Wishing everyone a safe, warm, joyous holiday season, and a bright, healthy, prosperous new year!
See you all in 2011. :)
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Happy Holidays, Everyone!!
Wishing everyone a safe, warm, joyous holiday season, and a bright, healthy, prosperous new year!
See you all in 2011. :)
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Happy Vaisakhi!
Today is Vaisakhi, a Sikh high holy day. April 14th was the day the Khalsa was created - a collective Sikh body of sant-sipahis (warrior-saints), armed to overthrow oppression and injustice of any kind. The Sikh scriptures are one of the only religious writings with equality for all races, castes, classes, and *genders* written directly into the text.
I grew up with a devout mother and an atheist father (that's where Sharan, the main character's mom in SHINE got her atheism--from my dad :P). My father would drive us to the temple and sit outside until my mother was ready to go. We had the choice of going in with her or staying in the car (listening to lefty radio) with my dad. My brother and I would go in or stay out depending on whatever our mood was that morning. It gave us a bit of insight into different ways of seeing the world. But both my parents were outspoken advocates for justice. Still are.
I would say I grew up "culturally Sikh". We were a mish-mash of Hindu, Sikh, atheist, agnostic, and just plain open. I'm grateful to have grown up in a home where the religious scriptures were about equality. I had those words in my vocabulary early, in both Punjabi and English. Don't know if this made things easier for me, or harder. But what it did do is give me a basis for rebelling. Ha! Not sure if that's what my parents were hoping I'd glean from the writings in the holy book, but all the founders of the faith were rebels (maybe this is true for all faiths...?).
In any case, wishing a hearty happy Vaisakhi to all.
ETA: I just discovered that April 15th is Pohela Boisaakh, the Bengali New Year. Given that many Sikhs pronounce Vaisakhi with a 'B', as in Baisakhi - the similarity in names is making me ask ALL sorts of questions. But whatever - Happy Pohela Boisaakh, as well!
I grew up with a devout mother and an atheist father (that's where Sharan, the main character's mom in SHINE got her atheism--from my dad :P). My father would drive us to the temple and sit outside until my mother was ready to go. We had the choice of going in with her or staying in the car (listening to lefty radio) with my dad. My brother and I would go in or stay out depending on whatever our mood was that morning. It gave us a bit of insight into different ways of seeing the world. But both my parents were outspoken advocates for justice. Still are.
I would say I grew up "culturally Sikh". We were a mish-mash of Hindu, Sikh, atheist, agnostic, and just plain open. I'm grateful to have grown up in a home where the religious scriptures were about equality. I had those words in my vocabulary early, in both Punjabi and English. Don't know if this made things easier for me, or harder. But what it did do is give me a basis for rebelling. Ha! Not sure if that's what my parents were hoping I'd glean from the writings in the holy book, but all the founders of the faith were rebels (maybe this is true for all faiths...?).
In any case, wishing a hearty happy Vaisakhi to all.
ETA: I just discovered that April 15th is Pohela Boisaakh, the Bengali New Year. Given that many Sikhs pronounce Vaisakhi with a 'B', as in Baisakhi - the similarity in names is making me ask ALL sorts of questions. But whatever - Happy Pohela Boisaakh, as well!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Happy New Year!
Just came back from a "relaxing" stay in the mountains. I put relaxing in quotes because there's something about being in the middle of the woods, surrounded by Republicans with guns, that makes me just a teeny bit uneasy. Made for a sleepless few nights for this gal, I'll tell you that.
I am more than a little glad to be back home in NYC with the rhythms of the Bronx, and the smells of frying fish and tostones around me. Next "relaxing stay" is going to have to be on a mega-star resort, if we can manage it--preferably in the Caribbean.
This New Year's Eve, or Old Year's Night, I will have a lovely dinner with my life partner, then come home well before midnight and bring in the first day of the year with our children, safely and soundly sleeping in their beds.
Whatever you end up doing this evening, I wish much love, light, truth, and peace to you and yours -- happy New Year, all!
I am more than a little glad to be back home in NYC with the rhythms of the Bronx, and the smells of frying fish and tostones around me. Next "relaxing stay" is going to have to be on a mega-star resort, if we can manage it--preferably in the Caribbean.
This New Year's Eve, or Old Year's Night, I will have a lovely dinner with my life partner, then come home well before midnight and bring in the first day of the year with our children, safely and soundly sleeping in their beds.
Whatever you end up doing this evening, I wish much love, light, truth, and peace to you and yours -- happy New Year, all!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Happy Holidays, Everyone!
This was the scene as I picked up my youngest from school today. I love this time of year.
Happy holidays, everyone. Warmest wishes to you and yours, and may 2009 bring us all closer to our most cherished dreams.
-N.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
