BIRTHDAY GREETINGS WITH A TOUCH

My daughter did this for a few years for all of us at home.

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POEMS OF LOST LOVE

Poetry book 'INDELIBLE ETERNAL ETCHINGS':

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STORIES

Short Story book 'A PEARL FROM EVERY OYSTER':

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ON MY BIRTHDAY -OCT 1

After a long stretch of working out of home, I had to be at office today although I would have preferred to remain at home. One of the factors that drove me was the day long power cut in our locality that was communicated to us the previous evening. Running the air condition with an inverter is never a good idea.  

Another reason why I wanted to be at office, was to complete a bunch of activities that had to be done out of that location, but literally nothing got completed. The return journey was even more eventful with quite a number of road blocks and traffic diversions and it took about two and half hours by the time I reached home.  But once home it was something else.

My daughter had come in from her college hostel for my birthday although she was in the middle of her exams. Seeing her compensated for all the bumps that I had gone through the day. There were no cakes or candles, but nice gifts from my sister, long chats and some different food that my wife got ready. It was a well spent time.

I had hidden my birthday from my Facebook page about a week back as my previous experiences of cleaning up my timeline after a birthday had been humungous. Birthday wishes would normally keep pouring right through the day and it's akin to how a human body responds to an enema procedure before an operation. Facebook wishes have now become like an involuntary response. Even if someone wrongly types 'Happy Birthday' on our timeline i.e wishing us on a day other than the birthday, the inundation, if at all it stops, has to stop by itself and that too, only at the close of day probably. Earlier days, wishes used to come like ten or fifteen solid single crackers. Now, it's more like a 5000 wallah cracker taking off. We cannot stop it even if we want to :)
So this time, it was absolute silence.

Many entities within which I operate like my professional circle, service circles, study circles, church and singing circles, college circles and other social circles went quiet. But still some relatives and friends especially school classmates messaged me and amongst these, some even called to wish me. All of them successfully touched my stone heart.

THE BEST CAKES SO FAR

Cake cutting became a regular affair on birthdays at my home after the birth of my daughter. To begin with, this was only on her birthdays, but now every other birthday has a cake cutting coming up with it. We have had many different types of cakes right through these years. 

My sister takes a lot of interest in coming up with some innovative designs for the cakes. Here we see the pictures of two such beautiful cakes. One was for my 25th marriage anniversary.

The other was for my daughter's birthday at 18 years. I did not want to cut both these cakes as there were that beautiful.

ON MY BIRTHDAY WITH MUSIC COMPOSER STEPHEN KOSHY SIR

I remember an uncle on every birthday of mine. His  was Mr.George. For the several years that we were staying in the Railway Quarters in North Chennai, he was our neighbour. He was my mathematics Guru, the shoulder I would always lean onto when I had all those crazy doubts to be cleared. Birthdays were not celebrated at our home as we would see it as any other normal day, but uncle would come home with a cake for me and that's how I got to experience cake cutting. Of course, but for the cake, Appa would get me something for the birthday.

Once I got married, my wife brought it birthday celebrations as a standard practice.  So we had this happening in our home especially because my daughter was around and it was a feeling of joy with every celebration that we could come up with. 

All through these sessions I had not mastered the art of cutting the cake and facing the people around who were singing for me, because all I had around me was my family and an additional person in Uncle George for the first few years while I was at school.

Last year too on my birthday, like as in any other year,  I had wanted to make it a very private affair. There was an important music session that had been planned by my music band leader on the same evening and I could not avoid it.

The eminent Christian music composer had flown down to Chennai for an exclusive session with our band Dhwani.  So I went there. But to my surprise, my band mates had spotted my birthday date and had planned out everything for my birthday celebration.

I think I fumbled in many things on that day, but since it was so natural it became part of the many reasons for laughter that evening. I started cutting the cake before blowing out the candles and I really did not know what to do with the first piece that I had cut and taken out :)

But what I relish when I look back is the blessing to have had an eminent music composer singing the birthday song for me. 

BIRTHDAYS ARE HERE AGAIN

Many times it's on one day
That you will sit and count all blessings,
Sit and reflect,
Look forward and dream
And look up and thank God
For this unique painting of destiny, that made you.

Yes, Birthdays are unique
And you should tell yourself today
That there is no other creation like you.

So unique you are,
That you were sculpted for doing unique things.

Like the sweet symphony of music,

May your life strike a chord,

With every moment in it.

BIRTHDAY TIMES ARE HERE AGAIN!!!

Today, you should take time for yourself,

And walk along those serene paths,

That you always wanted to,

 Those pristine green paths,

Feeling the flowers and shrubs caress you. 

Today you should wear,

Your uniqueness boldly on you,

And should as the young ones say "rock". 

But it's also a great day

To be silent and reflect..

Today is when,

Reminiscences will fill you to the brim. 

It's a good day to look forward

And set new goals. 

But more than that, 

It's a great day to be just YOU,

And do all you really like,

From the bottom of your heart. 

Long back on this day,
When the earth heard u first cry,
They were filled to the brim,
With joy boundless.

Everything you did,
Brought happiness to all around,
And many a hand,
Wanted to take care of you.

Today, with the burdens of life,

You probably prefer,
To cry all alone,
To cry while it rains,
So that only Providence will know,
Your tears.

But today is a day to smile,
To be just YOU,
Unique, unbridled and effervescent!!!

Happy Birthday!!!