Saturday, 27 June 2026

Rose petals fall from the sky - Birthday Poem for my sister on 27th June 2026

 



To be rich they say,
is to be an owner of a fancy home,
have a car so cool..
that everyone wants to own.

To be super rich they say,
is to have enough locked away,
that three generations after us,
wouldn't know a hungry day.

To be ultra rich they say,
is to have enough and trade and own,
more than all the people around you,
And be on the top fatted, yet maybe quite alone.

To be extra ordinarily rich is to have someone like you
Loving someone like me,
where no conditions and stipulations impose,
In every moment of life...hand in hand, it's just you & me.

To be blessedly rich is to be under the umbrella of love,
that you opened for me,
where rose petals from the sky,
fall softly on our faces and our huddled bodies.

Happy birthday to you my darling Latha Warrier, my biggest supporter and treasure!

Friday, 26 June 2026

Lekha Warrior, l'art de tisser des liens - article invité par Letizia Loï & Lilith Kalenderian

la carte tirée le dernier jour

 

Bien souvent, nous passons notre vie à faire des choses qui ne nous plaisent pas. Mais ces trois dernières semaines, j'ai vécu une expérience absolument incroyable. C'est une expérience que je n'oublierai jamais.


J'ai passé trois semaines à mieux me connaître lors d'un atelier de développement personnel animé par Brigitte André qui s’appelle ‘Le Self Leadership'. Pour en savoir plus sur la brillante carrière de Brigitte, cliquez sur le lien en bas de l'article. Brigitte maîtrise parfaitement sa méthode et fait preuve d'un enthousiasme communicatif pour chaque nouveauté face à elle. Elle est toujours extrêmement désireuse d'apprendre, tout comme les participants. Cette approche nous permet de nous identifier immédiatement à elle et favorise ainsi de meilleurs résultats.


Ce matin, le lendemain de la formation, je me suis réveillée avec un sentiment de bien meilleure préparation au changement qu'avant. Le témoignage plus loin prouve que même des inconnus peuvent devenir vos plus fervents supporters lorsque vous faites le bon premier pas.


J'ai eu l'honneur de faire l'objet d'un article approfondi rédigé à mon sujet par deux femmes très curieuses, empathiques et authentiques rencontrées lors de la formation. L'article ci-dessous révèle un niveau de détail que je trouve incroyable et illustre parfaitement la sororité qui nous a accompagnées dans ce contexte unique, puisque nous étions uniquement des femmes sélectionnées pour cette édition de l'atelier.


J'ai écrit de nombreux articles sur ce blog, mais aujourd'hui, je vous invite à découvrir celui qui m'est consacré et à mieux me connaître. Je suis profondément touchée par le temps et les efforts que Letizia Loï et Lilith Kalenderian ont déployées ensemble pour parvenir à cette version finale. Ce geste si personnel et si touchant m’a profondément émue. Cet article démontre clairement que lorsqu'on s'ouvre aux bonnes personnes, dans un environnement propice, on reçoit bien plus qu'on ne donne.


Retrouvez l'article ci-dessous…



Lekha Warrior est une blogueuse et autrice d'origine indienne installée à Bruxelles. Sur son blog, A Mixed Bag of Thoughts, elle explore une grande diversité de thèmes : récits autobiographiques, souvenirs d'enfance, poésie, nouvelles de fiction, portraits de personnalités inspirantes, sport, voyage ou encore réflexions sur le quotidien. Mais aujourd'hui, c'est son propre parcours que nous avons choisi de mettre en lumière.


Née en Inde, Lekha grandit entourée de sa sœur, avec laquelle elle entretient un lien particulièrement fort, et de ses deux frères. Son histoire familiale est cependant marquée par des épreuves précoces. La disparition de ses parents et de l'un de ses frères laisse une empreinte profonde dans sa vie. Face à ces absences, l'écriture devient peu à peu un refuge, un moyen de préserver les souvenirs et de faire vivre ceux qui ne sont plus là. Au fil du temps, cette pratique s'impose comme une véritable vocation, presque annoncée par son prénom, puisque « Lekha » signifie « écriture » dans sa langue maternelle. Quant à son nom de famille, Warrior, il semble refléter avec justesse la force tranquille qui l'habite. Derrière sa douceur naturelle se révèle une femme résiliente, capable d'avancer malgré les épreuves sans jamais perdre son sourire.


