Reflections

How is it possible that another year has gone by?  As one gets older, time doesn’t move at the pace of the hour glass; it slips and slides like sand between the fingers. All too soon, I’m chasing that last minute before the day is done, and then I lie in bed wondering if I could have done some more.

The end of the year is a good time to reflect on what we have done these past twelve months with our careers, families, friends, and interests. What have we done to change or enhance our existence? Did our careers get a boost or a nudge, or did it plateau and maybe even take a beating? What were the highlights in our family events? The ones that made us laugh, love, or cry? Did we reconnect with an old friend, make a new one or simply kept our friendships active? Where did our interests take us this year—developed a new hobby or nurtured an old one? Did we try to make a difference to someone’s life?

So much to reflect upon.

I am blessed. I am grateful for many things in my life, and I remind myself of these as often as I can—sometimes daily—with even just one thing that makes me smile. One joyful bundle entered my life this year. My granddaughter, born during the first quarter, never fails to lift my spirits every time my eyes fall on her cherubic face, in many expressions, on my computer screen.

My family, at my side all the time, cheers me on as I measure each success by my writing milestones. A new contact or friend, attendance at a new author’s book launch, my first reading, my name amongst other writers—still unknown, but hopefully not for long.

I have edited more than a quarter of my first novel. The fact that I even finished my first draft this year is an achievement I never thought was possible. For so many years I had dreamed of writing a novel, but never got past the first couple of pages. So I am indeed thankful.

For anyone reading this blog, I hope you’ve had a successful year, however you define success.

Some Historic Events Should Never Be Forgotten

Recently, I was reminded of a significant part of my Chinese Indian history. An author had released a book in Assamese language about the plight of the Chinese people who were detained in a concentration camp by the Indian government in 1962 during the Sino-Indian War. Some died. Others were deported to Hong Kong or China. The survivors tell harrowing tales of incredible hardships. None of the detainees were spies; they were unfortunate political pawns.

I only knew about the Calcutta Chinese being arrested. Now I’ve learned that numerous were also snatched from their homes in Assam State. Many returned several years later to find their homes and possessions gone. They had to start all over again. I grew up and went to school with some kids whose fathers were detainees. During our teenage years, long after the chapter on this terrible event had closed, they told me stories of their struggles while their fathers were away.

Today most of the Chinese people from India have immigrated to Canada, USA, Australia and many parts of Europe. The fall-out from this momentous event has uprooted many families. These Chinese communities are now a shadow of their former selves.

There are groups of people now campaigning for the Indian government to acknowledge it’s wrong-doing. Some wrongs cannot be righted. We should never forget.

http://www.dhapa.com/sino-indian-war-1962-makum/

Writing.Com Forum

Writing.Com lifted me out of my writer’s doldrums last fall when I needed a boost.

Spring had unfolded with promises of new beginnings and hope. Our oldest son and his fiancée were married under a blue Mexican sky on a warm breezy evening. As incredible as this may sound, that same day back in Canada, my mother was undergoing surgery to remove an abdominal aortic aneurysm, a procedure that has a 90 percent success rate. Some events just cannot be rescheduled on short notice.

The evening ended on a high note. The wedding guests left with the afterglow of a wonderful celebration.

Up north, my mother was recovering from an apparently successful surgery, or so we thought. Complications arose.

The promising spring turned into a long summer that finally ended when my mother was discharged from the hospital in early fall. That’s when I stumbled upon Writing.Com, a robust hub for the writing community. You can interact with other writers by participating in many sponsored activities. Contests, auctions, raffles, discussions, events and gatherings, and resources to guide you through the how and where of writing and publishing. Authors, new or experienced, feature their work in their own portfolio, a page that can be viewed by anyone. Basic membership is free. Paid members have access to more activities and resources.

When I became a member of Writing.Com, I felt overwhelmed at first by the sheer number of activities. In fact, there are still many areas that I have yet to explore. Since then I have given and received reviews, all done in a positive environment. This has indeed been a rewarding journey for me.

My WDC Portfolio

In the Beginning

When I began to take my writing seriously, I did not know that I would discover a vibrant and generous community of writers on the web. Before I even began to turn to books, memberships and webinars, I learned a great deal from browsing blogs and sites offering valuable free writing tips. To all those “gurus” who have been helping fledgling authors like me, I thank you and salute you.

Summer is at its peak, and this one is special. My mother is on a bus tour to Chicago with my father. Under normal circumstances, this would be a non-event. It’s blog-worthy because this is her first such trip since she left the hospital ten months ago. Despite four life-threatening surgeries of which only the first one was scheduled, and several months in intensive care, she has triumphed.

Last year at this time, my mother begged us to let her go. She did not want us to fight for her life anymore. It was a painful summer for my family. Yet in the end, she found the strength to survive. The doctors said that she would likely need a feeding tube for the rest of her life…she’s now eating just like any normal person. She’s losing some of her toes due to blood clots that occurred during the first operation, but she’s still walking.

Miracles can happen when you need them.

Check out some of my work