Skip to main content

memorable, indeed

What's going on? Yeah, I asked the same question when I saw a fistful of balloons with strings attached. Soon I realized this was meant to be none other than the funnest youth group game invented -- a combination of fancy footwork, loud and surprising noises, and competition. After tying a balloon to my ankle, I prepared for all-out war against my opponents, determined to pop their balloons before someone popped mine. Unfortunately, the birthday girl didn't last long and was relegated to crab walk around, stomping on the balloon's of others. But seriously, how fun are my friends that they brought such a fun game to life again?
Then there was this amazing poi performance, aka fire dancing. Roshini's swinging up a royal celebration in this pic and she was followed by Xav and Kutts. Imagine a rooftop performance, accompanied by the tunes of DJ G and the warm Delhi breeze! Brian and I commented on how other-worldly the experience was. Like I said, my friends know how to have fun.
Oh, so if you scroll down a few posts, you'll read about my camp experience. This was the same crew -- all kids at heart. I'm thoroughly looking forward to spending a couple weeks with them this month as Program Leaders at camp. The poi performance was followed by cake at midnight, once my birthday officially began. Note to self and others: when in India on your birthday someone offers you cake to eat, accept the bite and offer them a bite as well. I overlooked this time-honored tradition, but I think my friends forgave me.
After our fun celebration, a few of us escaped the city madness for a lovely evening at Neemrana Fort-Palace. Built in 1464, this amazing gem played backdrop to a magical evening of watching lightening storms roll across the plains of Rajasthan, taking tea on the rooftop terrace, sipping wine while discussing life, taking a late night dip in the infinity pool, and enjoying delectable granola at breakfast. Fit for a princess!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Rare Disease Day 2024

Today's Rare Disease Day. There's sometimes a particular weightiness to life with a rare disease. All the appointments, emergencies, traumas, doctors, therapists, medicines, opinions, schedules and upset schedules. My touchpoint is being mom to my precious girl with Wiedemann-Steiner Syndrome  (WSS). You'd have to spend a day or week shadowing me to know what it's really like. Doesn't that sound alienating? As though you couldn't possibly imagine if you're not living it? Well, maybe. But think about a time of immense grief you've lived through, or a time when your world seemed to be falling apart around you and it felt like everyone else was completely unaffected. I suppose it's a bit like that. You might have thought that those around you couldn't possibly know how that experience felt to you. A couple weeks ago, I started keeping a list of all the extraordinary things that happened in my life due to my daughter's rare disease. I learned a c...

Startup Day 875: piloting in New Haven

Iteration is emblematic of startups. For example: From last year's pilot , we learned that parents and adults with disabilities were looking for recommended resources.  We built the Empowered Together app and tried crowd-sourcing those recommendations.  In our New Haven pilot, we're bringing database building in-house by listing accessible food, arts, and recreational businesses in greater New Haven.  Thankfully, we have thought partners in this endeavor at the City of New Haven and at community disability orgs. We are working with a Quinnipiac student and awaiting word on additional grant funding. We're taking the right next step in changing the social system to be accessible and inclusive of People with Disabilities.

How I Got a Blister from a Cowbell

The bullhorn sounded and he was off, swimming his heart out, across a 50m stretch of lake as deep as his arm is long. My youngest, William, competed in his third year of the  Race4Chase  triathlon in August. When we first applied, I reflected on how I hoped this triathlon camp would allow Will to do something that was entirely his. It would be an opportunity to spread his wings apart from his sister's influence. For siblings of kids living with disabilities, this kind of autonomy is life giving. Back at the lakeside, I was watching Will from a distance and ringing a cowbell like no ones business. Will ran up from the waterfront and we cheered him on. He transitioned to the bike portion and we cheered him on. When he came into view at the end of the bike and transitioned to the run, the final segment of the race, we cheered him on. All the while, that cowbell was clanging. When Will sprinted across the finish line, there was no stopping him (or the cowbell). Thinking about...