I have been MIA on my blog for a few months now…Boat loads of thoughts & ideas, but always a challenge on how to express them! 
But today I started the day off with receiving an email from a friend that really moved and engulfed me with so many thoughts and emotions. This amazing friend of mine is a beautiful singer and had expressed to me a couple of weeks ago that she has been so busy with life that she has not been singing recently. I not only encouraged her to not give up on it, but to also send me recording of a song when she gets a chance!! I love music..I listen to it when I am sad, or happy, or upset, or in a romantic mood or getting ready to go to a party, or Bhangra..something in music just connects with me. Certain songs will take me back in time to people, to moments of my childhood, my college dorm room and singing Police songs with my girlfriend, songs dedicated to friends and trips we have taken together, my daughters first grade DVD song…the thoughts and moments are endless. The other day when I heard on CNN that we were getting involved in another war and we will be sending more soldiers into the unknown…only one song came to mind. I could not think of the name but it was playing in my head..so I spent 30 minutes looking for it in my iTunes Library. The song btw was Love Vigilantes by Iron & Wine.
I grew up in a house where my mom would not only play music in our cool double cassette player(remember those) all the time but she would walk around the house singing. My mom’s beautiful singing would echo throughout the house. I didn’t always enjoy my mom’s singing, I was quite embarrassed by it actually..as any party we would go to..she was always requested to sing a song. I would always walk out of the room as I felt everyone was staring at me. I grew out of that behavior in my teen years and finally realized what a beautiful gift my mom had been given and what a joy for her to be able to share it with others. When my brother moved to the US, I was 11 and I still remember her sitting for hours on end recording song after song on a 90 minute two-sided tape so she could give it to him to listen to when he would feel homesick! (which BTW must have gotten mixed in with my stuff during his move when he got married 17 yrs ago..so that will be going in the mail to him tomorrow).
When I moved to the US in my teenage years my mom gifted me with a similar tape with all my favorite songs and also a notebook in which she had written over a 100 some songs in Hindi for me to sing. The first thing I bought upon landing in the US was a tape deck. I can’t even tell you how many
countless hours of homesickness my mom’s beautiful songs got me thru..but the line between curing home-sickness and wanting to go home was always a lil fuzzy after hearing her beautiful voice.
It’s been a long time since I heard my mom’s singing other than on b’days when we make her not only sing happy b’day in English but also in Hindi. I don’t even own a tape deck anymore, but I know I am gonna be looking for a way to convert my mom’s tape real soon and try get those songs on my iTunes Library! (what did we do before iTunes)!!
Today, true to her word my friend sent me a recording of her song, and I must have listened to her song 20 times and its playing as I type this. Her voice is so melodious, calming and soothing..Something about her voice connects with me and I hope she will continue singing and moving people with her beautiful voice.
She truly is talented and gifted and I hope she continues to find the time to sing and share her passion with others. Maybe I have my own selfish reasons for her to continue singing..
Music,Beautiful Lyrics, my mother, her singing, my friends beautiful songs,family, Flowers, Painting(what do you see in the painting..)..they ALL Move Me….What Moves You ? – Sports/People/Cricket/Basketball …Would love to hear your thoughts!
P.s. I have a friend who told me he does not like to read long blogs…so keep it short…I tried!! I really did Sameer..
Hi Ruchi
I actually read your blog… and it is very well written. Music does connect most people and makes them feel their inner self at all times – happiness, sadness, with the family or when the family is miles away…
Well expressed…
best wishes
Seema
Nicley written. Loved the way you expressed yourself.
….What moves me ??? …. Honest Emotions !!
Every species on our planet, except humans has the gift of expressing Honest emotions. Over generations this quality has been eroding from our hearts and souls. Unfortunaltey, today it’s almost a rarity as we have learnt to manipulate emotions to suit, preset norms of society.
Pure, unadultrated feelings, expressed in real life or in movies, songs and stories move me.
Regards,
Samarth
What moves me…authenticity especially when people can share their true feelings without fear of being judged. People have an innate need to connect with others and connections can be made when people have a mutual appreciation for each other and are authentic with their expressions. I felt that I had made a deep connection today because the expressions of feelings were authentic.
Great post and the pictures are so meaningful.
What moves me… kids performing on stage, a song with meaningful lyrics, a passionate speech… pure emotions of any kind I guess.
all of these will just reduce me to tears –
love your post Ruch.
nupur
Pew, just made it through your loooooong blog. LOL! Very well written and expressed Ruchi! For me Photography is what moves me. I am very passionate about photography. This has given me an avenue to meet awesome people throughout the years and has given me the opportunity to document their emotions to cherish for rest of their lives.
