Shades of Being Alive

Was wondering how marvellously found ways to break that cyclic, interconnected systems in nature. Some instances: Fruits Ever wondered why plants and trees put in so much effort to make fruits - juicy, tasty, beautiful? Fruits hold their children. In seeds. So whoever eats the fruits whether insects, birds, animals, humans - they are expected to drop seeds in the soil to let new plants emerge. Better still to drop them in the soil with a wrapping of manure (their poop).  Today, humans and human systems tend to not do that. When we eat fruits, it doesn't occur to us to hod the responsibility of dropping the seeds in the soil. Sewage Excreta is a great way of returning nutrients to the soil along with some carbon.  Decade after decade we have learnt to create large systems of drainage (if at all) that make it difficult for the nutrients to go back to soil. And we take it to a point, where sewage become a havoc to manage. Flowers You can guess, they are made ...

Past decade or so I have travelled away from my family interms of thought, ideas, beliefs and way of living. Or that's what I thought.  My father to my mind did a similar journey. Only now I realise my journey is an extension of our family, an unfolding from the family seeds. Last 5 years i have visited Bhurarani which was a village near Rudrapur less than 5 times. And now it occurs to me that I treaded away only to discover a deeper yearning for what my family has lived for.  I need another few pictures to tell that as i see it right now. Humble material life, simplicity, farmer approach to life, non-interferring being - are some things I notice with wonder these days. Those are my grandparents.  Lalaji (grandfather, left) was a kadak man but i remember his gentility and silences.  I remember Dadi would let me dip rusk in her chai every evening when my mother would scold me away for spoiling her chai. I love the smile on Babaji's (grandfather's ...