A Year of Blogging

“Silvery oil tanks gleaming in the morning sun appeared below my window, and long stretches of white sand.” I wrote these lines just over a year ago for my first blog post “Arriving in a New Country.” (October 1, 2020)

When I first considered writing a blog I wasn’t sure how I would go about it. I did not have a plan but I knew exactly what I wanted to say. There were moments in my life that were etched in my memory. To this day a fleeting scene, the glimpse of a house, street sounds, and music remind me of Hyderabad, my family, friends, and especially my parents. And how can I forget Dubai where I lived for twenty years?

So in August 2020, I sat down to write my first blog post. I did not want a chronological order to my stories. I would start with whatever event came to my mind first. I began writing about the day my husband, our children, and I arrived in Dubai. It was December 24, 1970. My stories would be about people and events as I remembered them. This made my task much easier than I imagined.

Sometimes I got up in the middle of the night to make notes. No one was on a regular schedule in those days of the pandemic. My children worked from home and my grandchildren studied remotely. Life was a little out of the ordinary, so writing a blog seemed to fit in with the new norm.

During lockdown, I kept myself occupied with other activities too. Knitting, photography, reading, and going on walks. I took a very motivating online course called "The Science of Well Being," offered by Yale University professor Dr. Laurie Santos. I remembered my parents’ show of resilience in the face of adversity and my father’s constant advice not to waste time.

I was lucky to have had many unique people in my circle of family and friends. My parents had wonderful friends whose friendship has moved on to my generation. Simple pleasures like family outings, going to the movies, and spontaneous gatherings with friends brought a lot of fun and humor to our lives. Life was much simpler then.

I hope to give my readers a glimpse of the times I grew up in. The efforts my parents made to give my siblings and me a balanced life that would prepare us to face challenges and realize our potential.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. What better occasion than now to be thankful for all the blessings I have had, especially my children, grandchildren, and friends, who made my life so peaceful and fulfilling.