A to Z Challenge- Questions- Z

My posts in A to Z challenge this April will be on questions!

How to harness the ZEAL for living, constructively?

Look at children and their zest and joy for life

We seldom retain this fervor for living fully as we age

Our attitude lacks the passion that young people have

We become jaded and complacent as we grow older

How to invigorate life and rekindle the zeal for it?

If you want to do so, follow these simple steps;

Take each new day as a wonderful opportunity

To start the journey anew, to set new goals and to do good

To welcome every change with the mindset that’s it’s a chance

A chance to experience something new, that we haven’t done before

To find pleasure and joy in small ways and happenings

And last but the most important; don’t borrow worries from tomorrow

Let the troubles of future find you in future

For today, enjoy the moments of pleasure gifted to you fully!

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#Keepitalive

#AtoZChallenge

#Gratitude

A to Z Challenge- Questions- P and One Liner Wednesday

One Liner
“Asking God for something is the ultimate expression of our faith. We only ask from those whom we believe can give”

Sadje ©️

My posts in A to Z challenge this April will be on questions!

What is the power of a PRAYER?

Mother’s heart

Exudes prayers

Heartfelt and sincere

When you’re in need

Ask your mom to send out

A prayer on your behalf

For there’s no one more sincere

Than a loving mother’s heart

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Also included Linda’s One Liner Wednesday

#Keepitalive 

#AtoZChallenge

#Prayers

#Gratitude

#1LinerWeds

A to Z Challenge- Questions- H

My posts in A to Z challenge this April will be on questions!

Why my joint HEALTH is my biggest asset?

As many of my regular readers know that I have had bilateral total knee replacement done. That means that I have two titanium knees. How cool is that! Anyway in my case this happened earlier than it does for most people.

Ordinarily, the knee joint takes a lot of beating due to our constant use of this pivotal joint. And gradually over a span of sixty to seventy years the cartilages cushioning the bones erode and the ends of the two bones forming the joint ( Femur and Tibia ) start rubbing each other rather painfully whenever we sit or stand or walk for that matter.

I inherited a form of arthritis from my mom’s family that caused accelerated deterioration of my joints. By the time I was 47, I was advised knee replacement. I got my right knee replaced at age 50 and the left one at 53.

These surgeries changed my life and lifestyle. Admittedly, it was painful at first but after about 3 weeks, I was more mobile than ever, mostly pain-free, and was voluntarily walking, which I hadn’t done before.

Today I can walk around 4-5 miles a day, can do all my chores myself, and best of all I don’t suffer from swelling and pain in my knees as I did before the surgery. And it’s been more than 11 years for my right knee and 8 years for my left knee.

My desire to be independent and be able to manage my needs, myself has been fulfilled because of this surgery.

It has literally changed my life!

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#Keepitalive

#AtoZChallenge

#Gratitude

#KneeReplacement

#JointHealth

The awakening of nature and renewal

WQ #14: April 5: EASTER/AWAKENING/RENEWAL/WHITE & PASTELS

A newly blooming Amaryllis in my home

Spring comes bringing with it

A fervent hope of renewal

We want nature to bloom

We hope that nature wears

Bright new colors to delight us

What we don’t think about

How to renew and remake ourselves

Why it’s necessary to rethink our priorities

If we want to survive and our home to prosper

We need to renew our relationship with

The nature that’s been sustaining us

For the last so many millenniums

With the blessing of Almighty

We all can renew our outlook and faith

We all can find happiness in the tiniest of joys

Every new day is a brand new opportunity

To start life afresh, to forget the failures of yesterday

And live today as the first day of the rest of our life!

💖💖💖

In response to; WQ #14: Awakening Our Hearts Is Beyond Our Power, hosted by Marsha

#Keepitalive

#WQ

#Gratitude

I was busy celebrating

Today is my granddaughter’s 4th birthday and we had a party at our place.

So naturally, it was a busy day. I have replied to the comments on my blog but haven’t had time to read your lovely posts yet. So I’ll address them tomorrow as it’s getting late today.

Another display of my daughter’s talent
Festive decorations made by my daughter
Happy Grandma

Thanks for understanding.

