Gratitude only!

2020! Almost a dreaded word by now. However, with all that has happened around us through the year, some of us have still been able to find something to cheer about, and feel blessed. Hence this post - to spread a bit of positivity, as the year draws to a close. Sharing a wrap up of my 2020, and the reason why I always advocate having a deep sense of gratitude.

March: My older daughter, Niyyaati, after years of contemplation, finally gathered the courage to take a sabbatical from her legal career, to pursue her entrepreneurial dream - of baking cakes, sustainably. 'Gobble Cake' is now a thriving business, with an average of four orders per week. She is literally on a roll!

April: Almost overnight, we had 13 indie pups at home - all rescued, after a heavy downpour, that would have otherwise left them either homeless or worse still, dead. This event changed me personally as until then, I wasn't an animal lover as such. 11 of the 13 pups found permanent homes, while we ended up adopting two ourselves. Our family is now complete. Read more on this here Valuable life lessons learnt from my new furry friends | LinkedIn.

May: My wife, Mamtaa, took a tough stand against her unempathetic employer (who asked staff to risk their lives and report to work, despite the total lockdown) and left, to instead focus on things she has always loved deeply - indoor gardening, fostering indie pups and of course, cooking. She has never been happier (and busier)!

June: Based on the personal equity that my younger daughter, Dyutti, was able to create for herself in the events management firm she worked in, the founder himself helped her get placed in his friend's brand and marketing design firm, after the events industry was badly hit. That this was possible at a time when the job market was both uncertain and unstable, is truly incredible. She now believes she has found her calling and has decided to make a career in this line.

August: Both my grandmum, 90, and mum, 68, had a full recovery post their leg surgeries. Though that period was spent pretty much in hospital rooms, it was a near-miracle that neither had any other complications/infections and that both responded so well to the medical attention they received.

September: After years of search for a villa property (our dream project), we finally purchased one that suits all our requirements. We are on cloud nine!

October: I got promoted to Director! Immensely proud to work for an organization like EY! Need I say anything more?

November: After a long gap, this was the year when I got another chance to act in a Malayalam movie! :) Felt great to be back in front of the camera.

Well, so you see. If you look around, there are a million things we can be grateful for. As someone rightly said, "Gratitude turns what we have into enough".