Living A Life Of Gratitude

F – FRIENDS & FLOWERS

noreply@blogger.com (G Angela) — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 06:04:00 +0000

This post is dedicated to all my Friends.

Friends and Flowers go together, both bring smile to face, and both of them have always inspired me. I love having friends and flowers in my life. They are truly STARS shining in darkness.

My mother was very fond of flowers, and she was very particular to buy flowers to adorn herself, and some flowers were offered to God as garlands and bouquets for special occasions in the family.

This is something me and my mom have in common. Friends have been a part of my life, from childhood I had always friends, who were close to me, shared their jokes and secrets, played with me, sang with me and also studied with me.

As I moved to adolescents, my friends changed and I had very few friends, as this phase was transitory one with hormones playing havoc, these friendships were not sustained, gradually as I moved into adulthood, I developed a lot more of friends, and I loved them.

If not for them in my life, I would have developed anxiety, fear, depression, stress and a whole lot of psychological problems. Thanks to friends who listened to my problems, some taught me to love and accept myself, others helped set goals in life, some others were my financial advisors, and still some others were an experience of God in my life.

Just like the bouquet of flowers, every fried is unique, beautiful and has contributing to my personality. Whatever I have done, and have been able to do, it is only because of my friends, they say friends are an extension of our families, so true in my life:

A NOTE OF APPRECIATION FOR MY FRIENDS

“I want to thank each one of you, for having been my very special gift. I thank you for accepting me in your life; enabling and empowering me in my journey towards health, wholeness and harmony.

I want you to know that I am grateful to each one of you in my life; and thanks for trusting me and thank you for making a difference in my life! “

Today I'm on F of the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge.

E - EMMANUEL

noreply@blogger.com (G Angela) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 06:25:00 +0000

Today I'm on E of the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge.

E – is Emmanuel, it’s the name of my child, who entered my life unexpectedly, turned my world upside down. He gave me new lenses to see myself and every thing surrounding me.

He helped me understand what unconditional love was, leading me to a deeper discovery of myself. He opened up a new world for me, wherein, smile, cheerfulness and laughter were in plenty, music and dance was part of every day life, His language was hugs and kisses. Without uttering a word, he build relationships in our neighbourhood.

He fascinated me and showed me what matters most in life, his simplicity was mind blowing, his generosity and gratitude overwhelmed me. With him in my life, every day was new experience, and it is still continues to be. For he made me cry, laugh, sing, dance,pray,read,play keeping me happy always.

We named our son Emmanuel, which means “God is with us” the choice was a deliberate one, as we wanted to reinforce our faith in God to let ourselves know that God is with us. That’s how a very special journey began 9 years ago and lasted for 7 years, bringing in gifts that I can cherish for a life time.

While I am glad for all the learning’s that I had, my heart even now finds it difficult to accept the way he left us, so suddenly and the trauma he went thru seems unforgettable.It hurts me to recall the last few days of his life, wherein in I watched him suffer everyday and finally let go of him from our lives once and for all. I and my husband held his hands on either side, while he was on the ventilator in the ICCU ward breathing his last breath.

I stood there as his mom unable to do anything. The sorrow is still very deep inside, a lot of questions remains unanswered, with great difficulty I messaged him from my heart and told him, how much I loved him, and left the decision for him, for it was terrible for me to see him struggle in front of my eyes. Emmanuel left us on January 2, 2011 leaving me devastated – I grieved for days and months and gradually have picked up my strength once again with the help of my family and friends to continue my journey…….

”What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” – Helen Keller

D – DAUGHTER

noreply@blogger.com (G Angela) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 06:24:00 +0000

Today I'm on D of the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge.

Today I chose Daughter for D, and dedicate this post to my daughter Dorothy! The joy of my life, I consider my daughter a joy for many reasons, and I feel blessed to have her in my life. When I hear some of my friends who are mothers complain about their daughters, I realize how different and mature my daughter is in our family.

Dorothy was born in the second year of my marriage, and we look forward for this child, as she was the first girl baby I held in my arms, the experience is unforgettable, and even now fills me with so much delight. For 3 years, she was the center of our world, loved and pampered by everyone at home, and then came along my second child, my son Emmanuel, a Down syndrome child, prone for respiratory infections, weighing low and a sickly child.

It was totally a new experience altogether, and gradually he took more time from me, which led me move away from my daughter. I struggled to find time for her, as she was smart and quick in her ways unlike my son. But I did not really succeed in giving everything she hoped for, especially taking her out for picnics, resorts or amusement parks. I tried my best to involve her, in whatever ways I could to make her to feel, she was equally important like her brother. This in fact made her more independent, and responsible. My son accompanied us only for 7 years and left the earth, which was a shattering experience for me.

All through the seven years, my daughter was great support to me, and in many ways, even though she was deprived of fun, outings and recreations, she was a happy child and enjoyed the company of her brother. She was never fussy for food, took her brother to play, always guarded him, and took care of him.

The best part was that she understood that her brother was very different from her, and he required more time to learn. Some times when she found me struggling with him to give him food, she would come around and sing for him, jump and clap every time he took his food, / or antibiotics or cough syrups when he was sick.

During her holidays she would make him sit on his cycle teaching him to peddle, she would hold his hands and teach him to write, make him repeat after her and play with his teddy bears. At festivals, she used to be very particular, when we take him to church, she will hold his hands and make him sit beside her, and control his movements. As my son would like to go around in the church, and when the choir sings, he would dance happily; Dorothy would be conscious and ensure that he does not disturb the persons sitting next to us in the church.