#Keepitalive

#Gratitude

Brightness greets my day

California blooming like crazy after months of non-stop rains. Even deserts are covered with juicy bright flowers. The photo was made on Diamond Valley Lake in 2017
photo by Sergey Shmidt

Being cooped up inside all day, writing that was part of my job, gave me the desire to venture out in nature, to enjoy the sunny day, and think deep thoughts.

So I informed my boss that I had an errand to run and during my lunch break, I grabbed a sandwich from the deli across the street and headed towards the park near my office.

The sight of intense blue sky and golden flowers swaying in the spring breeze acted like a tonic on my tired brain and boosted my wilting mood, adding a zing to my step and a lightness to my step; this walk was just what I needed.

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In response to TLT, hosted by Sonya

#Keepitalive

#TLT

Happyness comes from within

In this week, I’d like you to spare one minute to watch this video and reflect on it. Give it a little more time if you struggle to understand or agree with it.

Here’s the video

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The world recently celebrated international day of happiness on 20th March.

We seek happiness and expect to find it

In people, events and achievements of ours

This will make me happy or that will make me happy”, we say

But that sort of happiness is so transient, fleeting

It brings a temporary joy that evaporates like mist under the sun

Lasting feeling of joy come from contentment within ourselves

When our conscience is satisfied and we have achieved inner peace

Then every moment brings us joy for our souls are enriched

With the knowledge that we are doing the best we can

Regarding ourselves, and those around us, to the best of our abilities

That we are being mindful of everything around us

And we are giving back at least as much as we are receiving

True happiness comes from a heart that’s at peace with itself

Lasting joy is only possible if we are happy with whom we are

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Something about the spellings of Happyness- I loved the movie “In pursuit of Happynessand used these spellings to pay tribute to this wonderful autobiography

I’m sharing a link to my post; Chasing happiness that I wrote when I started my blog in 2018

Written in response to; RXC Prompt #273, hosted by Reena

#Keepitalive

#RXC

Ramadan- The holy month of fasting is starting

The holy month of Ramadan is starting all over the world tomorrow and I want to wish the whole Muslim Ummah the blessings of this holy month.

Most Muslims fast the entire month of Ramadan and also put in extra effort to increase in good deeds by giving charity, feeding the poor, and behaving in an exemplary way. Allah doesn’t need us to starve ourselves and this fasting helps us attain spiritual purity. Also, we get to understand the meaning of true hunger that those who don’t have food to fill their bellies, feel.

May we all be the best we can be during this holy month, and carry it forward in the year ahead. Aameen.

#Keepitalive

#Ramadan

#Gratitude

One Liner- Growth

“Watching something ( someone) grow is good for morale, it helps us believe in life”

Myron S Kaufman

Our new granddaughter is eight days old today. It’s such a joy to watch the little one as she is picking up new things day by day. Alhamdolillah

Today 15th March is being celebrated as the first international day against Islamophobia. Let’s promote tolerance and unity, acceptance and equality among all people, all nations of the world.

In response to Linda’s One Liner Wednesday

#Keepitalive

#1LinerWeds

#Gratitude

For friends who became family

The Challenge

So for today’s poetics challenge, which is very simple, I would like you to pick an opening line from a blogger friend’s poem (with due permission/acknowledgement) and use it in your poem on friendship. Please use the line as it is anywhere in your verse. The form/style/length is up to you.

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Being the only girl among my siblings, I’ve always missed

Someone who would understand my predicaments, my woes

In my tender hearted female friends I found what I’d been missing

Our friendship deepened so that now I consider them as family

When I write they read, give their honest opinion to encourage

In their comments I find both the courage and desire to continue

I tell them with gratitude in my heart that,

When I read your words and there is surge of awe

Of how well you read my deeper thoughts hidden in my writing

Of how preceptive you are about things I don’t even express

They say that men and women are from different planets

I wouldn’t go that far but I do say that only a woman can understand

What other woman is feeling and thinking completely

I thank all my female friends who are like sisters to me

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I count not only my real life friends as my family but also these remarkable women that I’ve met in blogosphere among them as well!

I borrowed the opening line from the poem of our host Punam for this poem with her permission.

Written in response to dVerse- friendship hosted by Punam this week.

#Keepitalive

#dVerse