À l'âge de vingt-quatre ans, Lekha a quitté l'Inde pour rejoindre l'homme qu'elle avait rencontré et épousé à Mumbai. Le couple s'installe à Bruxelles et y construit une famille. De cette union naissent deux filles, qui constituent aujourd'hui encore sa plus grande fierté. L'aînée, âgée de vingt-deux ans, est passionnée de voyages et affiche déjà une personnalité affirmée. Sa cadette, dix-neuf ans, poursuit son propre chemin avec la même indépendance d'esprit.

Lorsqu'elle évoque les personnes qui ont compté dans sa vie, Lekha choisit toujours les mots de la bienveillance. Elle parle avec respect de son ex-mari, celui qui l'a conduite à s'installer en Belgique. Malgré leur séparation, ils ont su préserver une relation harmonieuse, fondée sur l'estime mutuelle et l'attachement à leur famille.

Elle évoque également avec beaucoup de tendresse son compagnon actuel, installé à Halle. Bien qu'ils communiquent principalement en anglais, Lekha s'est lancé un nouveau défi : apprendre le néerlandais afin de partager davantage son quotidien et de mieux s'ancrer dans son environnement.

Chaque année, Lekha retourne en Inde avec le même enthousiasme. Ces voyages lui permettent de renouer avec ses racines, mais surtout de retrouver sa sœur, qu'elle considère comme sa meilleure amie. Entre Bruxelles et son pays natal, Lekha continue ainsi de tisser des liens entre les cultures, les générations et les personnes qui jalonnent son existence.

Comme souvent, les petits rituels en disent long sur une personnalité. Pour Lekha, l'un d'eux porte le parfum du chaï. Plus qu'une simple boisson, il représente un moment de pause, de réconfort et de connexion avec ses origines, un rendez-vous quotidien qu'elle savoure avec plaisir.

À travers son parcours, ses écrits et les relations qu'elle cultive au fil du temps, une évidence se dessine : la véritable force de Lekha Warrior ne réside pas uniquement dans sa résilience ou sa détermination. Elle se manifeste surtout dans sa capacité à créer du lien, à écouter avec sincérité, à transmettre et à prendre soin des personnes qui l'entourent.

Voilà peut-être ce qui définit le mieux cette femme discrète et lumineuse : une personne qui construit son bonheur avec gratitude tout en veillant, chaque jour, à contribuer à celui des autres.


Vous pouvez en apprendre davantage sur Brigitte André sur son site web www.brigitteandre.com


ce que disait la carte


Vous avez aimé cet article ? Assurez-vous de ne manquer aucun nouvel article en 

l'article en anglais 



Vous trouverez peut-être ces histoires ci-dessous intéressantes, ou vous trouverez d'autres articles en français dans la section « French ».



Paola et sa maman Angelica - 6e participation pour célébrer le 50e newsletter - Merci pour tout maman

ou

Isabelle et sa maman Cesira - 5e participation pour célébrer 50e newsletter - La maison de ma mère


ou 


Pois et Blanche main …petite histoire de Nathalie Andrews - guest post


ou


Dr. Ashok Kembhavi, un héros méconnu et demi-marathonien senior #tatamumbaimarathon2026





A Morning of Gentle Blessings - Ramchandra & Ammini - Part 4 - The Chronicles of the Youngest Child

 

image from ChatGPT


As Ammini walked out of the bathroom and into the kitchen in her new home in Kottarakara, she saw her mother-in-law and her husband Ramchandra's younger sister Subhadra already busy making the morning tea and breakfast. For a minute her nervous system went into the state of waiting to be chided or reprimanded. After all, old habits die hard and she had just married Ramchandra a few days ago, at Guruvayoor. In was 1963 and Ammini had married Ramchandra while her brother had married Ramchandra's sister Shreedevi in an exchange marriage in Guruvayoor. Before that day, being an unmarried 28-year-old spinster in her village and in her home had been a daily struggle.


