A Healthy Relationship ...

Read through this story that I received as a forwarded mail:

When I was a little girl, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. She placed a plate of eggs, sausages, and extremely burned toast in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his toast, smile at my mom, and ask me how my day was at school.

I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that toast and eat every bite! When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the toast. And I'll never forget what he said: 'Baby, I love burned toast.' Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his toast burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, 'Dipali, your mummy put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides - a little burnt toast never hurt anyone!' In bed that night, I thought about that scene at dinner and the kindness my daddy showed my mom. To this day, it's a cherished memory from my childhood that I'll never forget. And it's one that came to mind just recently when Anil and I sat down to eat dinner.

I had arrived home late... as usual... and decided we would have breakfast food for dinner. Some things never change, I suppose! To my amazement, I found the ingredients I needed, and quickly began to cook eggs, salami, and buttered toast. Thinking I had things under control, I glanced through the mail for the day. It was a few minutes later that I remembered that I had forgotten to switch off the toaster! Now, had it been any other day,– I would have had more than two pieces of bread in the entire house and I would have started all over. But it was one of those days and I had just used up the last two pieces of bread. So burnt toast it was!

As I set the plate down in front of Anil, I waited for a comment about the toast. But all I got was a 'Thank you!' I watched as he ate bite by bite, all the time waiting for some comment about the toast. But instead, all Anil said was, 'Dipali, this is great. Thanks for cooking tonight. I know you had a hard day.' As I took a bite of my charred toast that night, I thought about my mom and dad... how burnt toast hadn't been a deal-breaker for them. And I quietly thanked God for giving me a marriage where burnt toast wasn't a deal-breaker either!

You know, life is full of imperfect things and imperfect people. I'm not the best housekeeper or cook. And you might be surprised to find out that Anil isn't the perfect husband! He likes to play his music too loud, he will always find a way to avoid mowing the lawn, and he watches far too many sports. Believe it or not, watching the India-England Test and screaming "Chuk De India" is not my idea of a great night at home!

But somehow in the past 37 years Anil and I have learned to accept the imperfections in each other. Over time, we have stopped trying to make each other in our own mould and have learned to celebrate our differences. You might say that we've learned to love each other for who we really are! We share the same goals. We love the same things. And we are still best friends.

This story is an example to learn! What I've learnt over the years is that learning to accept one's faults - and choosing to celebrate each other's differences: this is the one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.

KRAZZY 4 - A Review...

KRAZZY 4 is about four men who are obsessed with some thing or the other. The crazy four may not have their heads on their shoulders, but their hearts are intact. And they decide to take on the 'bad boys' in their own crazy way to free their kidnapped doctor (Juhi Chawla).

And in doing so, they discover that the outside world is not much different from their hospital. At best, the movie has only a few flashes of good comedy coupled with a gentle dose of patriotism.They have tried their best to convey a social message but have failed miserably.

Rajpal Yadav is very funny. Arshad Warsi is handsome. Irrfan Khan has acted well and Suresh Menon was OK! It's a short movie (two hours and ten minutes) and I strongly feel there are much more better ways to spend those two hours of your's.

Know your Mobile Manners!

Right now, cell phones are the cigarettes of this decade. It's an addiction. And just like cigarettes are banned from some places, so are cells banned in organisations. I think every organisation should go on a similar and firmer line.

Prior to the cell phone, the way we dressed communicated who we were in the workplace. Now, what ring tone someone has, how often the cell phone rings, how we respond to it when it rings… These are defining personality types in the office, which makes them harder to regulate than matters that aren't part of our bodies and psyches, says a cell phone etiquette researcher.

The cell phone etiquette problem is a serious issue in the workplace. It’s not only our phones ringing and others having to listen to one-sided conversations, they are also bad mobile manners. Checking for text messages when talking to someone has the same effect as checking your watch or yawning – it implies that you’re bored and don’t have your full attention on the opposite person (whether a co-worker or the boss).

To make sure your mobile habits do not annoy your co-workers, try to implement the following: make sure your cell phone is off or on silent mode during meetings; do not answer calls or send texts or e-mails unless it is strictly necessary; do not choose an annoying ring tone; do not leave your cell phone on the table in vibrate mode; ask your employer or HR department to provide a policy on the appropriate use of mobile devices in your workplace.

It is vital that we make sure mobile devices enhance our working lives without impinging on them

Water -- Simple but important!!

Water is an important structural component of skin cartilage, tissues and organs. For human beings, every part of the body is dependent on water. Our body comprises about 75% water: the brain has 85%, blood is 90%, muscles are 75%, kidney is 82% and bones are 22% water. The functions of our glands and organs will eventually deteriorate if they are not nourished with good, clean water.

The average adult loses about 2.5 litres water daily through perspiration, breathing and elimination. Symptoms of the body’s deterioration begin to appear when the body loses 5% of its total water volume. In a healthy adult, this is seen as fatigue and general discomfort, whereas for an infant, it can be dehydrating. In an elderly person, a 5% water loss causes the body chemistry to become abnormal, especially if the percentage of electrolytes is overbalanced with sodium. One can usually see symptoms of aging, such as wrinkles, lethargy and even disorientation. Continuous water loss over time will speed up aging as well as increase risks of diseases.

If your body is not sufficiently hydrated, the cells will draw water from your bloodstream, which will make your heart work harder. At the same time, the kidneys cannot purify blood effectively. When this happens, some of the kidney's workload is passed on to the liver and other organs, which may cause them to be severely stressed. Additionally, you may develop a number of minor health conditions such as constipation, dry and itchy skin, acne, nosebleeds, urinary tract infection, coughs, sneezing, sinus pressure, and headaches.

So, how much water is enough for you? The minimum amount of water you need depends on your body weight. A more accurate calculation is to drink an ounce of water for every two pounds of body weight.