☣There are things that we do; there are things that happen to us because of the things we do. That is Karma, the result of our actions.
Then there are things that happen to us but have no bearing on our actions. This I calldestiny. 🎲
ᝰ.ᐟ When the unknown overcomes us, it isdestiny. ༘⋆ When events we cannot command decide the course of our life, it is destiny.༘⋆
☣ It could be a natural calamity, actions of others, an act of God, a chance happening or national, social, global, current or historical events like wars, epidemics, financial crash or blooming economy. Wars and epidemics have altered many lives in unimaginable ways while we neither have any control over, nor have caused these.
Let’s consider a few examples that come to my mind as I write –
⚛ Someone was studying in Ukraine before the war broke out. They leave studies for safety and don’t know what to do next or are forced to take a second course. I call it fate. Afterall what role did the student have in messing up things.
⚛ Another example. I arrive in a new city to attend an event/ interview or for some treatment, and realize there’s a bus, auto, taxi driver’s strike. They are protesting local government. I miss or am too late for the event. I have no role but suffered, nonetheless. I call it fate.
⚛ Here are some insights from those great minds I look up to-
➝ What Cassius has to tell Brutus (Julius Caesar, Shakespeare) about destiny:
‘❛ The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars/But in ourselves, that we are underlings’❜ ✮⋆˙✶⋆.˚
⚛ And Carl G Jung, the great psychoanalyst defines fate in his own profound way –
➝❛The psychological rule says that when an inner situation is not made conscious, it happens outside, as fate❜. ⋆˙⟡
I look for meaning in small everyday experiences. Here are a few ordinary moments that have stayed with me.
⋆˙⟡ It was my English class of ninth graders. We were practicing simple present tense. The students had to describe someone’s daily routine. One student chose her father.
“When my father wakes up he first checks his phone for half an hour. He gets ready, takes breakfast. Sometimes during breakfast he watches reels . He leaves for work at 9:30 morning and comes back at 6:30 pm. He has tea with my mother and they watch TV for an hour. When my mother cooks dinner, he watches news. He goes to sleep at 12 and before that he likes to play video games.”
That was the routine!
She wasn’t complaining. She was just describing… normal life.
⋆˙⟡
🍀Now shift to a park in my neighbourhood. I’m just people watching from a distance. A woman takes the kid out on a stroller. There are trees there are flowers, and maybe butterfies. There’s a pond nearby and a playground. The child sits comfortably and takes in all that she can. The woman is pushing the stroller with one hand on autopilot and her other hand holds the phone, which in turn holds all her attention.
🌀I begin to turn it over in my mind and think while the child is actively navigating her world, that woman who could be a mother or a caretaker is losing a key moment to connect.
⋆˙⟡
🎞️Now picture this. A mother immersed in the device in her palm.
The excited kid calls ‘Mommy…..mommy!’
No answer.
Mommy!
‘WHAT ⁉️’
N..nothing 😦
Child withdraws.
⋆˙⟡ Pause for thought. ᝰ.ᐟ
In all the three real life moments what message are the adults giving to the children?💬 If we don’t form meaningful connection with kids, how will kids share their feelings with us. Then there’s no point complaining that kids don’t listen to us.
🧩Parenting is not about perfection, it’s about connection. It’s not about eliminating screens, but being present for children. Maybe it begins with one small pause —with eye contact and one fully present moment.
In my next post, we’ll explore the often unnoticed power of modelling in parenting.
Chiku, also called Sapodilla. This I learnt after some search otherwise I always call this round brown fruit, Chiku. Actually, I’m not a great fan of chiku but Chiku Shake! It’s luscious! It’s yummy! It’s simple! It’s slurpy! It’s divine! … 👌
And O yes, it’s quick and snappy! Here’s how you can fix it quick. Blend chiku with cold milk. Of course peel it before putting it in the blender. No added sugar.
