Finally an idea shaping up!

The Good Around Us

In the world of so much diversity of news, it feels as if the good part of the news gets overshadowed by the not so good one.

Never have I discounted the need for the alerts one needs to attend to, become aware of what goes around so they're better prepared to handle situations, free media does mean to be able to get the not so good aspects of the society to the people as well.

The initiative of TheGoodAroundUs is to bring out the good side of the society, out in the sunshine, such that not only when we read, we feel relaxed, but also learn from it and take it forward, pass it forward. A little initiative is hoped to showcase our readers that good is an essential part of our society and us.

Today we've been able to gather a few contributors who are volunteering to share the good around them, check it out, become part of the initiative by reading, sharing or even contributing.

Little Blogger AJ: My Soccer Practice

My Soccer Practice

On a nice sunny day, I went to Edwards field for my 1 hour soccer practice. It starts at six o'clock in the evening. It is very tiring too! I came with my little brother AG and my mom Monika, 5 minutes before six o'clock, so we were 5 minutes early. 

After 5 minutes, my soccer class started. We did some warmups like sprinting through the cones. After that, we got a water break. My little brother AG got one too because he plays soccer too. After that, we did some drills. We played some soccer games as our drill. It was not really a soccer game. Here's how it went: so the coach yells out go, then the first person runs for the ball and whoever kicks the ball in the goal first, they gain 1 point. We kept on doing that for a long time.

Then, we played a real soccer game. I was ready for the game. Finally we started the game. I ran for the ball and kicked it, but it did not go in the goal when I expected it to because someone was in the way of the ball. We played for a long time. I was getting tired but I did not give up! 

Finally it was time to go home. I gave my coach a high five and everybody else did it too! Then we all went to our homes. It was a great day!

The End

By: Anjaneya Aggarwal

A Mother's day memory!

I'll admit that this one was comparatively a different Mother's day for a bunch of reasons.

Waking up on a quiet day in our new nest next to the mother of my two lovely kids on one side and the kids on the other, is enough to get a feeling that I want to live like this a little longer, on top of that, the feeling that my own mother is with us, is the cherry on top!

After exchanges of the Mother's day wishes between the two mothers, showering the blessings, comes the time to prepare for the awaited hike into The Lost River Gorge. Food, water, dress-up, getting ready takes some time, but we're finally ready!

On our way, a two hours drive from where we live, no plans for pit stops, the music is high on the radar and songs about moms are playing. I tell you, that I wanted to shut these songs off, as they're so wordy and emotional that both the moms are now crying in love! The songs are those that we've grown up listening to and singing, but every single time, you hear them, you fall in love with your mom all over again, so meaningful and so happy!

After a short session of the crying moms, we turn over to the two chatter boxes we were bringing along - my kids - to start playing games, talking and off they go. The most part of the drive was fun filled as the chatter boxes make the silliest jokes possible at times and a laughter spree begins over and over again. The so called two hour drive, seems shrunk into a few mins and here we are at our destination, the Gorge, did I mention that there were some caves there too that we would be exploring, made the kids excited about them. We're here now, can't control the butterflies in the stomach!

The only not so fun part of the trip comes right at the beginning, when we come to know that a part of the gorge is closed due to a bad winter, and we can only view about half of it. Did that stop us to still go forward and explore what's available? a big NO!! 😃

We start and along the way from here, I won't be boring you with the written details, you should see for yourself, how much fun we had! We'll come back to reading again when we're towards the end of our day!

 Mr. Navigator

 The Dudes!

First View Point!

 Going down to the Gorge!

 Looking down at the gorge!

 View point!

Paradise Falls!

 Keeping boulders out of the way!

 Getting down into the cave!

 Traversing through the caves!

Done with the first cave!

 Reaching the highest view point!

 Click on it to view the Panoramic view!

Reaching further high!!

phewwww!! All are tired and still excited to explore anything they can of the closed section of the trail, and look what we found! It always pays to go an extra step!

 Finally done with the trail!

Wait not yet, bear has to be coming out of the cave!

Ahaa! We're done and now everyone's tired, NOT REALLY!!!!! 😁

We now head out back to the nest and on the way, guess what, the chatter boxes are sleeping, and finally the intellectuals get to talk! 😎 We talk, we talk, we talk and we talk, we're home! Time for a good savory meal with a movie playing on the TV. My mom's a little extra tired, since it has been a while for her since the last time she did any hiking, so she takes off to the bedroom and goes to relax after a sumptuous dinner meal!

My movie ends along with the day, kids are not ready to sleep though and they remembered that I had promised them to have a pillow fight before going to the bed! Guess what, this fight would not end, it just goes on and on and just on. Too much fun in the house, kids gang up on me every time and beat me consistently with some short beating to them of course with their favorite soft pillows, while I get the hard ones. I could see them getting tired now and watching them fall asleep was a sight I wouldn't want to miss.

