Today is my birthday. I have completed 71 years. Every year, it is a time of reflection for me. Lately, it has also been a time for gratitude, to all those who have helped me on this journey and provided many happy and blissful moments.

It is a time of forgiveness, to both myself and others for any perceived wrongs done to me. Any moments of life should not be wasted on such emotions. After all, we all are human and don’t do everything right all the time.

Going forward, it is time for downsizing. Letting go of many unnecessary desires. Most likely, I have already experienced everything exotic that I wanted to enjoy; such as eating at French Laundry. If it happens again, It will only be a repeat. If not, I have already experienced it! So many don’t get to have that. It is also a time to let go of any resentments.

It is time to focus on being in nature, and becoming one with it. That’s essentially who we are. I enjoy gardening. I am happy when the vegetables and herbs in my garden are healthy. Because, they keep me healthy.

It is time to give back, in whichever way I can. Most important of which is sharing the life lessons I have learned.

I have been fortunate to have experienced two distinct cultures. Being born in India and having lived there the first 30 years, I learned a lot about the ancient wisdom of our ancestors. Growing up, all this knowledge was imbued in us to draw upon when needed. I have also read from our scriptures Vedas, Yoga, and Ayurveda. This has been of tremendous help in recent years to stay both physically and spiritually healthy.

All of this has been playing in my consciousness lately, and I want to share it with the world. Towards this goal, I am developing presentations at senior centers and elsewhere. People often ask me about India and especially Indian food. But very few, even Indians, really understand it. I am planning workshops to describe Indian food and how it emerged from spices as being medicines. Everyone these days knows about Turmeric, but there is so much more. There is so much in this world to share with each other. That’s what helps in bringing us closer together.

Finally, I am developing a book on American Values which have defined my life in the last forty years. I plan on releasing it on Amazon KDP platform within next two weeks. We the immigrants come here with cherished dreams. And to achieve that, we must learn and appreciate American Values, instead of taking everything for granted.
So, my dear friends and family, wish me luck. And I most sincerely wish you all a very happy life.