A letter to a dancer.

Yesterday I witnessed a rare spiritual event. Resplendent in red and green, with her naturally beautiful face enhanced by kohl, in the traditional bharatnatyam attire, Swathi radiated beauty.

I have seen this woman go through different phases in her life. Her multiple roles as a daughter in law, wife, mother, sister and a businesswoman... she has always displayed a unique combination of grace and strength. But yesterday, as I watched her perform on stage, I witnessed a woman come alive with the essence of her soul. "Jab paav thirakne lage, tho duniya dal gayi". As her feet started to move to the rhythm, the rest of the world simply faded away.

Dancing to Mahaganapathim, a way of welcoming the gods, by invoking the blessings of Lord Ganesha, and then dancing her tribute to Balagopal... and then... she radiated pure strength as the Rowdra Rup of Shiva.

Now Shiva has always been a source of strength for me, and the beautiful woman displaying the avatars of Shiva,  brought tears to my eyes.

Swathi, no matter what twists and turns life brings to you, dance. Dance like only you can. Dance with your entire being.

Much love.

Settled

Don't you want to be settled? I am asked this often.

What is 'settled'?

Here's what I think it is. It's that point in life when one's life path is fixed, rather, believed to be fixed and has crossed a point of no return.

What does that mean practically? For Indians, it's invariably marriage and building a family. Is marriage a point of no return? 10 years ago, I would have answered yes, for people actually stood by their marriages, in the strangest circumstances. This has changed though, in the recent years, and marriage is no longer viewed with finality as it used to be.

So then, what is 'settled'?

Could it be a steady income, a pursuit of a good career? Again I'm not so sure. Today, more so than the yesteryears, we have the freedom of starting afresh, or floating from one pursuit to the next.

Again,  what is 'settled'?

Could it be the pursuit of a repetitive routine, one that balances duty and expectations, however mundane it is? Maybe. Maybe not.

Or could 'settled' simply be that realisation one has of who she is, who she's going to be for the rest of her life? Could it simply be the realisation of her identity and her powers?

I think 'settled' is indeed that simple.
For, once you have found your identity, there indeed is no turning back.