Dorothy loved the festival of lights, (Deepavali) she would get some crackers, and help Emmanuel to burst too, holding him and encouraging him not to fear the sounds. For Rakhi she would buy a color band and tie on his wrists. She continues this practice even after his death; she will secretly buys and place it at his photograph..

Dorothy still loves and misses him, she keeps telling me, mummy, I had only one brother to play with me, and why did God take him away from us? I tell her that her brother completed his work here on earth, and now he is entrusted with some other work above.

We have our work to do, so let us continue till the day when we shall meet him face to face. I feel lucky and honored for the gift of my daughter to me, she truly is a blessing!

Be Blessed & Be Happy!

C - CHALLENGE

noreply@blogger.com (G Angela) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 08:29:00 +0000

Among the many words that came to my mind, I chose Challenge for C. The reason is my life is full of challenges. I was born in a middle class Tamilian catholic family, consisting of nine children. I was the eight child in the family, and being a girl/women and abiding by traditions and cultures is itself enough of a challenge to talk about.

I have 5 brothers and two sisters older to me and one sister younger to me. I had lost my elder sister when I was still in primary school. My mother was a home maker, and my dad worked in a private sector.

Right from my childhood, there was clear defined roles for me and my brothers, it was very easy to pick up without questioning anything, as it was an accepted fact, not to question, or change anything, but just follow the usual path of what the other girls of my age do as they grow- wash, clean, and help in the kitchen and go to school.

The message was very clear from the beginning, that no matter whatever be the qualification, talent, capacity, strengths a woman has, the final goal for her is to get married, bear children, cook and care for the family. There is no identity for women, and their identity will be given by her father before marriage, and after marriage, she will be given her husband’s identity. These messages are given in various ways, at different moments not only in the early years of growing up, but gets clearer as one grows up.

There were times, I regretted and hated being a girl. I envied my brothers who enjoyed freedom, to move around freely, learn to cycle, swim and go for night movies, and roam around with friends. For me to do any such things would be to invite problems for myself. In spite of all these conditions, I learnt everything breaking the rules.

I did have my own fun in doing what I was not supposed to, I learnt to cycle without my mom’s knowledge, I played shuttle in the evening with my peers, used to get wet playing in the rain, pluck tamarind from the tree and ate it raw, roamed around in the neighborhood chatting and took all the scoldings and sometimes beating too from my mother.

I have no regrets for what has gone by, I have begun to understand that my parents were the products of their own times, and they did what they thought and felt was best for the whole family.

The challenges I faced then, made me courageous, independent, authentic, humane and understanding. Now I know that every challenge is drawing the best out of me, so I embrace all the challenges of my life as a gift, and hold it with gratitude in my heart, for they have been my stepping stones leading me to find myself.

Be Blessed & Be Happy !

Today I'm on C of the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge.

Be Aware Of Your Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (G Angela) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:34:00 +0000

I am talking about Negative thinking; Negative thinking affects each one of us as individuals, and interferes in our day to day activities, blocking us from achieving our full potential.

It begins like a slow poison, and affects every sphere of our lives, distorting our perceptions about our own self, others and everything around us.

I have so many experiences in my life, as to how negative thinking constantly kept me shy, in doubt, eating away my confidence from within. It made me blind, frightened, insecure, anxious and dependent on other’s opinions.

I found difficult to take risks and learn new things in my life; it took a lot of time for me to love and accept myself just the way I am.

I absorbed the concept of beauty from all around me, comparing myself with so many others who I thought are very lucky and beautiful, that I found difficult to see the beauty that is in me. This made me sad, and led me to think negatively about myself. I have allowed others to define me.

I had to be taught to see the positive aspects, and I am so grateful for so many experiences, that came my way in the form of books that I read.

I can never forget Norman Vincent Peale’s, Robert Schuler, Fr John Powell, Louise Hay Dr Scott Peck, Dr Bernie Seighal, Stephen Covey, Robin Sharma and many more authors who literally accompanied me on my journey to bring in small changes in my life, altered my perceptions of myself, which impacted on the others aspects of my life too.

I salute all the Gurus’ (my teachers) from whom I learnt to meditate, who taught me to look within and appreciate the sense of divinity in me.

Today I'm on B of the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge.

A - Affirm Yourself Every Day

noreply@blogger.com (G Angela) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:14:00 +0000

My friend told me, that I am a very affirmative person, and I said yes! I love to appreciate all that is good in me and around me. This is something that I had learnt and picked up over a period of time in my life. I come across so many people who are so stingy to affirm the goodness that is in them and also around them.

Somewhere down within us there is a feeling of discomfort, of finding it difficult to accept the goodness that is inherent which makes us not to affirm ourselves, and at other times there is a fear that when we affirm we give permission for the others to sit on our heads.

I have heard so many times, elders stating don’t affirm so much, don’t tell them about their goodness, lest children get spoilt. Sometimes we also block ourselves from sharing the good things that we notice. Thanks for my friends and mentors, who taught me to look at the brighter side always, and showed me the way to be kind and affirming.

I am glad to have learnt the art of appreciation and affirmation. It makes a lot of difference; it helps me to feel good about myself, helps me in building confidence, and enhances my self esteem. Affirmation techniques can beat our negative thinking, and conditions us to remain grateful and happy. So no matter, whatever be the situation, Keep appreciating and affirming yourself, it is sure way to be happy !