Lights off! everyone relaxing, smiles on their face, and looking forward to good dreams!!

A good start to an excellent day with a great end to it making it a memorable day!

A night to remember with my kids!

They know not one perfect way to smile, but when they smile, it is a perfect one!

They know not one perfect way to dress, but when they dress up, they look perfect!

They know not one perfect way to make us proud, but when they do something, we're proud!

One moment I'll cherish for life was last night when they sat next to each other holding each other with love and care, like they are and will remain to be the best buddies for life! Here they are and they're just kids!

About the night, the big guy was performing at an event in his school and the little guy was there to cheer him up! Made their entire family proud!

How I feel sometimes

No way there is to move on,

Oh! God, please put some light on!

No one is there to move along,

Please send someone to carry on!

The task has been abandoned in mid,

If you're with us, then please bid!

Waiting eagerly for you my lord,

With a hope, I'll get some award!

From you itself is this hope,

Since I'm on the longest rope!

I do not know that I'm in middle,

But definitely others are there to giggle!

My dear ones are with me,

Still I want something to fill me!

Something that would make me feel warm,

I would love to keep going on!

Right now there is no way to move on,

Oh! God, please put some light on!

Thought provoking definition of the Watch

Note: I don't have even a faded memory about who wrote them, but here it is:

Watch is a mechanical instrument

which makes one aware

that he/she has to lead forward to survive

and shows that he/she has to

check-out for another leap

and no-one else.

बचपन से कुछ आगे तक (I wrote this at my first job)

बड़ी ही हसीं ज़िंदगी गुज़र रही थी ,
सारी खुशियां भी अपने साथ थीं।
खेलना, कूदना वो माँ का प्यार,
पापा का खिलोने लेकर आना बार बार।

अचानक एक सैलाब आया पढ़ाई का,
मौसम आया बस्ते उठाकर स्कूल जाने का।
दोस्त बने, दोस्त बिछड़े, पर हम न रुके यार,
कुछ इस तरह हमारी पढ़ाई के हुए पूरे 12 साल।

हमने सोचा अब तो छूटे भाई,
पर पढ़ाई ने की हमारी और ज़बरदस्त घिसाई।
हमने जाना छुटकारे का एक ही रास्ता है,
पढ़ाई करके कुछ साल, करके कामना है।

करके कमाने की बारी आयी तो पता चला,
यहाँ तो बेरोज़गारी का है बोल-बाला।
पर हमें इसे छूने का न मिला मौका,
क्रिकेटरों की तरह हमने मारा चौका।

थोड़ा संभलकर, कमाकर खाना सीखा तो है,
अभी आगे की और क्या कहें, नौकरी में हैं। 

1 of many happy days in my life!

Many would say that it is an addiction, but it made one of the happiest days of my life a reality. They call it "Social Media", I don't say I'm addicted to it, yet I'm sharing my experience online! I'm addicted!😋

Quite a few years ago, we were separated, I've missed her my entire life since. She found me, added me as her friend, we started loving each other's activities and finally one day, we talked on phone! Feels so good, like an achievement, an accomplishment!! Talked to my very loving, sweetest cousin, whom we lost because of my family's petty fights about materials and objects, putting all the love aside. We didn't just lost each other, but also the multitude of opportunities to make beautiful memories in the years to come!

What were we like? I can literally talk about this all day and still wouldn't get close to finish. A family of similar aged children, nothing but fun, grandma spoiling all of them, parents working so hard they didn't had time to bother about petty things.

On a regular day, on a scooter, our dad, early morning with 5 kids, heavy school bags hanging on the tire in the rear, driving us to the school, all chatter boxes, making sure everyone sees us. Laughter was just the one reaction from the people on the road, but the feeling of being together was the best feeling EVER! Yet again, meeting during the recess in the school and sharing lunch, playing, again the same ride back to home, eating and playing, little bit of studies and then off to neighboring playground to play with the rest of the kids in the community, chit-chat, chit-chat, was just a normal routine, life was bliss. I wish I could go back to have that kind of energy in me with all my cousins around again one day, to recreate just a regular day, I'd want to do anything for that!

Celebrations in the family were grand - marriages, birthdays, new born babies welcomed, religious/cultural get together to name a few - fun filled, like any other regular family would have, with one exception, ours was BIG! 14 similar aged cousins, remainder of family had kids small and big, still the part of the gang. I'm sure we were not making it easy to control us because of the very nature of the kids, PLAYFULL!! Everyone madly in love with each other!