Don’t, don’t forget to add a big pinch of cinnamon powder when you put things in the blender. It’s cinnamon that makes it awsome. Give it a try. you know proof of the pudding is in eating. 😋
My father gave me the best gift I ever received. It has been more than a decade since Pa passed away but his gift I still cherish. It provides the silver lining when the dark clouds loom. To me it’s a source of comfort and a guiding force. It’s like a spring that never runs dry. ༘⋆🌷🫧💭
Whenever a tune thrills me, a verse stirs my soul and words inspire deep thoughts, I thank my father. It was he who kindled in me the love for music and literature through his own passion.📚𝄞
🗝️Three key areas where music can be used as an educational tool: ‣Classroom management; ‣Memory, retention and ‣concentration; Community building.
✧My previous post recounted some moments that revealed the magical effect of music on mind, on mood. If music can regulate emotions, reduce anxiety, build bonds, improve focus, then it definitely is a powerful tool for the social emotional development of children which in turn will sharpen their cognitive abilities and boost academic performance.
👉Here I share strategies for making intentional use of music in classrooms for better teaching learning experiences. These strategies are drawn from my personal reflections and practical insights based on myown teaching experience, my experience as a teacher trainer and from observing other colleagues:
⚡Classroom management- Morning assembly prayer and songs is a common routine in most schools that makes the students and teachers fresh, energetic to start the day with positive vibes. ⬩However, teachers would agree that the transition from one period to another, when one teacher leaves and the other enters or students move from one classroom to another, is always full of chaos and commotion.
⬩ In one of the schools I observed, instead of ringing piercing bell they play a Mozart Symphony or some instrumental music, to signal the end of one subject period. This, I realized, minimized the noise and chaos during transitions effectively.
⬩Tasks can be timed with music. Students work on the task till soft music continues and stop activity/exercise the as the music stops.
⬩For signalling- for better management some sound signals can be created to signify instructions like tidying up the room, filing out or for being quiet. Rainstick or some chimealso is useful.
⚡For memorizing- Music strengthens memory. For younger children, it is effective way of acquiring linguistic skills, and a very potent tool for memorizing as they repeat the same songs, poems often.
⬩Improving focus – Soft music helps concentrate so can be used in the classroom while students are at a writing task or drawing or reading silently. Teachers will have to check the volume which should be very soft and low so it does not itself become a distraction.
To improve focus if the students come back to their classroom after recess or sports period make them sit for two minutes with eyes closed while some soft music plays and they open eyes when th e music stops.🌱
⬩Music can come handy as a brain break activity. It has now been established through studies that brain breaks boost attention spans. Introduce 5 minutes activities every 25 minutes to refresh minds. And after breaks students returned ready to learn. 👩🏻💻📓✍🏻💡
⚡For Community building- Having a chant for their group or some group musical activities produce neurochemicals that energise (endorphins) and release social bonding hormone (oxytocin), thus fostering feelings of trust, connectedness among children. This community feeling is crucial for the children to feel safe and supported which is a prerequisite for better learning.
⚠️What is important is to choose music or songs keeping the age of the students in mind. Ensure that the music does not distract students from their task. Keep the music low unless the students are feeling dull and need to be energized and other classes are not disturbed.
▸Choose the strategies discreetly, overdoing reduces impact.
▸Also know your students. Through a little experimentation a teacher can find out what works with their class. Different groups have different preferences. One class I taught loved short stories over songs and I used to be on the look out for stories that I could squeeze into the lesson plan. But that’s the story for another day 😊
Sharing moments that reminded me that music doesn’t just entertain, it regulates, soothes and teaches calm.
🎬Picture this- Scene one. Train arrives at the platform. A lot of commotion. Passengers scurry towards the door chugging their luggage. Tempers look frayed. Anyone who has travelled on Indian railways can relate to this.