Affirm yourself today and say:

I AM AT PEACE WITH THE UNIVERSE
I LOVE AND ACCEPT MYSELF AS I AM,

I I AM SAFE AND ALWAYS PROTECTED

I AM HEALTHY AND HAPPY

Be Happy !

Today I'm on A of the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge.

Hope for Anxious Persons ….

noreply@blogger.com (G Angela) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 10:11:00 +0000

I just completed reading a book “Perfectly Panic Free by Mike Karowski. “ I must confess that this was a very good book, and contains a lot of information, and is very useful for anybody who has issues related to anxiety and fear, and for those who work as psychological counselors.

I am glad to have won this E book, and I must thank Corinne Rodrigues, http://everydaygyaan.com & Mike Karowski who is the author of this book Perfectly Panic Free book http://www.panicdisorderattacks.com for choosing me to be the winner.

This book has 7 chapters and every chapter is written in a simple and ordinary language that is easy to understand. I am attracted to this book as it contains a lot of important information on Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders. This is helpful to me as a psychological counselor working in a university, wherein I come across so many students who struggle with this problem.

The common reasons for developing fear and anxiety are that, most of our students who come here to study are from very remote villages, and they speak only Telugu. They come from small colleges in their hometown. When they reach the University, they are expected to understand English, which is the medium of instruction.

These students find it challenging, and added to this is that they have to accommodate themselves in the city hostels, and also compete with the city students. This creates a lot of problem to the students who find difficult to adjust to the new environment.

Some students manage to deal with this issue in few sittings at our centre, as we also link them to the existing resources in the campus wherein they can learn yoga, meditation, and take up some games like basket ball, cricket, swimming etc and find support from friends and classmates.

My concern is for those students who struggle with this issue, and they do not want to take any psychiatric help. They feel terrible about this problem; do not want anybody to know about this issue, especially their families, and they come to us, hoping to get some relief.

Even though I do address their issues, help them to deal with it, and build their self esteem. I am still open for learning, and I am glad that this book was a perfect gift to me and our centre, Sahayam, a free counseling centre that deals with simple, general psychological issues of staff and students.

Perfectly Panic Free is written in a very systematic way, the whole issue of understanding Anxiety & Anxiety Disorders was very enlightening to me, and I could connect with my own experiences of students, who come with anxiety and fear.

Every chapter in this book is beautifully summarized, stating the cause in a scientific manner, and motivating the person to take steps to address it in the early stages of identification, and also highlighting the treatment options available for the person. This book also explored various alternative treatments for anxiety, panic attacks and panic disorder.

Some of the treatments mentioned are already promoted in the campus. We have a clinical psychologist and a psychiatrist on our panel, and those students who take on medication come to us for support service which is free for them.

I am inspired by your story, and appreciate the workbook which you have added towards the end of the book, I found it very handy especially self hypnosis, food therapy, vitamins in food, diversion therapy (which we recommend) & laughter therapy. Most of the things mentioned we promote to our students except we have not explored homeopathy & aromatherapy.

I also felt motivated to find so many popular personalities with anxiety disorder who have lived successfully, and some of them still famous and living vibrant life.I strongly recommend this book for all the persons, who are sufferings from anxiety and anxiety disorders and also for persons working in helping position.

My heartfelt thanks to Mike Karowski & Corinne Rodrigues - I assure you that we shall make the best use of the information available in the book so that many more students can find hope for their fear and anxiety.

For more information: Please visit http://www.panicdisorderattacks.com

Be Blessed & Be Happy !

Happy Valentine’s Day to my Friends!

noreply@blogger.com (G Angela) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 09:06:00 +0000

Today I want to thank especially my friends for the gift of friendship and for the love, care and support they have always offered me, in my journey, and helping me remain happy, grateful and healthy. I say this with courage and confidence because there have been so many instances in my life, if not for my friends, I would have been in a very different person doing a routine job.

Thanks to my friends, for because of them I complete two years today in Sahayam, psychological counseling centre for the students, at Osmania University, Hyderabad. I am happy grateful to be in this place. Surprisingly I seemed to have become confident and passionate and convinced of my purpose on this universe.

I think of the day I walked in this centre, so unsure of myself, completely broken and shattered not knowing what to do in life, as it was exactly 45 days after the death of my son Emmanuel. I was called to join in this place as a counselor to the students.

I wondered if I could be of any use, as I was grieving and depressed. I spoke to my friends, and found them kind and encouraging, they helped me find hope and gently supported me, while I took the decision to work in a psychological counseling centre, reluctantly I took it up as my friends believed in me and felt that I could do this work.

Sometimes it is better to borrow faith, hope and courage from our friends, till we are able to withstand and face the challenges of life, everything is sure of changing, and we shall regain faith, hope and courage, once again to continue our journey in life.

True enough, I accepted help from my friends and took up this service at the university, which provided me with opportunity to listen to the problems of the students, interact with them and helped them to find their own solutions. I realized I was getting better, and gradually gained control over myself, found alternatives to fight my own depressive thoughts, explored options to cope with the loss of my child. Today I work with passion and am happy and grateful to be of service.

Be Blessed & Be happy !

Why Cry?

noreply@blogger.com (G Angela) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 08:32:00 +0000

I cry when I am hurt, misunderstood. I cried when I saw my sister suffered, when my parents died in the intensive care. I cried when I saw my son dying, helplessly holding his hands, when I carried a dead child in my arms.

