A Prayer

Forgive me that I dont appreciate you enough
Forgive me that I dont love you enough
Forgive me that I hold on to thoughts that don't matter
Forgive me for I cannot help myself
Forgive me for what I do that may not make sense
Forgive me

I am sorry if I hurt you too much
I am sorry I cannot be there for you
I am sorry I pulled you into this
I am sorry if this makes no sense
I am sorry if I caused any pain
I am sorry

Thank you for all the abundance and excellence in my life
Thank you for all that I learn
Thank you for every wish and desire of mine is fulfilled
Thank you for all the wonder and happiness that flows into my life
Thank you for this beautiful world of family and friends
Thank you

Do you have any prayer of your own?
This is mine that I tell and chant to myself every day...

Santhosham Ponguthe: Happiness Abounds

My friend and co-host at most storytelling sessions is a little puppet who I named; Sukhi.

To me he brings happiness,and that I believe he likes to spread to all ....through him with giggles and pats, he touches a face, a hand or a shoulder or sometimes even goes as far as to kiss a cute little cheek in the crowd.

But something happened when I brought him out this time, I wanted to know whether the children of the village where I was doing a summer storytelling camp (at Kodanganallur) identified with this name or they wanted to take ownership and name him otherwise. 

Oh Yes! they did!

Voices yelled out, we want to change, we want to change...

Lets call him Santosh,they said; short for "santhosham", the near translation of Sukhi the Happy.

OoooLala...

Santhosham Ponguthe ( happiness erupts...literally, but we can also say that means Happiness Abounds!)

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I leave you here with a picture of me and Sukhi...now named Santhosh as I tell stories in another village near Chennai, organised by the Rotary Club of Madras South

I told them an Elephant story and the story of Ganesha and Kubera

Loads of Fun!!

Art and Craft of Life; some images....

Random images

Movement in the air

Happy faces and curious minds

Mischief makers some

Shy dabblers are others

In a space

where freedom is expression.

The art and craft of life;

Who we are

What we were

and what we will be

Is shaped by circumstances

assisted by a few,

Able and capable.

Just back from a story telling workshop at 2 villages near Tirunelveli: Kodaganallur and Veeravanallur I was so busy with the kids, I realise only now how sparingly I have taken photographs! Yet, that doesn't matter, for the images are frozen in my mind.

Veeravanallur children are from the weaving community, while Kodaganallur children are mainly from the farming/agrarian community. I told fables, a myth and a fairy tale. Did some craft and loads of theatre games.

Some of the theatre games brought out wonderful facets of the children. Their aspirations, likes, dislikes and so much more. Can't wait to go back there to do more!!