A life lived
16th February 2026
I have lived long enough
to know that nothing arrives alone.
Every gift comes braided
with effort, with loss,
with someone’s hands steadying the way.
It began with letters that would not sit still,
words that refused to line up.
I learned early
to listen harder,
to see sideways,
to trust rhythm, instinct, breath.
What didn’t come easily
taught me patience,
and patience became a skill.
The emptiness wasn’t nameless
It belonged to my mother
I grew up around it
Until… another warmth
stepped into the gap
without announcement,
turning duty into love,
love into shelter.
From my sister I learned
that care can be noisy
and still save a life.
I crossed oceans to study,
carried curiosity like a passport.
I worked where I was needed,
with hands in the soil of other people’s lives.
Horses taught me balance
how strength listens,
how trust moves faster than fear.
A riding club grew from that knowing,
and so did children,
of every age,
learning that they too could stay upright
even when the earth shook.
Loss returned, as it does.
My holding gave way
Again
A deeper unmooring
It emptied rooms,
changed the sound of my voice.
The world crashed gratitude felt distant,
like a language I once knew.
But words came back to me
slowly, stubbornly.
I learned to meet them halfway.
Plays.
Stories shaped for screens.
Songs pressed into cassettes
for small, listening ears.
Later, books,
a channel,
a place in the hum of the world again.
What once resisted me
became my offering.
I am grateful for work that changed form
so I could change too.
I am grateful for a partner
who stands steady beside me,
whose success carries grace,
whose support never asked to be noticed.
For my children
astonishing in who they are
and for their children,
who pull me into the present,
who want my stories,
my time,
my opinion,
my arms.
For friendships that have lasted
not because we are the same,
but because we stayed.
Seventy-five years
have taught me this
gratitude is not a single feeling.
It is a practice.
A turning toward life
again and again,
even when it breaks your heart,
especially then.
I say thank you
to what challenged me,
to what carried me,
to what remains.
And to what I am today
not in spite of it all,
but because of it.
Discipline.
Café Marina hummed with early evening activity until a family of five marched in. Three kids bouncing like pinballs, parents smiling with blind confidence which said: they’ll settle down once the food comes.
The eldest immediately began sword-fighting with breadsticks. The middle child discovered the merry-go-round of the revolving door, restricting entry to bewildered customers. The youngest, barely tall enough to see over the table, dumped a saltshaker into his glass of water and announced, “Potion!” before offering sips to strangers.
When the waiter arrived with menus, the kids lunged at him like paparazzi, tugging his apron, demanding pizza, fries, and “ice cream FIRST.” One crawled under a neighboring table and emerged with a lady’s handbag. Another climbed onto the buffet counter, shrieking, “I’m king of the chicken wings!”
The parents, unbothered, sipped quietly on their soups. “They’re just… spirited,” the mother said proudly, as the youngest attempted to stir her soup with a fork and a straw simultaneously.
By the time the family left, the restaurant looked like it had hosted a food fight championship. Waiters leaned against walls, breathless, like survivors of a natural disaster. The manager muttered, “Next time, we charge them a cleaning fee instead of a service charge.”
***
Children thrive on discipline. It is more than correcting misbehavior, it sets boundaries that build self-control, respect, and responsibility. Consistent discipline teaches life skills like empathy, problem-solving, and sound judgment.
Parents must be role models, as children mimic adult behavior. Discipline helps them pause before acting, consider consequences, and make thoughtful choices, while fostering cooperation and respect. Accountability builds independence, resilience, and success in both relationships and academics.
Effective discipline is not harsh punishment but guidance: consistency creates security, positive reinforcement motivates, and communication makes rules meaningful. Discipline should match a child’s age and temperament, firm structure in early years, shared responsibility in adolescence.
Balance is vital: too much strictness stifles, too much freedom weakens self-control. With love and respect, discipline shapes character and prepares children for life’s challenges.
Start early. A toddler cannot dictate family rules—refusing showers, preventing you from speaking on the phone, or monopolizing your attention. If this sounds familiar, pause and reset. Children must learn boundaries while young and impressionable. It is our duty to raise socially conscious, well-trained humans.
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Mumbai, Maharastra
dheera_k@hotmail.com