Crying has always brought in relief, and given me the strength to move on, crying has made me sensitive, compassionate to pain and painful experiences of others.

Crying has helped me to cope with difficult moments of my life, crying has even brought in healing to my heart. Crying has kept me strong, confident & healthy!

In response to Corinne’s prompt, why cry 100 words on Saturday from Everyday Gyaan.

http://everydaygyaan.com/

Being Yourself

noreply@blogger.com (G Angela) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 10:50:00 +0000

The year 2013 seems to be an interesting one for me – the reason being, that I have learnt to become comfortable being myself, in the last few years I have been trying to push myself and unnecessary troubling my mind and my body to do something, to achieve and to move on in life with a great speed without wasting a single moment.

Now I have just let go of myself, my situations, conditions and achievements. I have learnt to live each day as it unfolds –being conscious of myself as a person, and what matters to me - my body with its weight, my mind with all the thought processes, and my relationships that requires space, my work that brings meaning.

Understanding my body and taking small steps in achieving overall health, has become more important to me.

Checking my thought processes, every now and then and shifting my mind in looking at the postive side of life in everything that happens has become a daily exercise.

Learning to provide space in my relationships with both my husband and my daughter has become vital to me. I feel wiser to understand I cannot change a bit of their personality, but appreciating and learning to accept them the way they are, has given enough freedom in our relationships.

My experiences of life has led me to work for people, to be a helper, which was always my dream, to reach out and help students. I have learnt to derive happiness in doing good and reach out to those who need my services, and now my only duty is to be available and helpful especially to those who are broken and who need a helping hand, and I am content with my work.

I keep enjoying my journey as I continue my life with gratitude, I just allow myself to be, happy, content, satisfied and be of service!

What more can I ask in life!

I Feel Blessed and I Feel Grateful !

In Memory of My Dad !

noreply@blogger.com (G Angela) — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:10:00 +0000

9 January is a special day for me as it reminded me of my dad’s birthday!

One of the most important persons in my life has been my Dad.

Even though he was always busy and spent a lot of time at work, he ensured that we got our best.

We celebrated his birthday every year when he was alive, it was a very special occasion, as it was also my parents wedding anniversary.

They celebrated their golden wedding anniversary, and after a couple of years, my died passed away.

There are so many beautiful aspects of his life that I want to be grateful for. The most important is the faith that he had in the almighty God.

He taught me to kneel and pray, believe in the providence of God. To be always open to trust the divine to lead me.

He helped my mom and worked hard to ensure that all of us had 3 meals a day, clothes to wear, and education to guide us in our lives.

He always kept us together through daily family prayers & all celebrated- all the festivals, birthdays and holidays, it was an opportunity to bring family and friends together.

I remember him with gratitude & pray for his soul to rest in peace!

Second Death Anniversary of my Hero !

noreply@blogger.com (G Angela) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 06:39:00 +0000

Goodnight Our Hero

To be brave is to cry
But still to fight on,
And that's what you did
Our hero, our son.

The battle was hard
We thought we had won,
But still you fought on
Our hero, our son.

The happiness you brought
To the lives you have touched,
Will live on forever
As you are loved so much.

When we close our eyes we can see you,
When we whisper your name we can hear you,
And when we reach with our hearts we can touch you.

Goodnight our hero, our son, our Emmu,
You are just a child
But you have died a man.

Source: www.FamilyFriendPoems.com

Thinking of my son ! on this day with great love, and thanking God for all that he was to us. This card was specially designed by my daughter Dorothy today.

With gratitude & love from all of us !

9th Birthday Remembrance of Mario Emmanuel

noreply@blogger.com (G Angela) — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 14:22:00 +0000

Today I remember my son Mario Emmanuel for his 9th Birthday !

We miss you Emmu ! we are glad you have been a part of our lives !

We are grateful to God for the gift of you, and today we Celebrate your presence where ever you are !

We love you, our darling Son !

You have been a joy to me,

A companion friend to your sister and

a beloved to your father.

On this beautiful day, we wish you a very Happy Birthday !!

With love & gratitude from all of Us !

Dream So True......

noreply@blogger.com (G Angela) — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 09:53:00 +0000

Today I woke up from a dream that seemed so real. My whole body was shaken, my mind completely disturbed. My dream took me to a beautiful shrine, wherein I had gone with my family. I found myself sitting in the chapel, holding my children on either side.

I had come with great devotion, my eyes closed and my heart open, praying devoutly, so engrossed that I forgot about my children who were beside me. In fact I was praying for them, for both my daughter and in a special way for my son. I was aware of my daughter sitting quietly and Emmanuel on the other side playing with my bag.

I completed my prayer, opened my eyes and found only my daughter, and not my son. Emmanuel my son was missing. I started looking around, frantically searching for him every where in the chapel; I was unable to trace him. I did not know what to do.

I started running out of the chapel crying and looking for him. I started asking every person outside the chapel, describing him of his looks, the color of his clothes for easy identification. But I did not succeed in finding him.

I continued to move around the shrine, my heart pounding, my legs refusing to walk and I was almost shivering, unsure of the path. I was walking like a mad woman in the crowd. Where would Emmanuel have gone? What has happened to him? I could not stop my tears; I have no words to describe my feelings. I felt apart of me was lost, and there was only darkness, void and emptiness in my life.

The thought of losing a child, who has speech difficulties, is unbearable. I could not control my thoughts. What if someone took him away? How would he defend himself? How would he say if he is hungry or thirsty? Will he be able to survive without me?

