Holiday Traditions and Delightful Journeys
We had a holiday luncheon at the office this week and the food was catered from PF Chang’s. And of course fake Chinese food comes replete with fake American fortune cookies.
Here’s what mine said: You are about to embark on a most delightful journey!
This was followed by some “lucky numbers” that were likely generated with a random number generator. But, hey, the fortune itself I believe.
I believe it so much that I stuck the fortune paper on my monitor at work. I guess that also shows that I need a break! In case you think I’m making this up for a blog post, check these out –
Fortune Cookie with lucky numbers. Lucky me!
That small piece of paper is stuck on my monitor (lower right) to remind me every day about my upcoming delightful journey…
Holidays are a time for R&R with family and friends.
This year is “special” multiplied. It hasn’t happened yet but it is about to begin. Less than a week to go! Although the countdown actually began ages ago…
Many months ago, my mom had a command, a demand, a wish and a prayer – that her only two children and their families, i.e. all the grandchildren and the significant others of all the attached ones come stay with her for some time. All at the same time. Given that every single one of them live more than 10,000 miles away, it took a fair amount of time and coordination to make it happen.
Therefore, this year, our holiday tradition will be exquisite – Christmas in our hometown in India, to be spent with my mom and the entire clan that is closest to me. What’s extra special is that for the first time ever, we will all be there, no exceptions. [We will miss our close cousins who live in the US – but that’s deferred for the next delightful journey!]. In India, there will be time for extra R&R with the clan, time with extended family and friends, time for a bit of tourist activities and much more crammed into this delicious (pun intended) time. Can’t wait for it to begin!
I am designating the “delightful journey” from my fortune cookie to this entire upcoming holiday. What could be more delightful than that?
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Background image credit: By Marcus Quigmire from Florida, USA (Happy Holidays Uploaded by Princess Mérida) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons
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Giving Tuesday
“For it is in giving that we receive.”
― Francis of Assisi
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After Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday comes the best of them all – Giving Tuesday.
It’s becoming a global day dedicated to giving back to the community.
Should you have an inclination to give today, may I suggest GiveIndia?
I had written a post about it ages ago but I had the opportunity to use it again recently. And once I started, I used it more than once to give. In a nutshell, it’s easy, credible and meaningful.
GiveIndia is best described by what is on it’s About Us page which I have pasted here:
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GiveIndia is a donation platform that allows you to support a cause of your choice from about 200 NGOs that have been scrutinised for transparency & credibility.
We do not raise funds for ourselves.We help you donate to these NGOs.
We tell you exactly where your money went and also give you proof of it through a feedback report. (except in the case of donations through an iGive page) We ensure that at least 90% of your contribution reaches the organization you support (as against the average of 60% for the NGO sector).
We have reviewed over 3,000 non-profit organizations from all over India to identify over 200 organizations that have met with the GiveIndia’s Listing Criteria. They work for causes ranging from child welfare and education to disability, poverty, and women’s empowerment to name a few.
Conceived by Venkat Krishnan, an IIM-A graduate in December 1999, GiveIndia is managed by a team of professionals who have earlier worked with various corporates and now have dedicated their careers to making a difference.
We got registered on April 28, 2000, as a non-profit under section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
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To reiterate, I have found it immensely simple to use. For those of us in the US, Paypal is accepted and you get a receipt to use for your tax deduction.
The best part is that you can gift the donation, like I did on someone special’s birthday recently. How many of us really need another “thing” to add to our possessions? I mean, really. Whereas this gift has much meaning.
Until you see actual people and situations or the kind of donations that are available for service and support, it’s not real enough for most, so I put together this collage. Only to inspire you (yes, you).
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There’s no better time to try it then now, on Giving Tuesday. Just click here. And give!
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“Let us try to teach generosity and altruism, because we are born selfish. Let us understand what our own selfish genes are up to, because we may then at least have the chance to upset their designs, something that no other species has ever aspired to do.”
― Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene
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Note: I have no affiliation with GiveIndia whatsoever. Other than being a big fan and an extremely satisfied customer.
The Yin and Yang of Life Anywhere 