Just the other night, we watched the last hour of a movie called The Namesake. It is one of those movies which i like to call a movie with heart; a movie which speaks about issues of the heart.
The main character is Gogol and the story follows his growing up as the son of Indian immigrant parents in New York city. It’s a story of tradition verse modern; of family-first verse self-first.
Out of that one hour, one line stayed with me. Gogol marries a beautiful woman of the same culture. They were (or seemed so) madly in love. On their way to his mother’s annual Christmas party, he finds out his wife cheated on him. Her excuse was, “I saw myself becoming my mother.”
She apparently had lots of lovers before and is as unconventional as Gogol’s mother is traditional. But her many lovers have brought her no satisifaction. Neither had her career or lack of. Or her previous engagement to an American which was called off at the last minute.
Feet, are you ready to run?
She was running away from… from being her mother, from becoming that stay at home submissive wife; the traditional image of what might be a good wife. But she did not know where she was running to. She only knew she had to run away.
That is what struck me. If i am always running away without direction, then i will get lost. i felt that if she had a direction, a goal to run towards, such as ‘when i make partner, i will be ready to be a mother.’ or ‘i will always put my family first.’, then maybe she would not have drifted into the affair or even chosen to marry Gogol.
My point is that running towards a dream is better than running away from a nightmare. Don’t you agree?
i have a dream i’m running towards now. My dream is to be a published writer. What is your dream?
syc
PS: i hope to get the movie so i can watch it from the beginning and may even do a movie review. It is originally a novel so i may get that as well and do a book/movie review? Maybe.
Today is 21/3 and we celebrate people with Down Syndrome. This date is specially chosen as it represents the 3 copies of chromosome 21 (21/3), which is unique to people with Down syndrome.
This year marks the 7th World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) and for the first time the UN will be observing this day, officially! Many countries all over the world have events to celebrate and create awareness of this condition. Click here to find out if your country has an event.
i’m happy to say that Singapore has always had an active group advocating for the needs and rights of people with Downs. Here is a brief report of their WDSD event. i am sad though that Switzerland did not have an event. Maybe next year it will happen here too.
Maybe you don’t know much about Down Syndrome. i have found this website called Kids Health which gives a fairly complete and good explanation of it. It is a great website to use as a resource for children wanting to understand some health issues. Click here for a kid-friendly explanation of Downs.
i like the first two paragraphs:
You have probably seen people who have Down syndrome. They have certain physical features, such as a flatter face and upward slanting eyes. They may have medical problems, too, such as heart defects. Kids with Down syndrome usually have trouble learning and are slower to learn how to talk and take care of themselves.
But despite their challenges, kids with Down syndrome can go to regular schools, make friends, enjoy life, and get jobs when they’re older. Getting special help early — often when they are just babies and toddlers — can be the key to healthier, happier, more independent lives.
But the star paragraph for me is the concluding one on the second page:
Because they look different, some kids may tease or bully kids who have Down syndrome. But these kids have feelings just like anybody else. When they get teased, it hurts their feelings. They want to be accepted and have friends. If you know someone with Down syndrome, you can be a big help by not teasing him or her. Instead, offer a helping hand and a friendly word of encouragement.
The tagline for this year’s WDSD is Let Me In. It speaks of inclusion, which is what every one of us wants; to be included, to be accepted for who we are. The UK Down Syndrome Association has a wonderful competition which does just that – a photography competition just for people with Down Syndrome! Photography is my passion and i can’t wait to see all the entries.
So will you take a step towards accepting a person (adult or child) with Down Syndrome? Will you help your children to understand these kids who have such a great capacity for loving?
In a lot of countries, children with Downs are accepted and given the special help, health care and education they need. But in many others, they are simply unwanted; thought to be useless and are thrown out like garbage. It is a sad situation; it is very heart-breaking when we know that given the proper care and a loving environment, these children will thrive and grow to lead full lives.
Almost 11 years old, Heath needs his family to find him asap. Click on photo for details.
Which leads me to what i am praying for and who i am praying for. i am a prayer warrior for orphans with Down Syndrome and other special needs, listed on the Reece’s Rainbow adovcate website. Specifically, i pray for little Heath and little Heather. Both have never been loved and cared for as they should be. Both have been in institutes, which can not meet their needs, for far too long. Both need a loving mummy and daddy to help them through life; to love them, hug them, let them know that they are wanted and accepted for who they are.
3 They are everything wonderful that doctors DON’T tell you, and they are everything that isright in a wrong world.
Happy World Down Syndrome Day!
syc
PS: If you do consider adopting or becoming a prayer warrior or contributing to their adoption grants, please do leave a comment below so that i can send you a personal thank you and be praying along with you.
No better way to de-stress than lounging by the lakeside in Brienz, Switzerland, enjoying both the view of the amazing mountains and of the shimmering lake.
So we had a rather full week, last week. Did you? Are you ready to start another week? i’m not too sure myself so i looked up ways to relief stress and came across this list which i thought i share. Before you read the whole article, i want to share my favourite 3 ways to reduce stress:
Cup of Tea – i love tea. i do not drink coffee at all (even though i like the smell of it). And i love my tea strong, as strong as possible. i never take the tea bag out, ever. i have recently developed a habit of drinking tea before bedtime, at least every other evening and usually green tea which is light and refreshing. It sorts of puts my mind at rest. i really recommend this after a long day at work or at home (depending on where and what your work is).
Laugh – Who doesn’t like to laugh? Laughter, after all, has been said to be the best medicine. So give it a try. i always have a few of my favourite comedies on DVD which i can pull out and watch to make the corners of my mouth curve upwards 😉
Find a Room with a View – i truly Thank God we live in Switzerland, one of the most beautiful places on this earth. i always tell my friends, “You know the postcards you see of Switzerland. Well, they are real, no photoshop, no fake lighting etc. What you see on those postcards is real. That’s what you see when you get here.” Staring at the wonderful view of these incredible mountains certainly gives one perspective; enough of a mountain top view will enable you to look down at your problems and see a way out of the maze.
So have a read of the article below and let me know which are your favourite ways to relax.
trippingdifferently 