BEYOND IMPERFECTIONS

• Practice loving people. It is true that this requires effort and continued practice, for some are not very lovable, or so it “seems”. Every person has lovable qualities when you really learn to know him. - Norman Vincent Peale

After all the Lord created all of us on the same loom w/ the same spool right?.....Here is a song that talks about overcoming the imperfections...

CRUSH(ED)

Trina was on her way to work and had paused at the 4-way stop, when she first saw him.

“Why do I see him everyday??” Maybe it is a sign, her infatuated mind answered.

He was her inspiration to get up every morning and make the long commute to work. He never seemed to notice her, always looking straight ahead from his black Chevy. Was that because he was married? “Oh c’mmon Trin. That’s not a sure sign of matrimony. Maybe he is just a well behaved lad.” Trina told herself. She imagined he was tall from the brief glimpses at the stop sign. She couldn’t guess his age. But obviously he looked young and did it matter?? – He looked good. She practiced her smile as she pulled out of her driveway each day and rehearsed her lines just in case this moved to more than peeks at the stop sign.

It was Valentine’s Day and she was in a genial mood as she left home for work. Maybe today would be the day, she secretly hoped….maybe destiny had saved everything for this special day, she reasoned.

Something glinted as sunrays caught his fingers…...Blues music is Trina’s new found love and it is what drives her to work everyday now….

THE HAPPY MAN

If only this happy man's shirt could help those ailing from unhappiness...Here are some of my favorite quotes about happiness....

• If we only wanted to be happy, it would be easy. But we want to be happier than other people...and that's the hitch.
• People are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be.
• Now and then, its a good idea to stop in our pursuit of happiness, and just be happy.
• There is no way to happiness...happiness is the way.

ESCAPE

Shiny had mixed feelings as she packed her bags and readied herself to start a new life in a new place. Was she really going to escape the sorrow and the pain and know a life of happiness??

She had always wanted live in Dubai, like her Dada; a father she had never known. Amma gave her a cold, blank stare as she kissed her goodbye. Her heart broke, but she understood. It was the Alzheimer’s. Appachan was fast asleep when she tip-toed into his room. Growing age and the paralysis had made short tempered Appachan more irascible. Tall and well-built Appachan, with his military colonel moustaches always looked formidable. He always seemed angry about something and their relationship had never developed. Jibu Chetta followed her as she moved about the house; he could sense that she was leaving home. Mentally challenged with limited ability of expression, all he could do was make sounds to let her know that he would miss her. InjiAmma’s eyes welled up with tears every few minutes as she came with Shiny to the bus-stand. She had been Shiny’s care-taker from the day little Shiny came into the world.

The bus left dust clouds in its wake as it chugged out of Perumpuzha. Shiny closed her eyes and prayed for the well-being of the family that she was leaving behind…..

PERFECT

Every leg muscle protested as Hope and her friend Tiffany settled into the comfortable sofas at Mochas; their favorite place to relax after a crazy day at the mall. Hope was a hopeless shopaholic. Tiffany didn’t care about shopping, but a good friend that she was, always accompanied Hope on her seemingly never-ending trips to the malls. They were scouting for the perfect pair of sandals for Hope’s big day – her wedding with Dan. Four hours into their search and the perfect pair still eluded Hope.

There were many that Hope had liked, but for some or the other reason hadn’t ended in her shopping bag. There was the strappy one that looked great on her feet, but it was way beyond her budget. Then she had fallen for the stilettos, they would have gone perfectly with her dress. “These are not for sale, Miss.” she was informed. She almost fumed out of the store when she caught sight of the soft-leather heels. She was unlucky this time too – her size wasn’t available. Morning turned to afternoon as they moved from one store to another. Now it was Hope’s turn to find some or the other fault with every pair that they seemed to like.

“Hope, you better settle on something, else you are never going to find the perfect pair” Tiffany reasoned. “Besides there is no way you will escape the shoe bites” Tiffany seemed to mention casually. Actually, she wanted to make sure Hope didn’t include that in her check-list for the perfect pair. After a series of failed relationships and a broken marriage, Hope knew better. “I’ll go for the strappy ivory ones Tiff” Hope said getting up, lost in her own web of thoughts….