There will always be sunshine after the rain...

Whatever your cross,
whatever your pain,
there will always be sunshine,
after the rain ....
Perhaps you may stumble,
perhaps even fall,
But God's always ready,
To answer your call ...
He knows every heartache,
sees every tear,
A word from His lips,
can calm every fear ...
Your sorrows may linger,
throughout the night,
But suddenly vanish,
in dawn's early light ...
The Savior is waiting,
somewhere above,
To give you His grace,
and send you His love...
Whatever your cross,
whatever your pain,
"God always sends rainbows ....
after the rain ... "

To get out of difficulty, one must usually go through it!
P.S. I did not write this poem but found it worth putting on my blog for Inspiration. - Nishtha

How does a Job affect a woman?

It’s been a while since I have got back to work and a fascinating feeling has crept into my heart. I think a job is doing wonders to me. May be it does so to many other women like me too. I, for instance, have seen a world of difference in my overall personality off late. It’s only now that I realise that I had changed over the last four years since I quit my last job. My confidence level had dropped and my independence (both emotional and financial) was jeopardized. But, now I feel much like myself again. My self-respect has increased manifolds. Further, my idea of the person I am is very much like what I am now rather than what I was a few months ago.

Talking about Confidence first, I feel myself renewed. Just getting back to my beloved profession as an Auditor seems like a re-incarnation. Being surrounded by people who are intellectually and knowledgeably on the same or similar footing as me is exciting. It instills in me a feeling of being a sensible and intelligent person. This feeling is special because it gives me the courage and confidence to take decisions. Being a typical Libran, Librans being famous for being indecisive, this is something of great importance for me as a person because I am the first one to know my capabilities. Then again, the kind of respect that my profession per se begets elates me. This is a Personality Development chance in itself because it gives me an opportunity to discuss sensitive issues with senior management people in client companies – people who at times are more experienced than my total age and issues that they may not be ready to accept by and large – and convince them without being harsh and rude. My trust in my communication skills is tested time and again. I know it will help in every aspect of my life.

Now, self-respect is the biggest respect a human being can get and value. It comes with a lot of attributes. Being able to fulfill ones dream and chalk out a path for oneself is the basis of self-respect. Not having to look up to others in ones life for every minor issue is the foundation to self-respect. Being able to hold ones head up in thick and thin, owning up to all actions taken by one and priding in them when they bear fruit are equally important. It does loads to my personality too.

Coming to financial independence now, it’s certainly not so that I have started splurging myself or am being extravagant now that I am earning. Nor am I spending all my earnings away. I am not a mindless shopper and would buy something only when I am totally convinced about the thing I am buying. So, why am I talking about financial independence? The answer is that just having the knowledge that a certain amount ‘is being earned by me’; and that ‘it is lying there at my disposal’; and again ‘it has arrived there out of my sweat and toil’; and finally that ‘I have the first and foremost right over it’ is quite fascinating. I am thoroughly enjoying myself.

All in all, I think every woman should take up a job at least once in a lifetime, may be only for a while – just to see the change it brings in her life, to evolve her personality and gain some self-respect.

What all is wrong with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows?

Well, I have read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (HP7) again. And this time, I did spot some flaws. May be its not even right to call them flaws after all, but there are rather quite a few diversions from the earlier books. Some people may agree with me and others may not, but this is my perception and I would love to pour them out. So, this might be a kind of late review from my side.

One of the reasons why I liked HP series was that I had a feeling that J K Rowling (JKR) thinks in many ways like I do. In previous books, she laid a lot of stress on the importance of education, on having a career, on friendships, and on tolerance in friendship. Not only that, she tries to propagate that women (females) are not secondary to anyone, and at times they may prove to be smarter than most men (through Hermione, of course). But in HP7, these are the very issues where JKR changes tracks. Or is it that the birth of a third child (a girl) has changed JKR's mindset.

After the sixth book when Harry, Ron and Hermione decided not to return to Hogwarts, I had apprehensions about the seventh book. And although the book is interesting for the whole of the plot, I feel she should at least have mentioned that after the war is over, all these people went back to complete their education. That they had a proper education and made their careers, etc. After telling us all how much Harry wanted to be an Auror, JKR simply omits telling us what career Harry and the others choose. Ron wanted to be an Auror too and Hermione had all the options open for her.

Then again, in all the earlier books (unlike HP movies), Ron and Hermione had almost equivalent parts to play. Though I admit that the climax usually belonged to Harry, but in HP7 they are almost reduced to sidekicks for the most part of the book. I had a feeling when Dumbledore left them bequests in his will that JKR envisaged a bigger participation for them. But alas it didn’t happen to be so. What a sheer waste of Hermione's intelligence and brilliance, and Ron’s loyalty and faithfulness. Even Ginny in the sixth book had become almost a part of the gang, but she is completely left out in the seventh book. We don’t even know whether she even fought in the war or not, as all of a sudden we are reminded that she is underage. Was she not underage, and all the others including Harry, in the fifth and the sixth book? But, there they all conveniently fought the death eaters.

