wanted to go with us”.  I had planned to say, “Don’t worry, I will join you the next time.” Yay!

      

.   3.  Or the time someone played a prank on me, by using my computer and email account to send an email from me to a group of 40 people with the message “They call me Moo Moo”

       I got over the initial surprise and indignation as quick as I could, and decided to let it go. I later discovered the prankster had done the same thing to multiple people. It was a genial prank, aimed at laughs, and not to victimize. Now, a month later, I am happy I did not make an issue out of it, and in fact, I am able to react with equanimity, when I run into the prankster, who has now taken to calling me Moo Moo.

 4.   Like when Tanita wanted to take my car to a different shop than the one I am used to

        Initially resisting the idea, I then quickly realized I should not be stuck on anything, and I should be willing to give alternatives a try. I gave her the green light.

      

5.   Like when some of my carpool drivers showed up 30 minutes late      

       Instead of being upset, which would have made the ride to work unpleasant, I very deliberately said to myself, “Minoo, you are going to put the fact they are late out of your head and make this a pleasant ride for both you and the driver” And I succeeded, even when there were repeat offenses from the same drivers.  Yay….big victory!             

6.   Like when I went to see the movie Winchester, and the person next to me kept disturbing me as soon as the movie started, by speaking in another language to someone on the other side of her.     

       My initial thought was to tell her “could you please stop talking”, or to move seats in a big huff.

       But I knew the situation called for something a bit more relational – I turned to her and gently said, “I am not able to follow the movie.” She said, ‘Oh, I am sorry, I am translating for the person next to me, I will stop.” This was when I turned the moment into a real growth opportunity. Moved by her predicament, I turned to her again, gave her a comforting pat on the arm, and said, “It’s okay, go ahead and translate, I think I can manage”. And I really meant it. She did not take me up on it. But if she had, I had made up my mind to put her needs ahead of mine. Yay! This was another big victory for me.

      

7.   Like when my former boss (from my previous assignment) called me at 10 p.m. one night, to discuss a technical problem she was facing, and to find out my availability to come in to help her with it.      

       I woke up in the middle of that same night with the perfect solution for solving the problem – an absolutely sure shot. My initial thought was I should not give it away for free; I should get some paid hours out of it. But once again, I sensed I should turn this into a growth opportunity.  So I did.  The next morning, I texted her the solution. I gave it away for free.  She was very touched and grateful, because it was the perfect solution, and she told me “Minoo, I will give you full credit for it when I share it with the team.” And that was enough for me.

8.   Like when I overcame my shyness to invite Tanita and her boyfriend to have lunch with me and my coworkers, even though I didn’t know my coworkers very well      

       I overcame whatever shyness and awkwardness I felt, and just made it happen. And I am glad I did.

9.  When Tanita called me a drama queen a few weeks ago

   Tanita was taking my car to go somewhere, and I said, “Tanita, watch the gas gauge – the car is low on gas and you don’t want to run out” When she came back, she said “Mom, you are such a drama queen.  There was more than a quarter tank in the car.” I bit my tongue and did not say anything, even though I did not like her saying that to me.  I waited for another completely suitable and different occasion to tell her to avoid using labels like that.

10. One last example – saying yes to something I have never tried before

        When a boss tasks me with doing something, or if I find out there is something on their wish list, I try to put my mind to it and give it a try, even if there is a risk of getting egg on my face.  I developed a CDR at my last assignment in response to such a request, and now at my current assignment, I am developing a Team Sharepoint Site in response to such a request.  I am so happy I squashed my fears and said yes to giving the Team Sharepoint site a try, because had I not, I would have missed the opportunity to learn a wonderful new skill.

    There – those are 10 situations I turned into growth opportunities since Jan 1.

   Now it’s your turn.

   How many situations did you turn into growth opportunities since Jan 1?  Can’t think of any?  Don’t worry.  Give yourself a goal.  How about this one – tell yourself, “I will turn at least 10 situations into growth opportunities in the next 2 months.” Don’t be surprised of how proud you will be of yourself at the end of it.  Don’t be surprised to experience very different outcomes.  As soon as each challenging event has blown over, write what the outcome was, and what it would have been, had you reacted in your characteristic way. It will convince you that you are on the right track and motivate you to keep turning situations into growth opportunities.  That's my plan.  I hope it's yours too!

Acknowledgements

Thanks for your condolences on the deaths of my sister Angie and brother-in-law Jim.

NEXT, Thanks for the feedback, (comments, likes, shares) on some of my recent posts Was It Luck, Was It By Design, Seek Inspiration and (Information) and (Consolation) for Where You Are in Life, Lessons From My Life(10 Things You Can Learn From My Experience).  I appreciate the affirmations I am on the right track from old friends, and new friends, and relatives who have become friends. You keep me going.

NEXT, Thanks to all readers, current and future, for sharing my Journey to Wisdom, Meaning and a Better Life.  Like you, I am trying to find my way through this complex maze we call life, and I am honored to have you share my journey, as I continue to seek the wisdom hidden in plain sight.