Keeping it short!
Regards,
Sameer Soorma
Love the blog. Very honest and gets at the core of who you are. From many years ago, I remember your passion for lyrics and was always fascinated at how you could decipher words in songs I could not begin to understand. You always had music and rhythm with you.
I combed through your entire site in detail including the main shopping site and blog site. I truly wish you luck in this passion that is clearly in harmony with who you are. I enjoyed the peacock color choice for this site. You write very well. I look forward to additional blogs. Travel, family, kids, love, music, fashion, spirituality etc. are all areas you will write well on. Your writing will define for us who you are, what you represent and give additional meaning and depth to your jewelry picks.
Best wishes, luck and lots of happiness in this endeavor.
Love the blog! Keep writing and keep the blogs coming!
hey! The story on your blog was really touching. I still remember how well your mom sings. You all were so much a part of our lives when we first moved to zambia. The memories are still so clear. Music and dance move me to. When mohina dances to the latest bollywood numbers, when she plays an instrument and is so engrossed in it, she actually forgets where she is. These moments are so full of life and energy. Music moves me for sure.:) great sense of humour is at par with music too.
I loved your blog on music and how it moves you. I loved listening to your mom sing bhajans at pujas and songs at parties. I think your mom’s singing touched many of us – I hope she is still singing.
I do love how music can create an even alter our moods. How sometimes a song can take us back in time and bring us to a moment we had long forgotten.
thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Hetal..There must be something about us ZED kids and how music moved us…I miss her bhajans so much and they definitely touch my heart. I am so glad you remember her singing.. I am sure she does not even realize that all these kids remember that fact about her!! Will have to share that with her!
Thank u babe for sharing your thoughts too…You should listen to Fireworks by Katy Perry!! it always pumps me up…
Great post Ruch! You have a talent .. your writing feels like a direct conversation with you. Unedited and unfiltered .. and i think that is part of the reason people connect with it. So dont let people (um like me) change your style. It suits you ..
As far as what moves me .. my kids ending every phone conversation with ‘love you dad’. Ending every day with ‘love you dad’. They say it every day and every time we say bye on the phone but for whatever reason .. i step back and think wow .. every single time. Seems like i would be used to it .. or take it for granted .. but i can’t. Their love for me, their love for us .. moves me.
Dear Ruchi,
Mom recorded two tapes for me and I did listen to both quite a bit whenever I thought of home during the college days. I have one of them and was wondering where the other went. Will digitize the one I have and send you a copy.
As for what moves me – good music obviously, lying on my back and watching the clouds go by, spending time with friends over a cup of coffee, laughter of children at play, sunsets, I have a dream speech, …
Thx for the wonderful post. Luv .. Bhai
LOL!! Oh!! It would be awesome..and who knows you may just deliver a speech like that one day! We have to BELIEVE!
Nice Blog Ruchi. Very touching. Something about mother daughter relationship that is so deep and so special.
What moves me is when I see kids who do not have mom or dad, who is in the hands of state and goes from one foster care to another and still manages to be an honor student and has desire to become something in life. What moves me is when a 19 year old sister is raising her two teen siblings because mother was deported back to Mexico. What moves me is a mother who has lost everything, her marriage, her home, her job, her emotional health and still coming to school to advocate for her special needs child. What moves me is all those kids who make constant effort to survive in this world of craziness because they are so different, but if you take a moment to look inside their lives you will find a zeal for life which is exceptionally beautiful.
Vaishali
Nicely written Ruchi! Music definitely alters my mood and very quickly!
Dear Ruchi,
I did not know that you are so good in expressing your thoughts. Your mother is really very talented, all in one. I am really blessed.
With love, Papa
Beautiful post, Ruchi. Wish all of us could sing like your mom! It’s such a great gift.
I love music, though I am a lousy singer…I sing whenever I am happy and don’t care if I don’t sound too good, because it makes me fell wonderful. Loved your post and your mom sounds wonderful.
Ruchi, this was such a nostalgia. Old tapes, and the way your Mother was invited on to the stage to sing. Reminds me of a song. Great to hear that you still value those days. Brilliantly written.
Thx NJ for the encouragement!…What song did my bog remind you off…Please share!!
Thx NJ for the encouragement!…What song did my blog remind you off…Please share!!