Oh God protect my son wherever he is? I do not know what to do? Where to find him? Where is he? What has happened? My thoughts are so frightening, for I have heard of stories where children are kidnapped and made to beg, I heard of children being used for menial jobs, some are taken into homes and made to do the domestic work.

A special child is more vulnerable than the other children. My son! Would he ever be able to come out of abusive and exploitative situations? Oh God please do something? Who will bring me out of this misery, I have no way out?

I went searching everywhere, only to come back disappointed. Tired, hungry, broken I return back to the shrine thinking of my daughter who is waiting for me. Little girl sitting in the chapel. Suddenly I gain strength thinking of her, oh my God, what am I doing, left my little girl behind, in search of my son. I started walking as swiftly as I can towards the chapel.

I find my old friend on my way, and tell her about my missing son. To my surprise she tells me that she saw Emmanuel sitting right in the front row in the church smiling away. I could not believe my ears. My throat was dry; voice would not come out and I was speechless. There was only tears’ just flowing, to know that my son is fine and he is in the safest place.

I took courage and wiped my tears, went inside the shrine, knelt and sat down in gratitude. Emmanuel was just standing in front of me smiling away. I became aware of his presence. I was at peace as I closed my eyes; and I knew he was very close to my heart. Now there was no fear, no worry, no anxiety but peace and harmony alone. For I found him in the safest place, with the Lord, the very source of life.

I am grateful & Happy!

HAPPY DIWALI !

noreply@blogger.com (G Angela) — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 12:29:00 +0000

Wishing all my Friends a Very Happy and Prosperous Diwali !

Celebrate & Be Happy !

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL AND UNIQUE

noreply@blogger.com (G Angela) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 08:32:00 +0000

Its 5 days now and my heart is grieving, as I continue to my work at Sahayam, Osmania University’s Psychological centre. We had one more student, who committed suicide by hanging on a tree. I feel terrible and helpless and extremely sad, I found out that this student was depressed and was unable to cope with his anxiety and fear, which is such a common emotion, that could have been easily dealt.

Suicide is one of the most preventable forms of death. Yet, people shy away from talking about it, in most of the situations the person does not really want to end his/her life. Most of the time young people are looking for a space to deal with these emotions, and are willing to take help.The sad part is people around are unable to detect, and identify the various clues the person gives in their attempt to cope with the problem.

It does hurt us in a deeper way, and I keep thinking, why? Was there not a single person in this vast campus, who could identify the warnings this student would have given in different ways. This experience points out to the kind of system we are in; psychological counseling is still considered to be western concept. There is a lack of awareness and understanding on its importance especially in an academic institution that has thousands of students who are pursuing their post graduations and research.

In my experience of working in this centre for the last one and half years, I found most of the students who came in for counseling had problems related to adjustments in the campus, as they come in from their small home town, they are overwhelmed by this huge university which they feel frightened and anxious about, other issues are relationship issues, fear, anxiety, stress etc.

The issues appear very small and insignificant, if they are not dealt in time; it leads to other severe mental problems. The simplest thing to do is to address issues when they are small. What more can be done, we join hands with other services that are available for students and do our own bit, of creating awareness, orienting students on this service, that responds exclusively for students to de tress, a place for them to air out their issues, figure out their solutions in order that they progress academically. This note is for all those who feel sad and depressed for various reasons:

· Remember having problem is normal.

· The pain seems permanent, but it is actually not.

· Give yourself some time, and WAIT.

· Talk to someone who you can trust.

· There are lots of good people in this world who are ready to help you.

· There is enough and more information related to almost all issues on the net.

· There are plenty of organizations that are working for health

If you are in Hyderabad, you can also contact some of the places for help:

Sahayam, Osmania University Psychological Counseling Centre
Cell: 040 -27682451. 8978191572 /9703737737 Email: sahayamou@gmail.com
Hyderabad Academy of Psychology. 040-27847755 or 94939-75140 or 050-32578899.
Makro Foundation: 040-46004600

Be Happy !

A Special Wedding Anniversary !

noreply@blogger.com (G Angela) — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 16:07:00 +0000

The 13^th of October 2012 has been a very significant day for me; I can’t believe I have been married for 12 years. Turning back I cannot say that “we are a perfect couple” or ours was a perfect marriage.

It was a mixture of beautiful experiences, treasured moments, joy and sorrow combined together. I remember even before my marriage I had been a very optimistic, enthusiastic and happy person. Because, I chose to be happy and grateful. I can say that these qualities of mine have sustained me, even in the toughest situation of my life.

This year what made our day, the most memorable one was the initiative my daughter Dorothy took to celebrate our anniversary. What touched my heart was that she along with my niece bought a card, a cake and small gifts for both of us from their pocket money.

Dorothy our daughter has now become an expert in making collages, and she has made this lovely collage on our anniversary. This is truly one of the finest gifts I have received, and I am so thankful to God almighty for blessing me with abundance love, joy and peace. This collage was made by my daughter Dorothy.

David was completely bowled over, by Dorothy’s gesture, he had no words to articulate for the experience given, so he reciprocated by cooking a delicious meal for all of us that day.

I am grateful for these small joys in my life!

Birthday Remembrance of My Mom Rosemary Dass

noreply@blogger.com (G Angela) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 11:13:00 +0000

Today is my mother’s birthday, a very memorable and unforgettable day. Mom loved celebrations. She would be ready by early hours, dress up with new saree, matching accessories and ready to go to church for mass.