FINALLY, A Happy Birthday shout-out:  to those with March birthdays.  Hope you use your birthday month to turn challenging situations into growth opportunities, and never look back.

Oh, and one more thing: Not sure if you have time, but if you do, you may enjoy these other posts:

Family

Our Cake Boss Family, Family Songs, The Nightdress Brigade, Family Advice I Am Grateful For, The Porki And Bonkers Tradition, No Need for 23 and Me,Letters to Lucas, Flying Lessons

Friendships

The United States of Friendship – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6,Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12

Pets

A Fresh Perspective on Pets, Secrets of The Super Models In Our Family,BowWow, Meoww, Why You Should Not Abandon Your Pet

Nature

Post on Trees, Reprising Joy Kilmer

Hobbies

Cricket, Glorious Cricket, Splendid Post, What!

Managing Your Money

Yoga for Investors, How to Turn Your Girl Scout or Cub Scout Into a Stock Scout, Financial Piece of Mind, Financial Piece of Mind – Part Deux, A Retirement Planning Formula You Won’t Find on Oprah

Simplifying Your Life

You know what Wesabi is, How About Wabi Sabi?  The Simple Life, The Element of Simplicity and Its Hope for Living a More Satisfying Life

Getting Over Your Self-Consciousness

The Element of Release From Inhibition, The Element of Being Less Self-Centered and Its Hope for Seeing Things in The Correct Light, The Element of Getting Out of Our Comfort Zone and Its Hope For Experiencing More of What Life Has to Offer

Learning to Laugh

How To Deal With The Sheldon Coopers in Your Life – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3,Part 4, The Nightdress Brigade, You Aced the SAT, How About the LAT?, How To Cause Atmost Confuzen at the Scripps Spelling Bee, How To Go From Madonna to Lilly to Myrtle in The Course of A Single Evening - And Even Have a Sex Change, A Facebook Face-Off, A Short Stint in Advertising

Learning to Relax

How To Become a Low Maintenance Person, Connected Minds, How To Become The Kind of Person People Want to Work with, How Many Times a Day Do You Visit Ireland? The Art of Carrying Things Lightly

Health
Raising the Bar, 4 Healthy Eating Ideas I Learned from My Friend Julia, The Element of Becoming More Focused and Precise In Our Goals and Its Hope for Achieving Powerful Results
Pursuing A Dream
What’s Next For You? The Element of The First Step and Its Hope for Getting Big Things Started In Our Lives, She Victories

Changing in Good Ways

Maybe Its Time To Become More Receptive, Maybe It’s Time To Live More Purposefully, Maybe It’s Time To Bust Some Myths, Maybe It’s Time to Walk In The Direction Of Your Fears, Maybe It’s Time To Understand What Freedom Is, Maybe It’s Time To Turn the Page, Maybe It’s Time To Rock The World, Maybe It’s Time For Freshness

A Fond Farewell to Our Sister Angie

Angela, when she was making waves on the poetry scene in Madison, WI

Yesterday, we sailed from Clipper Yacht Harbor in Sausalito, in a boat called the Blue Runner.

Our boat carried precious cargo….the ashes of my sister Angie.

We sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge, and across the Pacific to Angel Island.

From the two speakers on the boat, emanated Angie’s favorite songs - thanks to a playlist that Tanita had created for us, based on suggestions from everyone.

To the strains of I’m A Believer, Where Have All the Flowers Gone, Besame Mucho, Candle in the Wind, Yesterday, Mrs. Robinson, and more, we exchanged memories of our beloved Angie.

When we reached Angel Island, the skipper cut the motor.

It was time.

We turned off the music.

We read our tearful tributes.

Then we leaned over the stern of the boat, and scattered flower petals into the ocean.

After that, we each took turns to throw Angie’s ashes into the ocean.

Then, all of us threw flower petals into the ocean again.

The skipper started up the motor to take us back to the Clipper Yacht Harbor shore.

Our farewell to our beloved sister Angie, who, of all of us siblings, had made the most extraordinary choices, and lived the most extraordinary life, was complete.

RIP Angie.  Till Heaven Reunites Us.

I would like to share with readers, one of the beautiful and moving tributes that was read yesterday.  It was written by my sister Rosie:

Angela

You were called by your maker on Jan 18^th.

I felt a deep pang of sorrow within me.

I looked up into the heavens and blew you a kiss.

You looked down on me, whispering you were happy to be going home.

I tried to reach out and bring you back to earth.

You gently touched my head and reassured me you were alright.

I was in deep dismay, clinging on to all the happy times we had spent together.

I tried to pull you back as you were moving upwards to heaven.

I called out to you.

You gently bent your head, telling me your time had come and you had to leave.

I burst into tears and began to sob.

You lifted my head and touched my cheek, and said be strong for your siblings.

The angels welcomed you into heaven and I let go.

The sky, from being dark and dreary, was now clear and beautiful.

The birds chirped.

I realized you were no more.

I saw your corpse and noticed you were cold and pale.

I wiped the tears from your eyes.

I was finally in acceptance that you were no more.