#sareespeak #womenofsareespeak #linen #cottonlinen
#SS 56/100/2020
Dec 5th.
A Day to remember with gratitude.
The day my daughters and I landed in this country.
15+ years ago.
They were 10 and 5.
And today this place is Home.
This land of the white cloud,
Aotearoa,
New Zealand,
a spiritual place of beauty, peace, love,
Welcomed us with open arms, and made us Her own.
Don’t get me wrong.
I love my birthplace land of milk and honey, Malaysia; my beautiful island, Sri Lanka; and the land where my soul resides, India.
But here is where we have grown as a family.
Here is where my baby girls have matured into lovely young adults.
My husband was here before us, 6 months earlier, had started work, set up home, and met us at the airport with a huge white polar bear for the little one and a kiwi bird for the older one.
Every year since then, on this day, the younger one holds a wee birthday celebration for the polar bear. He has been wrung in the machine umpteen times, lost a little weight and permanently remains flopped on her bed.
National Anthems and School songs get me in the chest.
I cannot sing the National Anthem to date, without a lump in my throat and tears welling up in my eyes.
So I don’t.
I stand steadfast, clench my fists and blink rapidly through the “God of Nations at Thy feet, In the bonds of love we meet,..God defend New Zealand”.
All through the English and Maori versions.
So today, rose a little early. Coffee. Stared out the kitchen window at my garden.
Family got down to some serious spring cleaning. We tend to Spring clean, come Summer 😎. Dusted, vaccummed house, cobwebs, back of fridges, TVs, cupboards, got something in part done.
Showered. Prepared lunch. Daughter#1’s friends came home to discuss some artistic pursuits. Was stoked that they had lunch with us. Prepared dishes for some culinary preferences – vegan, less spice.
Rested, made some tomato chutney, along with dosa batter prepped yesterday, with a new dosa kal and spatula, to take to newlywed friends who’d invited us for dinner.
Draped this indigo soft linen, with matching blouse. An easy drape, a colour as happy as cloudless blue skies. An artist’s palette of royal blue, grey, white, beige, weaved with gay abandon, in line with this beautiful country’s cloudless blue skies, blue seas against brown green hills, plains and meadows.
A Saree of Gratitude, Dreams, Hopes, Fulfillment.
Photo clicked at friends’ home as I was relaxing on their la-z-boy recliner after a lovely dinner of pasta, salad, broccoli, mushrooms and dumplings.
Got Daughter#2 to click one more in her yellow bedroom when we got home.
An old photo has me, seated on the edge of my kidney shaped pool on New Year’s Day 2020, a water lily peeking out, bubbles floating around, above me, not bursting, symbolising my hopes and dreams.
Bavani’s Happy Place 