Santhosh's ramblings

Dark Clouds and Rain That Restores Early in the morning, I sat and watched the dark clouds pass by. I hoped they would move on quickly and give way to a clear, sunny day with low temperatures and gentle humidity. But that was not to be. The clouds did not pass over—they lingered. And then the rain began to fall. It was then that I realized: dark clouds are not accidental. They have a purpose. They fulfill their role - to refresh the earth with water and allow life to flourish—before they move on. And the confused poet in me awoke: “I saw the dark clouds, Moving on slowly; I hoped they would pass, As fast as they could. But I did not know, The clouds were there for a reason; A purpose to fulfill, To complete their work. To quench the thirst, The longing of a parched earth; With rain that renews and refreshes, A dry and yearning land. Lord, let the clouds remain, Until they fulfill and complete Their purpose— To renew my parched, dry soul.” Heat That Kills… or Clarifies Later, a friend w...

I  hated physics and was always more of a biology person - perhaps that’s why I ended up becoming a medical professional. The theory of relativity never made much sense to me. But interestingly, these days, I find myself learning the theory of relativity through non-physics methods. In simple terms, the theory of relativity suggests that everything is relative - motion is always measured in relation to something else. It also says that light always travels at the same speed, regardless of how fast you're moving, and that space and time are interconnected and influenced by gravity.  Albert Einstein once said,  “When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That's relativity.” Everything is relative. We all face common forces and challenges, but our experience depends on how close or connected we are to those forces. Yet, there are also common desires, forces and concerns that hold us together. W...

As we go through a life transition, here are five lessons I'm learning. They might seem silly and ordinary, but there’s always learning from the mundane! One   – Leaves dry, die, and drop. A truth I’ve known for years and often reflected on as the seasons change. Changing Seasons Blog But that was all   Do xis .   Praxis   was someone else’s problem - the task of cleaning and clearing the fallen leaves. Today, it’s mine. A daily morning ritual. And so, it's more relevant and real than ever. Then my spouse had a suggestion: cut off some branches so fewer leaves would fall. But within 3–4 days - as if to remind me that you can cut, clear, or clean, but I’ll be back - the leaves returned each morning! As if to say, ‘Unless you cut me off at the root, I will grow again and continue the circle of life’. A great lesson this season: things might change, but if roots are well-grounded, life will emerge from broken branches too! Two   – You must take care of your waste. ...

This blog is not “philosophical” or “deep,” but it's about the reality of life! We just shifted our home. They say that after death and divorce, moving house is the most stressful experience. Interestingly, studies also show that moving house can actually lead to both death and divorce. Here's an article on that: https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/how-to-move-house-and-bypass-divorce-8508236.html That said, we've shifted homes about 10–12 times (I’ve lost count) in our 35-plus years of marriage and have managed fairly well. But this particular move feels a bit more challenging. Maybe it’s the age, or the semi-permanency of this shift, or perhaps the likelihood of yet another move now seems far-fetched. So here are three ongoing lessons from this season of shifting: One – Shifting is stressful. Accept and embrace it.   Three things that give me stress: control, confusion, and cognitive dissonance. Let me explain. Control – You are not in control! Luggage that left ...

After literally being pilgrims (some say vagabonds   ) for a few decades - moving from place to place - we now find ourselves in the season of yet another place. Supposedly, a retirement location! Finally settling down, as many expect us to. Others say it is only a “sabbatical”. Well-meaning friends ask:  Are you comfortable in the new place? Are you content with small-town life? Are you satisfied with your support systems? Some suggest that maybe  it’s a time to read, reflect, and renew—a season of rest and recovery.  Everyone has their expectations.  The key words seem to be: a season of comfort ,  contentment, and satisfaction . But to add to my confusion, I came across these two readings today! One, written by a friend in a devotional, says: “We hesitate to move out of our comfortable middle-class lives. But the world longs for authentic faith that shows up in self-giving acts of grace, justice, compassion, and love.” Jonathan Sacks, in his book, which...

Recently, in a message, one of our friends talked about Vulnerability and Authority (understood as taking responsibility for one’s own life). He said Jesus modeled vulnerability—when He opened His heart to His friends and handed over His life to His enemies—but on the other hand, He took authority by intentionally giving up His life (though He could protect and preserve it) because that was what He came for. Over the last two weeks, as we began saying goodbye to many friends we've come to know over the past few years, this truth dawned on us: the closest friends we had were those who had been open and vulnerable, and at the same time, were on an intentional journey of transformation—taking the authority and responsibility they had, to move ahead in life. And in that journey, they challenged us to be vulnerable and move ahead, too! If we put this into a Johari window format, this is how it would look: We are so grateful to have encountered many in the green box—those who challenged ...

When I left my home for my residency, I left with one trolley bag and a backpack. Two years later, we got married and came back with seven boxes. A few years later, when shifting from one part of the country to another, we had a truck full of household items. In 2020, while moving to Delhi, we had 100 boxes! Yesterday, when the truck left our house for the next destination, we had managed to bring it down to 39. A 60% reduction! We had managed to dump some junk! As we went through this process, I was left wondering about the junk we accumulate as we journey through life. Not everything is junk. Much of what we carry along has stories, memories, and dreams linked to it. But definitely, some junk tags along, too!   But then, it's not just the material junk. We manage to accumulate emotional, mental (intellectual), and at times, spiritual junk too. Emotional baggage we refuse to dump, past traumas, experiences, fears, and failures that we hold on to. Ways of thinking—fixed ways of thi...