But today is different on this train from New Delhi to Ahmedabad. The train pulls in at the station, suddenly a beautiful melodious song from an old Hindi movie fills the compartment. And see the magic 🎼 No, hustle, no bustle, everybody moves forward, in a good mood, humming the same song. I can’t believe my eyes or ears. How come everyone looks so calm in a place so crowded❗
🎬Cut to classroom. Scene two. I am teaching a class of 17-year-olds. We have completed the lesson while there were still some ten minutes to go. Students chatter grows louder. I play the track ‘If you miss the train I’m on…’ on the audio. And to my surprise the chatter stops instantly. Soon students are bobbing their heads to the tune. 🎶
🎬Cut to Scene three- Morning assembly. The school boasts of a picturesque sylvan setting. The assembly ground is surrounded by trees. If you look up you can see fleet of birds. Every morning some prayer song and some other song or instrumental music is part of the morning assembly. Today the music suddenly disrupted may be due to power failure. And lo, all the birds fly down and perch on the trees forming a circle above the ground and from there rises a cacophony of birdsong. This is surreal! I never imagined that these winged creatures connect so well with assembly music every morning that they actually staged a protest at the disruption.
🎬Scene four. I am at the Uiversity of Rhode Island on an exchange program . We are attending a session at the URI Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies, conducted by Thupten Tendhar, (a Geshe, or doctor of Buddhist studies). He gives us a topic for discussion. While we are busy exchanging ideas in groups, suddenly everybody’s attention is drawn to a deep, rich, resonant sound. Discussion stops. We all turn to find out the source of the deep, pulsating hum. I notice that on the left corner our trainer is tracing the rim of the bowl with the mallet. I am so fascinated with the sound and its effect that I decide I’d also use this tool when I conduct teacher training sessions.
Such is the calming effect of music on mind. Studies show that hosts of feelgood chemicals, like dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin are released when we listen to or play some soothing music. 🍃
Next post shares strategies how music can be used as an educational tool to achieve pedagogical goals.
I read this prompt and was prompting myself to write about. I thought of all gadgets, home appliances that made life simple and easy. Then came mobile phone, online banking, cashless transactions.
But most important? I could not zero in on one, the most important, until I read about Dr Glady West, who died recently, July 17, 2026. She is the woman behind GPS. A mathematician whose research laid the groundwork for global position system.
This, of all inventions, is the most important one for me. Why? Because I have always struggled with driving due to my terrible sense of direction. My sense of direction is so pathetic that I could get lost anywhere, even in my neighbourhood. How often I wonder this building was on the left how come it’s come on the right! Now of course, the building won’t move.
If I had to go somewhere, no matter how well someone explained directions I could never trust my sense. At every turn I asked directions. Going anywhere alone meant a lot of stress, even if I had been to a place several times. People invited me ‘Come over, you can drive.’ ‘Yes, I can, but how do I tell you what my problem is’.(´•︵•`)
But all this is a thing of past. No getting lost, nor asking directions ever since GPS came into my life. My life changed. I feel safe, secure, confident. Tell me ‘where to’ and I’ll drive. And since then GPS has become my constant companion on all drives, even when I know the way and I drive to the place frequently. With GPS as my guide, I’m never alone.
Thank you Dr Gladys West for navigating my life! 🌹
You know what! I need a break from daily chores. I don’t want to cook three meals every day and I love to eat home cooked food and have no appetite for ordered food.
I want to go to a place where there’s no laundry, nor dishes, nor cleaning. I want freedom from house work and I want a tidy home.
Even as I am writing I am dreaming of a life where I have some more me time, some more books, my laptop, my kindle, my music system and my long walks with my companion.
I was 10 when some guest speaker addressed us, students, in our school. He expatiated on the virtues of rising early and made a deep impression on young me. Before that, I often heard from my father ‘Early to bed and early to rise…’ ⋆.˚ ☾⭒.˚
⏰So in my early days I made a resolve to be an early bird. I often set the alarm for 4 or 5 am but alarm could never rouse me from my slumberand even if it did I soon dozed back. 💤
My mother finally told me not to set the alarm as it woke up everybody but me. I agreed on the condition that she would get me up. That too didn’t work and whatever time I was up I threw a tantrum why she did not get me out of bed in time. 😫
Decades later my dream of being ‘healthy, wealthy and wise’ is still unrealized. ッ
Roots n Wings 