Last, the biggest flaw in the book – the Epilogue. It was just so sugary sweet as to give us all Diabetes. It was as if all JKR was trying to do was to wrap up things so that she doesn’t have to write another HP book. After all those years we came to love Hermione for her intelligence, brilliance and sharp mind. Her future is highlighted as "Ok, she got married and had kids...." Now come on, she could have gone places. Even Ginny was seemingly intelligent what with Slughorn trying to induct her in his club. But she too was entitled to the same fate. In fact, apart from Neville, who becomes a Professor of Herbology at Hogwarts, JKR didn’t care to show what careers or basically the kind of life anyone chooses. When James comes and tells his parents that Ted Lupin is kissing his cousin Victoire (I assume she is Bill and Fleur’s daughter because of the French name but there’s no mention about it), all Ginny could manage to say was “Oh, it would be wonderful if they get married”. Seems like its Jane Austen writing the epilogue not JKR. Harry talks about his home. What home? Does he go back to live in Grimauld Place or some place else. May be not Grimauld Place because that is huge; and Harry’s home is not huge. If Ted comes over to live with them then both his sons would have to share a room. Then where did Harry go on to live really? It’s all guesswork here.

Further, some answers I expected in the book were left unanswered. What was the potion in the cave that Dumbledore drank in HP6? Why did it not affect Kreacher in the way it affected Dumbledore and Regalus? Before HP7 was released people were doing research telling us it was draught of death which is a very strong sleep inducing potion but doesn’t lead to death. Well, I never believed it and always thought Dumbledore was dead but expected to find out how. Besides, at the end of HP6 when Harry decided to go to Godric's Hollow, I thought finally I'll have answer to the one question that has been there in my mind since the initial chapters of the first book. What kind of work did Harry's parents do to amass such wealth for Harry? I couldn’t find out.

Further, who was the baby whom Dumbledore said that they can’t help in the Kings Cross Station? What was really the significance of having the baby there? Then again, what happened to Colin Creevy? Did he survive? JKR could have talked a bit about how life changed for the people who lost their loved ones, sad for their losses and yet happy about the end of dark days. We don’t even get any reaction from George on Fred's death. Come on, they were inseparable, partners in everything.

So as is evident, the biggest hitch I find in the book is to digest the Epilogue. If only she could have written a better one telling that they completed their education, are doing something worthwhile in life and how life became so normal for them as they achieved all their dreams; it would have been an exemplary book. After all, many kids idolize Harry Potter and love the books. They would have had something to emulate. Overall, I stick to my earlier review but somehow do not find myself connecting to the epilogue.

I still think that HP7 is an exciting book, way beyond my expectations. But a few complaints remain. In short, HP7 is an extraordinary escapist fiction with a few drawbacks. But then, books like humans can never be perfect.

I am not one of those you find in HP communities/groups on social networking sites and fan sites who do analysis on Harry Potter. I sometimes read them for the fun of it. Further, I am not here to criticize HP7. One can see that I am not finding any petty mistakes here like spells backfiring, etc. I am talking about JKR's change in ideology. It’s just that I thought that HP7 is different from other HP books in terms of morals it propagates.

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

N.B. This review was written on 03-Aug-07 and after almost a year since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (HP7) released, it may not be so relevant after all. However, I am still posting it here so as to supplement my upcoming post.

I have finally just finished HP7, and am so overwhelmed, I think it deserves a proper review; without revealing the plot, that is. So, don’t expect a spoiler here.

At the end of book 6, we came to know that Harry did not plan to go to Hogwarts and finish his education. I wondered then that whether a HP book without Hogwarts as its backdrop would be as exciting as the others. All my doubts are laid to rest as Hogwarts is not entirely ignored. The book is as exciting as it can be. It holds your interest right from the beginning till the end. J K Rowling (JKR) keeps peeling the wrapper off the surprises and all the unanswered questions piled up inside you over the last few years while reading the first 6 books. The book answers all the questions, raises many new ones and answers them all too.

I usually judge a thriller by the climax whether it raises excitement inside you or not; excitement to the level of not wanting to put the book down. Here, there is no "climax" as such because the whole book itself is a climax. You just don’t want to put it down right from the word go. I hated the book to keep me so engrossed so as to not wanting to put it down when I had to tend to my infant daughter and my household chores. Then again, now that I have completed it, it seems to have left an empty space behind, which I doubt any other book will be able to fill, at least for a while.

It actually breaks my heart to think that's it. That's the end. No more Harry Potter books. I wonder what JKR herself is feeling: relieved? empty? free? And no more excitement and hysteria surrounding a book release. My husband, who is not much of a book reader as such, is almost thankful that it’s the last HP book and that I am done with it. Sometimes I think, how often does it happen that half the book lovers in the world are reading the same book at the same time? Very rare, I think.

To sum up, the book is enthralling, enchanting and exhilarating. It’s simply superb and unmissable. As for the rating, I know some people have rated it 5/5. But, I don’t agree with them. I would at least rate it 7/5.