20/08/2025
Behind every celebration, every memory,
there is a silent architect —
building with patience,
carving with tenderness,
holding with strength.
Lavanyanam —
grace that breathes life into the ordinary,
not displayed, but embodied,
in gestures that heal,
in words that soothe,
in presence that uplifts.
Back then, festivals were more than rituals.
They were the laughter of women gathered together,
hands busy in kitchens before dawn,
voices singing while stringing jasmine,
hearts beating in rhythm with excitement and care.
We dressed up together, braided each other’s hair,
helped one another with bindis and bangles,
shared laughter, secrets, and little joys —
without names or labels,
just the effortless holding of one another
at the finest, most fleeting moments.
At the center of it all was Amma —
the first spark of every celebration,
bringing us together,
turning ordinary mornings into gatherings of love
that we still carry within us.
Time moves, seasons change,
and life scatters us into new cities, new chapters.
Yet we carry within us the warmth of these circles,
the hearth of companionship,
where laughter feels like firelight,
and even silence becomes warmth.
Then came this beautiful woman into my life in the effortless way women find each other.
Appreciations through DMs,
a shared laugh over films, songs, stories,
the quiet exchange of thoughts on life and becoming.
What began as something simple
grew into something profound —
a bond woven with honesty, laughter, and understanding.
Because that is what we do:
we see each other,
we hold space for one another,
we turn chance meetings into lasting connections.
She became another thread in my tapestry,
a reminder that these circles of grace are borderless,
infinite, ever-blooming.
The eternal flowering that continues to bloom —
for ourselves,
for one another,
for the world.
Let us all hold space for each other,
and be the Lavanyanam in each other’s lives. 🌸
(Indian festivities, Onam, saree shoot, photoshoot, Muscat, Oman)