The evening hours were always special for her, for it would bring the whole family together; prayers were a must, followed by cake cutting and a family dinner.

It was special day for all of us, as my third brother Vincent shared his birthday with mom. My heart is filled with gratitude for my mother for all that she was to the family, and I dedicate this poem for my mother which aptly speaks about my feelings for her today!

You can shed tears that she is gone,

or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back,
or you can open your eyes and see all she's left.

Your heart can be empty because you can't see her,
or you can be full of the love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember her only that she is gone,
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind,
be empty and turn your back.
Or you can do what she'd want:
smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
---David Harkins

May her soul rest in peace !

Meaning in Life

noreply@blogger.com (G Angela) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 07:21:00 +0000

The death of my son helped me create meaning for my life in a newer way. I responded to every opportunity that came my way, and gradually learnt to accept the reality of my situation. I reclaimed my lost hobby ie. Swimming. I started to swim every day for one whole year, leaving me refreshed.

I took up part time work at the university, as a counselor and later on made it my full time work, for I found my work very fulfilling. I agreed to do some sessions on stress management in colleges that made me relook at my own style of managing stress, and inspired me to explore ways to address my own stress.

In the process, I also connected with so many different persons in my life, and I have begun to appreciate the beauty of persons and the difference they were making in this world. I am still continuing to explore many other aspects of myself to find my own purpose in life, and live my life with gratitude, I am still in process…..

As I keep exploring about my life. I find some noticeable happenings in our family. The entry of a cat, that has been visiting us every day. Both my mother in law and husband David have developed attachment to this cat, for it came in after Emmanuel's departure.

Now the cat has become part of our family, my husband ensures that the cat is fed and looked afters. What surprises me is that the cat has been responding, and comes in exactly when David is at home. David is busy storing food for the cat, keeps the feed ready in the mornings as well as in the evenings.

When the cat does not come for a day, he is so disturbed, that he starts searching for it and keeps on looking for its arrival.

Then there are some birds, who have become members of our family. Food is cooked daily for Emmanuel in his memory and placed at his photograph. The next day it is placed on the wall for the birds, now I see pigeons, crows and sparrows coming in to eat the leftover food. Now it’s mandatory that I cook food a little extra for the birds too, for they have become very regular and punctual for their feed.

David has started taking interest in plants – he has been taking care of the plants every day, and enjoying the job of filling in the bucket and spending time early morning in watering the plants.

I heard him say, that Emmanuel has left him with greater responsibility of taking care of cat, looking after the birds and watering the plants.

I find all the three activities are not only creating meaning but also helping him to cope with grief. Life is full of opportunities and it is upto us to create meanings for our own lives.

I am grateful to God for every opportunity that comes my way, to create meaning for my life.
A great thinker asked God: what is the meaning of life? God replied, “Life itself has no meaning. LIFE IS AN OPPORTUNITY to create a MEANING!

Be Grateful & Be Happy !

Wisdom of Tears

noreply@blogger.com (G Angela) — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 07:58:00 +0000

I boarded a bus to attend a meeting, the bus took a route that crossed the graveyard, where my son Mario Emmanuel was buried. Whenever I pass that side, I am tempted to look at my son’s graveyard, and experience a sense of great loss in my life. This time too I was standing in the bus, and I was not able to get a glimpse of my son’s graveyard, so I bent to see and the bus moved away swiftly.

I felt hurt and there was so much pain, the thought of my son no more was too much to bear, I understand that he is no more, and has gone into my past. But the memories are still fresh and it floods me at a time I am so unprepared to handle myself. I do not know when this will happen, but it is so unpredictable.

Suddenly I Emmanuel everywhere in my life. I have learnt to a large extent to live without him for the last one half years, but it still hurts to think that he is gone away and my tears have become irresistible now, while I write, when I see his picture, every small little things reminds of my son and I am completely taken over by my tears. I am grateful for my tears, for I know that healing is taking place in my heart .... and am emotionally being healed, I accept this experience with gratitude as a part of my journey.

I do not stop my tears. I let go, I comfort myself knowing that he is not gone at all, for he is very much still part of myself. I found this poem appropriate for what I feel now… from my son.

I'm Gone now, but I'm still very near.
Death can never separate us.
Each time you feel a gentle breeze,
It's my hand caressing your face.
Each time the wind blows,
It carries my voice whispering your name.
When the wind blows your hair ever so slightly,
Think of it as me pushing a few stray hairs back in place.
When you feel a few raindrops fall on your face,
It's me placing soft kisses.
At night look up in the sky and see the stars shining so brightly.
I'm one of those stars and I'm winking at you and smiling with delight.
For never forget you're the apple of my eye.
--- Mary M. Green

“Tears have a wisdom all their own. They come when a person has relaxed enough to let go and to work through his sorrow. They are the natural bleeding of an emotional wound, carrying the poison out of the system. Here lies the road to recovery.” --- F. Alexander Magoun

Be Blessed & Be Happy!

Memories of Rakhi

noreply@blogger.com (G Angela) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 10:01:00 +0000

Maria Dorothy my daughter surprised me this time, when she carefully picked up a few friendship bands for her friends, and along with it picked up one Rakhi – which was a beautiful one decorated with colorful flowers and was made of satin thread.

(Rakhi is a colorful thread which is tied by the sister to her brother on the wrist on the Raksha Bandhan day – a day that speaks of love between brother and sister. This is a common festival in India.)