I don't want to keep bragging about the childhood, I cherish it, love it, miss it, but getting back to the point again, I now have some connection back into my childhood memories! and here is my first real "Thank you" to the social media! Thank you!

For the closure, we're still not sure what happened during those days, but in a very short time span that I can remember, everything went upside down and kids were set apart. I wish this doesn't happen to anyone ever in this world!

Thank you, Shalini, for bringing this back into my life! Love you always!

वो यादगार दिन

बीते दिनों को याद किया तो निकले कुछ ऐसे पल,
भूलना न चाहते थे उन्हे फिर भी गए वो निकल,
खूब याददाश्त है अपनी जो ढूंढ निकाला उन्हे,
जो थे अपने पुराने हसीं और खूबसूरत लम्हे।

वो माँ का प्यार, पिता की थपकी और ज्ञान,
वहीं फिर कुछ शैतानी, तो गलती पर थोड़ी सी डांट,
दोस्तों के साथ स्कूल में खेल और पढ़ाई की यादें,
मास्टर जी की भप्की और प्रिंसिपल की डांटे।

वो मिलकर खाना सभी का साथ में खाना,
बनाना बीमार पड़ने का भी साथ में बहाना,
परीक्षा की तैयारी में झोंकना खुद को परस्पर,
माता पिता के कहने पर बढ़ते रहना उन्नति के पथ पर।

दोस्तों क साथ विद्यालय में खेल कूद का बहाना,
भाई-बहनो क साथ घर की शादी में उत्पात मचाना,
शिक्षक का हमको बस प्रोत्साहित करते ही रहना,
घर के बड़ों का अपना माथा पकड़े ही रहना।

घर के बहार मिट्टी में लोट पोट होकर घर लौटना,
माँ को मनाना की पिताजी से ना कहना,
फिर भी पिताजी का गलती को आसानी से भांपना ,
मुस्कुराकर सो जाना और किसी से कुछ न कहना।

घूमने जाना रविवार को परिवार के साथ,
और विद्यालय से पिकनिक यारों के साथ,
कुछ भूल कर आना, और सुनना माँ की फटकार,
निकाल कर लाना अपनी गुल्लक, फिर देखना माँ का प्यार।

कुछ नया सीखा तो शेखी बखारना,
आसमान में देखते हुए कभी पूरा दिन गुज़ारना,
पतंगें गिनना, कटी पतंग को दूर तक देखना,
पड़ोस में बंटी के साथ शाम को पिक्चर देखना।

विद्यालय में नए छात्र को थोड़ा परेशान कर दोस्त बनाना,
खेल कूद में ही नहीं, बल्कि पढ़ाई में भी रिकॉर्ड बनाना,
विद्यालय का नाम प्रतियोगिता में रोशन किया,
खुद को विद्यालय के इतिहास में रोशन किया।

मंदिर में पुजारी के साथ काम करना,
भंडारों में लोगों की सेवा में वाहवाही कमाना ,
भगवान् से माँगना कि दोस्त की तबीयत ठीक कर दें ,
ताकि हम उसके साथ खेल कर अपनी तबीयत हरी कर लें।

वो कहते थे की हम देश का भविष्य बनेंगे,
कमाल के काम सब मिलकर करेंगे,
कर तो रहे है कमाल के काम हम आज,
पर साथ नहीं है कोई भी संग में आज।

दोस्तों से मिले हुए ही बीत गई सदियां,
भाई-बहनो में भी बढ़ गयी दूरियाँ ,
अब सिर्फ बातों से ही जी भर लेते है,
मिलेंगे कभी की दुहाई ही देते हैं। 

जीवन डगर

ख़ूबी किस्में नहीं इस चमन में!
झाँक कर देखो किसी के मन में!
आया है पथ्हर भी अडिग रहने की फिराक में!
पर बिछ जाता है पंथी की राह में!

बह गया वो नदिया की धार में!
जिसने पुकारा खुद को ऐतबार से!
तिरा तभी खुद को संभाल के!
औरों की खूबी को ढूँढ़ निकाल के!

कोई बुलबुला तो कोई तिनका!
कोई बूँद बनकर बदन पर छलका!
कहीं किरण की रेशम बलखा!
कहीं मिला कोई पथ्हर तल का!

मेरी राह में कांटे भी बिछे होंगे!
उन्हें हम जैसे अक्सर मिले होंगे!
उनको कहना है आज मुझे हृदय से!
योगदान उनका भी लूँगा विनय से!

जीवन यज्ञ में अपनी आहूति देकर!
पूर्ण करूँ यह जीवन बहकर!
किनारे रहकर क्या मै पाऊँ!
कोई पूछे तो क्या बतलाऊँ!

एक ही जीवन है जिसको जाना है!
आगे की पीढ़ी के लिए कुछ कर जाना है!