About Me
I'm joining Service Space because ... I love how we are all connected to one another by invisible threads and how our small acts can help us remember that. I would like to participate in local events as part of SS.
A good day to me is when ... I smile thinking of heartfelt connections that happened during the day.
My hero in life is ...My husband--his honesty, integrity and generosity are incredible, but even more admirable (to me) is the fact that he never takes credit for what he does!
My favorite book is ...The Lives of a Cell
One thing I'm grateful for is ... I'm sharing my passion for science with my students and also when I'm making music with my family and in nature
Gratitude For A Flat Tire
Sep 10, 2021, 11 comments, 6 smiles
Yesterday after a full day of masked in-person teaching, I returned to my car ready to drive home. While I was inside the car, a young woman walked around my car and indicated she wanted to tell me something---she said "your back tire is flat!" and walked away. I used the tire gauge that my dad had sent me a while ago to check all the tires and indeed one was completely flat. Fortunately we have AAA and I called the number so they could change the tire and put on my spare tire. The car was in a place where it would have been very challenging for me to do this, but they did it quickly. I had to wait for a while for them to show up, but I didn't mind at all because I could just use that time to meditate, breathe, and pause. I also had ... Read Full Story
Losing A Sense
Sep 03, 2021, 4 comments, 8 smiles
I love Mulla Nasrudin stories and would read them with my son when he was little. So this week's reading was very familiar-- funny and yet very profound.
It got me thinking about losing a sense. Two years ago, I had lost my voice for two weeks. And that's a pretty long time not to talk, especially for somebody who is a teacher! And it was a very, very profound shift, because not only did I experience the world differently from my "silent space" but I learned that how others saw me was different too.
During that time I went to a conference and people thought I was deaf, because I was writing on a small whiteboard that I carried everywhere. They would talk really loudly to me which I found startling! I would then indicate on my whiteboard "I have just lost my voice". I gave my entire presentation without speaking---by ... Read Full Story
A Brown Bag Story
Feb 04, 2021, 3 comments, 9 smiles
[Many years ago, I noticed that my brown Chipotle bag had a beautiful story from Paulo Coelho. I have saved it on my wall ever since! I was reminded of this when I read the passage for this week's Awakin Circle and Brian Conroy shared the same story. It reminded me that the cracks are both how the light gets in and also how the water gets out!.]
A legend tells of a man who used to carry water every day to his village, using two large pitchers tied on either end of a piece of wood, which he placed across his shoulders.
One of the pitchers was older than the other and was full of small cracks; every time the man came back along the path to his house, half of the water was lost.
For two years, the man made the same journey. The younger pitcher was always very proud of ... Read Full Story
Much Deeper Listening, Without Language
Nov 13, 2020, 1 comments, 6 smiles
[In a recent pod, we reflected on Four Types of Listening, and below is what came to mind for me.]
I am not sure I have ever experienced the fourth stage of stage of generative listening, as I seem to be mostly in the first two stages and sometimes in the third. But two experiences come to mind, and they both involve language (or rather, not knowing the language).
In one, an elderly gentleman whom I'd see every week at the soup kitchen just wanted to stay and chat with me in Spanish. He had a lot to say and it seemed really important that I bear witness to his torrent of expression. I understood almost nothing of what he said, but I felt the immense grace of being with him in that moment. Once I realized that it didn't matter if I understood his words, something lifted away from me and ... Read Full Story
Note To Self: Sitting In The Classroom As A Novice
Aug 02, 2018, 8 comments, 24 smiles
This summer, I signed up for a computer coding workshop, which was being offered by colleagues at my university. I was a little hesitant, having come of age pre-internet, and not having programed anything in about 3 decades! But with the encouragement of colleagues, and feeling excited about exploring something totally out of my comfort zone, I showed up ready to learn and work hard.
