About Me
I'm joining Service Space because ... the servicespace family reminds me of my deepest self, keeps me grounded to my roots.. its home :-)
A good day to me is when ... I can sit, serve, and move slowly. oh and smile, a lot.
My hero in life is ...I have so many heroes. They all share the same qualities. They inspire me to give ruthlessly, to live humbly, and to open my eyes to the beauty of what surrounds me
My favorite book is ...Moved By Love
One thing I'm grateful for is ... I can feel the air on my face and sunshine on my cheeks
Cobwebs
Apr 06, 2020, 3 comments, 7 smiles
Hi friends - Had an extremely rare and quiet moment the other afternoon and decided to scribble down some reflections on parenting during Covid. Thought some parents on this feed may resonate. Much love. - Arathi
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A harsh light has illuminated the cobwebs that cloud my spirit. Subtle expectations, the drive to produce, a persistent need for external validation, a victim mentality, a relentless checklist of logistical calculations (kids lunch? check. dinner prepped for tomorrow? check. time for a quick run in between meetings? check. check. check. check. oops, missed that one. check again.)
I both love and hate this time. I feel cooped up and starved of intimate social interaction. I wish I could hug a friend. Look at the crinkle of their eyes, laugh and hold hands over the ridiculous things our children say (Zayd's latest statement after haphazardly slapping a 1/2 inch piece of tape over a sheet of ... Read Full Story
Our Children Are Our Awakeners
Mar 02, 2018, 3 comments, 14 smiles
Our conscious mamas circle has gotten off to a great start in 2018! In January, a few of us got together to discuss Shefali Tsabary's book, The Awakened Family. We focused our discussion on the following passage:
"Our children may be small and powerless in terms of living independent lives, but they are mighty in their potential to be our awakeners. [The term awakeners] speaks directly to our children's potential to enlighten us and raise our consciousness to new heights. When I began to notice how my daughter accomplished this, I was in awe.
The really surprising aspect of this is that the insights our children offer us aren't so much epiphanies as they are lessons stumbled upon in the plainest of moments and the most humbling of situations. Actually, more often than not it's in times of conflict that we get to see the full range of our unconscious theatrics. This ... Read Full Story
A "Famous" Poem
Jan 05, 2018, 2 comments, 15 smiles
Recently came across this stirring poem by Naomi Shihab Nye, and thought others would appreciate it as much as I do.
Famous
By Naomi Shihab Nye
The river is famous to the fish.
The loud voice is famous to silence,
which knew it would inherit the earth
before anybody said so.
The cat sleeping on the fence is famous to the birds
watching him from the birdhouse.
The tear is famous, briefly, to the cheek.
The idea you carry close to your bosom
is famous to your bosom.
The boot is famous to the earth,
more famous than the dress shoe,
which is famous only to floors.
The bent photograph is famous to the one who carries it
and not at all famous to the one who is pictured.
I want to be famous to shuffling men
who smile while crossing streets,
sticky children in grocery lines,
famous as the one who smiled back.
I want to be famous in the way a pulley is famous,
or a buttonhole, not because it did anything spectacular,
but because it never forgot what it could do.
Unconditional Parenting, Family Traditions, And Vows To
Nov 27, 2017, 2 comments, 11 smiles
For the last couple of months, a small group of us have been getting together to share our journeys as mothers. Our first call's theme centered around the book "Unconditional Parenting" by Alfie Kohn, where we talked about our parenting journeys as they related to loving our children for who they are (unconditional parenting) rather than what they do (conditional parenting). The conversation was dynamic and insightful, with everyone sharing open heartedly about their journeys with discipline and practicing unconditional love with their children.
One mom shared a beautiful practice inspired by Malika Chopra's "100 Promises to My Baby" - "a book that reflects Malika's deep awareness of the sacred responsibility of parenthood and the vows she made to help her child, and all children, grow up feeling nourished and secure."
Inspired by Malika's vows, this mom wrote her own promises to her children in a journal along ... Read Full Story
Our Little Apartment In DC Was ...
Jun 26, 2014, 3 comments, 17 smiles
Our little apartment in DC was wet with sweat and humidity last night, as a small group of 4 of us sat around candle light for our weekly Awakin Wednesday gathering. An intimate conversation about gratitude lead to a surprising revelation, where one girl spoke about her recent trip to New Mexico, where she entered into a 5 day intensive grief therapy program to deal with the loss of her entire family. In the past 10 years, her mother, father, and brother had passed away, leaving her young, alone, and grief stricken with no family for love or support. The succession of loss in her life forced her to re-consider what was important, and although she is still struggling from this loss, she spoke mostly about her appreciation for what is true in her life. "I was playing soccer the other day, down by the Washington ... Read Full Story
Wisdom 2.0 Reflections!
Mar 04, 2014, 3 comments, 14 smiles
You really gotta open this! Our experiments in anonymous gifting at the Wisdom 2.0 conference…
A crowded room of tired morning eyes and excited chatter surrounded us at the coffee shop as we all sat crammed around a small table full of pens, markers, inspirational quotes, chocolates, and smile cards. A few folks standing in line commented, “You look like you are having so much fun!!! What are you doing?”
In essence, it was the perfect beginning to the Wisdom 2.0 Conference. A small group of Service Space volunteers and noble friends came together to intentionally spread anonymous love throughout the conference. Armed with envelopes stuffed with inspirational letters to strangers, chocolates, and even a few surprise $100 and $25 gift cards, we spent the morning anonymously leaving envelopes in unsuspecting places and gifting them to strangers. All of us were giddy with laughter and smiles when we reconvened later in the ... Read Full Story