I quietly watched her buy as she kept telling me that these were for her special friends. I nodded for I found these are small joys of a child, so I helped her with whatever she wanted to purchase. She was very happy for the choices she made and happily kept it carefully in her bag.

I wondered who will she gave that special Rakhi to? I tried to find out, and made my guesses of her friends. She refused to tell me, and kept me in suspense saying that it was for somebody very special in her life.

I stopped asking her, and thought she must have bought that beautiful Rakhi for her cousin. I forgot everything and got busy with my usual routine work of dusting, clearing the clutter and cleaning all the rooms, I moved from one room to another at home and suddenly saw something shining at my son’s photograph.

I went closer, and found a beautiful Rakhi placed near the photograph. I was pleasantly surprised. Dorothy had not forgotten to tie a Rakhi to her brother Emmanuel.

She has been missing him, but did not express anything to me. But in her own sweet way, expressed her love for Emmanuel. I had no words for what I saw for I could not believe my eyes.

I stood there staring at the Rakhi, for it brought some memorable moments of my son Emmanuel. I recalled how he used to extend his hands with a smile, along with his cousin and Dorothy would tie the Rakhi to him. David would give her a small gift on behalf of Emmanuel.

I moved quickly from that place to continue my work . I did not want to dwell for too long on what has gone in the past. I was slightly disturbed and felt unhappy with the thought that my son is no more.

I looked at the lovely Rakhi which Dorothy has placed, and suddenly felt he was very close to our hearts, he was very much present in our lives, even though it appears he is gone. Tears were rolling , I quickly wiped them, lest my daughter will notice me and I did not want to cry in front of her. I picked up the duster and with a smile continued my work, believing Emmanuel is present very much in our hearts and in our home.

"Cherish all of your memories for they are the experiences that moulded you." Author: Jill Davis

Be Blessed & Be Happy!

Treasured moment!

noreply@blogger.com (G Angela) — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 06:52:00 +0000

Exactly 10 days ago, a new member has been added in our family, my sister in law Mary has been expecting a child, and she delivered the child on the September 2^nd 2012. I along with my husband and Mary’s family waited eagerly, praying for the mother and child’s safety. The reason being that Mary’s first child died within an hour of birth, and I remembered carrying a dead child in my arms. This experience was so shocking, it brought in fear and anxiety now for me.

My thoughts were racing, reminding me of the previous experience, and I stood firm lifting my heart to God in prayer, as I very firmly believe that doctors and health professionals are not God’s, they do their part, and LIFE definitely is God’s Gift. While I stood there in faith, the nurse came out and announced that it’s a girl baby, and she brought the baby to show it to us.

The baby was very small, but very cute and active, I held the baby in my arms with gratitude for she was so angelic and perfect that I was overjoyed to see this beautiful miracle in my hands. I treasured these moments of joy and welcomed the new member with great love, I was with Mary in the hospital taking care of the child in the nights for 3 days, and I cherished every moment watching the little baby.

It was a beautiful experience to take care of a new born, the happiness she brought took away our anxieties, fears and worry – and she aroused in me, the sweet memories of my own motherhood, and also tender reminders of my mother’s care for me.

I began to appreciate all the mothers who do so much for their kids, and thanked God for making me women, for these are treasured moments only women can experience. I am glad for this experience, that has filled my heart with gratitude, and reminded me of these special affirmations from the bible:

· You may not know me, but I know everything about you…Psalm 139:1

· I chose you when I planned creation…Ephesians 1:11-12

· I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live…Acts 17:26

· You are fearfully and wonderfully made…Psalm 139:14

· I knit you together in your mother's womb…Psalm 139:13

“A baby is God’s opinion that the world should go on.” Author: Carl Sandburg.

Surprises !

noreply@blogger.com (G Angela) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 07:37:00 +0000

Life is full of surprises, and I feel privileged and welcomed, whenever I find surprises in my life, one of the very interesting things that I noticed very recently was the way I surprised myself.

I just gave up riding and started walking, all the work that I did using the bike earlier, now I do by taking a walk everywhere, be it post office, bank, my workplace, to pick my daughter from the bus stop, buying vegetables – everything that I want to do, I accomplish using my feet, and have stopped using the wheels.

The benefits I found are: I have lost a little weight, I am more active, happier, relaxed and sleep well and more than all these, have stopped taking additional burdens in my life which is a bigger relief, as having a bike means more time and sometimes everybody around thinks it’s so easy to get more things done having a bike and unconsciously I end up taking up additional burdens in the name of kindness and generosity of family, extended families and sometimes even friends.

There is a feeling of happiness to know that I am able to accomplish so much in my life because of the bike – but I had also realized that I have been taking up too many things in my life that has left me tired and stressed. With one simple decision I have empowered myself to focus on what I want to do. So now I have enough time, and I respond to what is important in my life.

In the last few weeks, I have been busy reaching my deadlines at workplace, completing my assignments, helped my sister in law (which means staying with her at the hospital at nights, while she delivered a baby girl, and looking after the little child till she is discharged from the hospital).

I am also happy to have taken a few individual counseling sessions with the students, and offered my time to give orientations on stress management in few colleges.. Some of the things I found difficult was to check mails, updates on the face book and blog, which I want to do, and for this I need to reorganize myself and work on managing my time.

When I look back, I was surprised to find myself doing everything that I loved to do and have learnt to relax even when I found that I have not accomplished some things that I want to. I am grateful and happy for what is happening, and for what is not happening, for I know that I am being led for a particular purpose and I keep walking with faith, hope and gratitude!