The first day of the workshop was amazing---we were given ample time to learn the concepts and by the afternoon we were asking our own questions and analyzing data using the tools we had learned. It was exhilarating and empowering and I felt so excited that after the class was over I went home and continued my explorations, and I even emailed the instructor to share that with her!
A week later we had another workshop with a different instructor. It was a totally different experience.
I came ... Read Full Story
What Motivates You? 165 Students Answer.
May 29, 2018, 1 comments, 14 smiles
Earlier this Spring, after many days of protesting and showing up to events around the issue of gun control, I was blown away by the student leadership behind this movement and the vision I have of young people as real change-makers.
I shared my feelings with my colleagues and students, and then, in my Intro to Microbiology and Public Health lecture class of 165 students, I asked a simple question at the beginning of one class:
"How will you be a change-maker in your profession and what motivates you?"
Most students will be entering health-care related professions such as nursing, so I wanted to give them a chance to reflect on why they were here and what keeps them going. They returned their answers anonymously on index cards.
What I read brought tears to my eyes and gave me immense hope for the future of medicine! Most students expressed a strong desire to ... Read Full Story
Kindful Kids Earth Day Celebration
Apr 23, 2018, 2 comments, 4 smiles
Kindful kids in the park celebrated Earth Day weekend yesterday with lots of seeds (veggies and wildflowers) planted, many liters of homemade Meyer lemonade given away, and a relaxed time for parents to connect and enjoy the beautiful afternoon.
Kids from the park were drawn to our table to plant, make cards, and chalk up the sidewalk! Ananya crafted a beautiful "free lemonade/earth day" sign, Fox eagerly found people to give lemonade (and smile cards) to, Simi was an enthusiastic gardener and helped a lot with the little ones, and the youngest of the crew (Vivaan and Avni) had fun planting, drawing and playing. Our canine companions drew lots of smiles and kids who wanted to pet them, and we had a lovely surprise visit from Harpreet (whom we have missed at Awakin circles due to his health).
As usual in the ServiceSpace ecosystem, whatever we needed (or thought we had forgotten) ... Read Full Story
Kindful Kids Event In The Bay ...
Apr 14, 2018, 2 comments, 6 smiles
Kindful Kids Event in the Bay Area on Sunday April 22nd 4-6pm All are welcome to bring kids to Portal Park, 10225 N Portal Ave, Cupertino, CA 95014 to sow seeds of gratitude and practice random acts of kindness Please share with your friends! With gratitude, Brinda & Kinjal
How Do I Love Trees? Every ...
Aug 23, 2017, 2 comments, 13 smiles
How do I love trees? Every single day I give thanks to at least one (usually more) tree. I marvel at their leaves, their bark, their life-giving oxygen and the carbon they take from the air to build themselves into magnificence. How do I love trees? I plant a seed here and there, trusting nature to its miracles. I gaze upwards at their soaring majesty, I touch their feet (or rather roots) in reverence. I hug them. I caress their bark. I walk among them every day, feeling humbled and grateful for their being. I give thanks to my grandfather, whose spirit I feel in every forest I walk in, for he was a protector of forests and a devotee of the science of trees.
Building Community In Your Neighbhorhood
Aug 17, 2017, 5 smiles
This week's Kindful Kids Newsletter theme is Building Community in Your Neighborhood and I think it's really important to model for our children how to cultivate change right in your own backyards (literally)! I wanted to share some practical ideas for bringing a sense of community to your neighborhood -- all of these ideas have been tried and tested in our neighborhood and worked wonderfully!
Organize an international potluck block party to celebrate diversity (everyone brings a dish celebrating their heritage; everyone brings own utensils, chairs, congregate in a driveway or street, kids play freely in the street which you block off to cars)
Take turns to host a movie night for neighborhood kids
Host a gingerbread making afternoon/other baking activity for kids
Support/organize a kids lemonade stand for charity (or gift economy, pay it forward!)
Share produce from your garden--leave in front of your home with a "free" sign or let neighbors know they ... Read Full Story
