Moments that made me Smile in February

Well, February sure has been fun. 

Not as wild as January where I was dancing in the streets of the capital city goaded on by a chief minister or having bellinis for breakfast and meeting film directors. 

And yet, it had its moments.

Mom learning to use her new 'birthday phone' camera and getting this 

delightful photo of Snoopy pretending to be a ninja and trying to 

blend into his surroundings. 

So once more, I take up Vidya's Gratitude Circle Blog Hop as well as MacKenzie & Janine's Friday Reflections and reminisce over what I am grateful for and what made me smile in February 2016.

1. Getting Published in Huffington Post

Another one of my vision board desires came true so early on in the year. It is a big one too, being published in THE HUFFINGTON POST. 

What was even more "Yahooooooo!" about it was that I ended up with the extremely rare distinction of being published not once BUT TWICE within a fortnight. My articles?

1. How we need to talk about violence against doctors in India. (A post which garnered 1300 likes & over 350 shares in a week.)

2. A love story that you have all witnessed but never realized. It felt great to be one of the featured 'love' posts in the site on Valentines Day.

Me alongside Deepika Padukone, Modi & Vin Diesel. Not bad, eh?

This also takes my published stories list past the 50 mark, though that number includes 13 guest posts. 

2. Mom's birthday & a lesson in online behaviour

Mom enjoyed one of the most memorable birthdays she has ever had in decades. 

Her first chocolate brownie with ice cream & hot chocolate sauce

Never expected to see that in Kannur. Do visit Sahib's Grill & Kitchen

near SN Park road for a unique European styled menu & decor.

The whole family being together for it was just a tiny part of the reason. 

The fact was that she has been a part of a foodie Facebook page (one of the most talented & uplifting ones I have been in too) for years now and Mom makes the extra effort to share tips, recipes and encouragement to most of the people who post there.

On her birthday, literally hundreds of members - including strangers - from across the city, country and even beyond messaged & phoned in, thanking her for being the encouraging and caring person she is and for inspiring them. 

She has not received her due from life thanks to dubious choices we have made in our friends as well as family. So watching people become her family and share their love & respect for her based on their interactions with her was overwhelming.

It is also a lesson for me and perhaps you too: We fight and judge good people today based on a difference of opinion on politics and hatred. We (myself included) share images mocking and insulting the personalities we do not like. If we were to just focus on sharing loving thoughts and being around people who we can help, then the end result of it all is so heartening. 

We share the same internet, she and I. Yet, her social media is a web filled with love and care (not to mention superb food). Mine is one of arguments and counter arguments. I need to work harder to be like her.

3. I also won my first prize vouchers for blog contests this year. 

One for the comical Bollywood version of Star Wars and the other for the inspiring story of Arunima Sinha who lost her leg and went through hell before deciding not to allow it to stop her from achieving new goals. 

4. It felt great to hear a fellow doctor tell me to my face that I was an inspiration for the present generation of doctors. 

It was not for any skill of mine as a doctor but rather for the name I achieved as a blogger; for showing doctors that they can be more than just a person running around with a stethoscope inside a hospital all day. That they do not need to give up on their dreams just because they are in this profession.

And yes, I do want that for doctors. I want them to be able to switch off from work once their hours are done. No doctor should have to feel guilty about spending time with their own family or chasing their passions.

5. The joy of a family function after a long time and more to love in the family is always heartening.

6. Attending a live karaoke night after so many years. 

It was a Kishore Kumar special and was simply lovely as you got to relive hit after hit of the maestro. 

It was also one of those very rare occasions where 

three sectors of my friends - childhood, family & work colleague 

all ended up being together at the same place.

I personally believe the true talent of an singer is visible during a live performance. It separates the true talented singers from the stage performers. 

7. Stability under duress.

There has been a lot of stress at work of late and not necessarily because of the cases themselves though any surgery comes with its own burdens. So, it is heartening to get through the month under such circumstances without allowing the tensions to affect any single patient.

8. The post that does not rest.

An email update led me back to one of the sites that had first shared my viral post a few days after it released last year. 9 months have passed and still doctors - seniors and juniors alike - continue to comment on this article. 

The present tally of comments at this site alone stand at 463, which is insane as the page struggles to load because of all of them. And I honestly replied to only 1 or 2 back in May 2015. If I were to reply individually, we would be staring at 920+ comments on that page alone. But the number of doctors who agree and appreciate me writing down what they have felt for years is truly gratifying. 

What I learned this month:

• My dog is a ninja. Which should not really surprise me since people always liken me to KungFu Panda.

Remember me at WIN15?

• When we actively look for happy moments, we do tend to attract more of them into our lives.  I learned that concept years ago from Rhonda Byrne's 'The Secret' and I see it working every day around me.  
• 'Give happiness and get it back manifold' - that would be the takeaway from Mom's birthday.

Here's hoping you had a great February too. 

To read more posts of gratitude from fellow bloggers across the world, click here.

The Gratitude Circle will be held on the last Thursday 

of every month giving you the chance to relive

your happiest moments and share in the joy of others.

MacKenzie & Janine's FridayReflections
also dwells on the positives of life.
You can check out the wonderful linkup posts here