mother nature – Simple Moments of Life

Carpet of flowers

This afternoon, as I rushed to complete a few errands, my eyes saw that the road was filled with beautiful pink flowers that had fallen from a nearby tree. And, as I watched, the flowers continued to fall, swaying gently in the wind and gliding to the road. There were many.

They had served their purpose, giving generously of their beauty, expecting nothing in return. A few of these flowers had also fallen on some green bushes that lined the road. And even after they had served their purpose, these flowers still decorated the bushes and brought them to life!

My attention then shifted to the tree. It was in full bloom, wrapped in pretty flowers, gently swaying in the breeze.

I paused to take pictures. This got me thinking.

Life goes on. Days fly past. Morning quickly becomes night. ‘Things to do’ lists grow, shrink and expand at an alarming pace. Life’s pauses are few and far between. Technology rules. Necks are bent forward in a permanent posture of seeing and experiencing the world through one’s smartphone. Fingers are so used to touchscreen technology that we even try to zoom into physical copies of photographs.

Mother Nature is busy too! But where is the time to notice her beauty or her generosity? The miracle of sunrise and sunset are only used to pace our day, time our workouts or fix our various appointments. There is no time to enjoy the appearance of stars on the dark, velvety sky every night or appreciate a glorious sunny day! Weather reports are again to plan one’s schedule rather than to appreciate the lashing tropical rain or a grey, cloudy day!

We need to take small breaks – to stop, to appreciate, to rejuvenate and to be grateful!

Magic in the sky

One of the first few things kids are taught in kindergarten is about rainbows and their colours. I am sure every child has at some point coloured rainbow colouring sheets or drawn a smiling sun with a colourful rainbow!

It was just another day yesterday, a busy Friday, with the promise of the weekend looming. As birds flew back to their nests and people wound down at work to head home, there was an ‘oh so gentle’ drizzle, when I turned my face to the sky.

In a few minutes, traffic slowed down, people stopped in their tracks and children paused their games – to see two absolutely stunning rainbows across the sky. Wow…there was magic in the air. The excitement in my children’s voices was palpable.

Why this fascination with the rainbow? What is it that it does to us?
For me a rainbow is a rare thing of great beauty, which appears when certain conditions are perfect, and combine to create this spectacle. Rainbows bring out the child in each of us, filling us with joy and hope.

Each time I look at a rainbow, I check for the VIBGYOR colours. Sometimes the colours are blended in, sometimes they are distinct and clearly visible.

I still remember seeing twin rainbows in the sky in the Maasai Mara, Kenya, as a herd of African Elephants walked slowly across the grassland, the calves seeking shelter under their moms.

Every rainbow is a moment, a moment of possibilies, childhood memories, colouring sheets and sheer magic.

Kenya – A Travel Diary

The ten day trip to Kenya flew by as if on wings. At the end of it, and countless animals and national parks later, I am grappling with words to convey what I felt.

The Savannah is majestic & mighty. It awes you with its splendour. The grasslands stretch as far as the eye can see, Mother Nature at her best, unleashing all her beauty in one shot – the dazzles of zebra, the gentle and graceful giraffe, the hopping gazelle and beautiful impala, the cute warthog families, the majestic African elephant, the musical and colourful birds, the lazy cats with their graceful body language and piercing eyes, the lush green grass dotted with trees, the unrelenting sun, the evening breeze, the refreshing rain, the safari rides atop the land cruiser, the guessing games to spot animals on every ride, the bush teas and treks through the equatorial forests….! Can anyone ask for more?

The African Savannah – unforgettable and humbling. Sharing a few pictures.