Musings of a Global Nomad

It’s that time of year again! Twinkling lights, Christmas cheer, Gratitude, Prayer, and Giving. It’s also that time of year I sit down to write our annual family update and I must be honest here; this year I dragged my feet, almost didn’t write it, but then realized (and was reminded J )that this is one Christmas tradition I absolutely cannot give up on and so… here it goes.  (Warning: it’s long so go get yourself that cup of coffee and put your feet up.) It’s been a whirlwind of a year! Lots of ups, lots of downs and quite some drama. Not surprising I guess, considering our track record, but nevertheless it has been an exhausting year. The ups-some great holidays, catch ups with friends and family, a long amazing summer in India where we enjoyed setting up our new home, lots of little moments with the kids, where something they said or did made us laugh, made us smile, made us proud; made us hold them just a little bit tighter, our hearts exploding with happiness and lov...

Yesterday I stood in St Peters Square surrounded by one hundred thousand people to witness the canonization of the Saint of the Gutters.  The atmosphere was electric, palpable, and as Pope Francis pronounced her a Saint, I had goosebumps and tears in my eyes. It was a very special moment, not just because here we were witnessing something momentous, but because, Mother Teresa has personally touched me and my family. Those ripples she talks about in the quote above, well one  of them was me. Let me tell you my story. I must been about six years old when I first met Mother Teresa and visited Sishu Bhavan in Calcutta. Though the memory is now clouded, the visit left a big imprint, so much so that I was drawn back frequently. Initially I would beg my parents to take me back there whenever we transited through Calcutta. As I grew older and we moved around, we always found a Mother Teresa home close by to visit. The habit continued even when I left home to join university. ...