Since the day of her arrival in her new home with her husband, she had heard laughs, giggles, jokes and humming of prayer songs. She felt quite lost in this world that was not what she had been used to. She was mostly used to silence and hard work. Sure, this was also a home in a village like hers, so everyone was busy with something or the other, but there seemed to be no burden on anyone's shoulders. Even her husband Ramchandra who was the breadwinner of the family didn't seem to carry any extra luggage. He still was responsible for so many people, the home and the land, but he had mastered the art of living light, she realised.


Her presence was felt quickly in the kitchen by Devaki Devi, her mother-in-law. Devaki Devi gestured for Ammini to enter and sit with her while she peeled several vegetables. When Ammini sat down, Subhadra asked Ammini if she wanted a hot cup of tea. Ammini started to rise off the ground to pour herself the cup, but was quickly pulled down by Devaki Devi. Subhadra poured the tea and the three women sat chatting. Her in-laws were keen on knowing everything about Ammini as well as giving Ammini all the information about their lives and their planning for the days and weeks to come.

 

Soon, they would go to Bombay as Ramchandra had to go back to his post at the Military grounds in Colaba. He was a soldier in the Indian Army. They would all go. It was decided that Devaki Devi and Subhadra would join Ramchandra & Ammini. Ramchandra's younger brother Achuttan had already returned to college shortly after the wedding. Today Ramchandra would go to the railway station to buy their tickets.


As the morning passed, Ammini got busy helping in the house. She was assigned to cook the main dishes for lunch as everyone was curious to taste the food made by her. The night before they had already tasted some recipes and so they craved to discover what new taste they would be served today. Ammini found it funny. She'd loved tasting what her mother-in-law had made and the family seemed to love tasting her food. Variety is the spice of life after all, she realised.


As they all sat on the floor crossed legged to eat, Ammini stood to serve the dishes she'd prepared. There was a dry, red spinach vegetable, green beans, rice and sambar (a mix of vegetables and toor dal with a strong hint of tamarind). Devaki Devi asked the women Ammini and Subhadra to put everything on the floor in front of them and asked the entire family including Ammini to sit around the big vessels that contained the food choices. She told Ammini there was no need for her to be exclusively serving and that the joy of eating in their family was to eat together. Devaki Devi served Ammini immediately after serving Ramchandra and she even added an extra ladle of vegetables in Ammini's plate and smiled at her. The two women looked at each other for a few seconds. Walls that had been formed around Ammini's heart were starting to crack in the face of such pure love. The family echoed their approval of all the food that had been cooked and Ammini ate till her heart and tummy felt full. Indeed, the food is delicious, she thought as sweat and tears mixed on her face in the humid and hot kitchen.


You can check out this website for delicious Malayali vegetarian dishes.

https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/recipes/kerala-cuisine/


Like this story? You can be sure to not miss any by 



You can read the first three chapters here


The day they met 

How my Daddy met my Mummy - Ramchandra & Ammini - The Chronicles of the Youngest Child


Read the second story of their wedding day here


Lekha Warrior: The Art of Building Connections - Guest post by Letizia Loï & Lilith Kalenderian

A card I picked on the last day of the training
 

More often that not, we spend our lives doing stuff we don't like. But the last three weeks, I did something that gave me such a Huge Wow feeling. It was an experience I will never forget either.


I spent three weeks getting to know myself better at the 'Self Leadership' training workshop organised by Brigitte André. Read more about Brigitte's illustrious career in the link at the bottom of the article. Not only is Brigitte a master at her method, but she also possesses a childlike enthusiasm to every new thing she comes across and remains extremely eager to learn every step of the way along with her participants. It immediately makes us relate to her and thus leads to a better outcome.


This morning, the day after the training I woke up and felt ready to handle change much better than before. This post is proof that even strangers can become your cheerleaders when you take the right first step.


I had the honour of having an in-depth article written about me by two very curious, empathetic and authentic women I met at the training. The article below shows a level of detail that I find amazing and exemplifies the sorority that we enjoyed in a unique scenario of being only women who were chosen for this edition of the workshop.

