[09-16] Happy Birthday Seju!

So it's my little sister's birthday! Happy Birthday Sej! (she's not so little). As has been the case for the last 4 years, for the 5th year in a row I am not around physically to share the day with her, but that doesn't mean I can't celebrate right.

What better way to celebrate than to spread some joy and compassion. So that's what I did. It's Saturday, which means that there is Saturday Special today at MS and I'm at home because of chikungunia (which I've essentially recovered from, but I'm recuperating from yesterday's day trip to Patan - which was AWESOME) so I have some time to go out and share the love.

I had a wonderful conversation with a grandfather and grandson who were out in the heat selling chunna chor? (I don't know what its called- the cornflakes with tomatoes, marchu and lemon juice?). They are now going to feed some poor kids/elderly chunna chor to mark Sej's birthday.

I "baked". Found a no-bake cookie recipe online so we made coconut-chocolate cookies (taste like macaroons) which turned great! and then distributed chocolates to the kids at Saturday Special and the Ashramshala. The kids sang happy birthday with soooo much enthusiasm and love, I know Sej got the message (or dilmail =).

So in the MS parivar, when there is a birthday, we celebrate by sharing the good qualities of the birthday person. In keeping with that tradition.

My sister- she's the gaam ni maasi, the one who knows the world. Sej has this exceptional talent (which she inherits from my mom) of remembering everyone and every experience she has with others. Introduce her to a desi and 99.99% that within a few minutes she'll find a way that she's somehow connected to them. But just remembering names is not the end of it. If you're a friend of this girl, you've had a bonding session with her at some point and she remembers every detail of your life. She's goes way out of her way for her friends and even strangers. I really have learned a lot from her, especially when it comes to maintaining relationships. Lots of the things I do for others are inspired by her actions and of course the mass emails to friends- I literally copied her on that. Always smiling, full of compassion and exudes a magnetic force that draws people to her- that's Sejal.