The most amazing surprise for today is to celebrate my daughter’s 11^th birthday, who is truly my motivation and blessing! I Thank the Lord almighty for blessing me with this bundle Joy and for the privileged and honor he has given me to be her mother.

So a few lines to my lovely daughter Maria Dorothy:

Having a daughter means … seeing a thousand rainbows every day, a thousand occasions of sweet hurray, a thousand sweet dreams every night, and a thousand reasons to laugh and smile” Happy Birthday to you Maria Dorothy, our angel ! Today is so important to everyone who knows you and who loves the amazing person you are. On your birthday and always, you’re wished everything wonderful!

A daughter is a miracle that never ceases to be miraculous...full of beauty and forever beautiful...loving and caring and truly amazing.
-- Deanna Beisser

Be Happy !

Vitamin F (Friends)

noreply@blogger.com (G Angela) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 10:04:00 +0000

Why do I have variety of friends who are all so different in character? How can I get along with them all? I think each one helps to bring out the “different” part of me. With one of them, I am polite, and with another I joke. I sit down and talk about serious matters with one. With another I laugh a lot. I listen to one friend’s problem, and then I listen to another one’s advice.

My friends are like pieces of jigsaw puzzle. When completed, they form a treasure box. A treasure of friends! They are my friends who understand me better than I understand myself.

They are my friends who support me all the time, both in good times and in bad, in sickness and health. In my joys and in my sorrows, they are beautiful angels sent from above.

Real age doctors tell us, that friends are good for our health. Dr Oz calls them vitamin F (for friends) and counts the benefits of friends as essential to our well being. Research shows that people in strong social circles have less risk of depression and terminal strokes.

If you enjoy Vitamin F constantly you can be upto 30 years younger than your real age. The warmth of friendship stops stress and even in your most intense moments, it decreases the chance of a cardiac arrest or stoke by 50 % I am happy to have a stock of vitamin F.

In summary, we should value our friends and keep in touch with them. We should try to see the funny side of things and laugh together and pray for each other.

This month while we celebrate “Friendship Day” I am glad for all my friends, who are so much part of my life, I cannot imagine my life without them. I send my love to all, and pray for each one of them for the difference they have made in my life.

I do not wait for friendship day to remember and thank each one of them, but they are always in my life, and I am happy to have a good stock of vitamin F in my life.

Happy Friendship Day to all my Friends! I love you!

(This forward of Vitamin F (Friends) was forwarded to me by my friend Genny, I found it so good, that I added my own views and made blog post.)

Death-Natural part of Life

noreply@blogger.com (G Angela) — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 06:10:00 +0000

I feel sad to hear about a gutted train carriage, which caught fire from an electrical short circuit killing at least 32, in Nellore on July 30, 2012. The express train carried sleeping passengers to the southern Indian city of Chennai. The news showed 35 persons charred to death in the last coach of Chennai express.

My prayer goes for those who are no more, may their souls rest in peace, I pray for all their relatives who are shocked by this horrifying news that they find strength to not only accept this loss, but also be able to continue in faith and hope.

Every death is a reminder for us, that earth is not a permanent place to any of us in this world, I am sure; none of those persons who died would have got even a clue that this journey would have been the final one.

Yet death visited them, when they were fast asleep in the early hours.

We never know when our time will come, under what circumstances, but when it’s time to leave the earth, I would like to find myself busy doing any of these favourite things I love - singing, listening to music, meditating, reading inspiriting books, helping those who require my support, walking, enjoying myself in the company of my family& friends, discovering new places, blogging and the list will continue as I keep exploring more and more of what is in me.

Today, I re commit myself to all that I enjoy doing, and take every day as it comes with great enthusiasm, and excitement, trusting that each day I am reborn to find some newness in me, and reinventing myself again to keep discovering my purpose in life.

Living A Life Of Gratitude

F – FRIENDS & FLOWERS

E - EMMANUEL

D – DAUGHTER

C - CHALLENGE

Be Aware Of Your Thoughts

A - Affirm Yourself Every Day

Hope for Anxious Persons ….

For more information: Please visit http://www.panicdisorderattacks.com

Be Blessed & Be Happy !

Happy Valentine’s Day to my Friends!

Why Cry?

Being Yourself

In Memory of My Dad !

Second Death Anniversary of my Hero !

9th Birthday Remembrance of Mario Emmanuel

Dream So True......

HAPPY DIWALI !

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL AND UNIQUE

A Special Wedding Anniversary !

Birthday Remembrance of My Mom Rosemary Dass

Meaning in Life

Wisdom of Tears

Memories of Rakhi

Treasured moment!

Surprises !

Vitamin F (Friends)

Death-Natural part of Life

My prayer goes for those who are no more, may their souls rest in peace, I pray for all their relatives who are shocked by this horrifying news that they find strength to not only accept this loss, but also be able to continue in faith and hope.

Every death is a reminder for us, that earth is not a permanent place to any of us in this world, I am sure; none of those persons who died would have got even a clue that this journey would have been the final one.

Yet death visited them, when they were fast asleep in the early hours.

Today, I re commit myself to all that I enjoy doing, and take every day as it comes with great enthusiasm, and excitement, trusting that each day I am reborn to find some newness in me, and reinventing myself again to keep discovering my purpose in life.

Each night, when I go to sleep, I die. And the next morning, when I wake up, I am reborn.” Mahatma Gandhi.

Be Blessed & Be Happy!