I have written many an article on this blog, but today you can enjoy the article written about me and get to know me better. I cannot believe the effort and time taken by Letizia Loï & Lilith Kalenderian together to come to this final version of text. I'm truly touched by this extremely personal & sweet gesture. This article clearly shows that when you let your guard down to the right people in the right environment, you receive clearly tons more than you ever give.

Find the article below...


Lekha Warrior is an Indian-born blogger and writer living in Brussels, Belgium. Through her blog, A Mixed bag of thoughts she explores a wide range of topics, from personal stories and childhood memories to poetry, fiction, travel, sports, and reflections on everyday life. But today, it is her own story that deserves the spotlight.

Born and raised in India, Lekha grew up alongside her beloved sister and two brothers. Her life was marked early on by profound loss. The passing of her parents and of one of her brothers left a lasting impact on her. In the face of grief, writing gradually became both a refuge and a way to keep cherished memories alive.

Over time, what began as a personal outlet grew into a true calling. Fittingly, her first name, Lekha, means “writing” in her native language. As for her surname, Warrior, it seems particularly well suited to her character. Behind her gentle nature is a woman of remarkable resilience, someone who has faced life's challenges with courage while never losing her warmth or her smile.

At the age of twenty-four, Lekha left India to join the man who she met and married in Mumbai. Together, they settled in Brussels and built a family. Their two daughters remain one of the greatest sources of pride in her life. Her eldest, now twenty-two, has a passion for travel and a strong, independent spirit. Her younger daughter, nineteen, is forging her own path with the same sense of determination.

When Lekha speaks about the people who have shaped her life, she does so with kindness and gratitude. She still talks warmly about her former husband, the man who first brought her to Belgium. Although their marriage ended, they have maintained a relationship built on mutual respect and a shared commitment to their family.

She also speaks with great affection about her partner, who lives in Halle. While they communicate mostly in English, Lekha has taken on a new challenge: learning Dutch so she can connect more deeply with the language and culture that surround her daily life.

Every year, Lekha looks forward to returning to India. These trips allow her to reconnect with her roots, but above all, they give her the chance to spend time with her sister, whom she considers her best friend. Between Brussels and India, Lekha continues to build bridges between cultures, generations, and the many people who are part of her journey.

Sometimes, the smallest rituals reveal the most about a person. For Lekha, one of those rituals is enjoying a cup of chai. More than a beverage, it is a daily moment of comfort, reflection, and connection to her heritage.

Through her writing, her life experiences, and the relationships she nurtures, one thing becomes clear: Lekha Warrior's greatest strength lies not only in her resilience or determination, but in her ability to bring people together. She listens deeply, cares sincerely, and creates meaningful connections wherever she goes.

Perhaps that is the best way to describe her: a quietly inspiring woman who chooses, every day, to build her own happiness while helping others find theirs.


You can read about Brigitte André on her website www.brigitteandre.com


what the card said 


Like what you read? You can make sure to not miss any new post by 

 the article in French 

Sunday, 21 June 2026

And Still, Twenty Years Later - Father's Day 2026

 



From your sister who is nearly 90,

To your youngest grandchild still in her last year of teen,

Your legacy runs thick and strong..

Like the man you were,

While your presence in this world was seen.



You stood for what you believed,

You frankly stuck to what you felt made sense

But your change of mind came,

Without your spirit ever getting bent.


An adaptability that constantly saved you and us,

From the break of the tree, 

That was the shelter that you

Had built over the years,

That protected you and your extended  family


You carried conviction

But lived liberated and free,

From the eyes of what others

Expected of everyone in society.


You made such a difference,

You mattered to all

Your love was your being around us,

Even after 20 years of your passing I recall.


The funny thing is that

Not with all of what you decided I agreed,

But you listened to the young woman back then I was, 

That I cannot deny and disagree.


Now I have become your age,

When you really welcomed the baby me,

And I think of how much of life ,

That little baby born to you late had yet to see.


You did your best,

I witness completely…

That’s what matters the most,

Every time my heart says

When it remembers thee.


Daddy, I miss you


Lekha


Like this poem? You may like to not miss any of my posts by  



You may like these stories and poems about my Dad,