Yfznn sy Caqvr Vtxz

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My single most important purpose in life is to inculcate and integrate into my life all that’s rich in my culture and my previous generations. In addition it is also to vastly improve all that’s lacking in my previous generations and be better at it. Be it love, health, diet, routines, thoughts and everything else. Thats how I will evolve. Thats how I will also raise the bar for the next generation to come so that they can take it a notch higher.

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Little angel

We prayed for a little angel Blessed we are that you chose your mother and I You are a true blessing and we rejoice Don’t grow up so fast, the apple of our eye

When we hold you and walk about We love to see you gaze around You are blissfully observant, we think Don’t grow up so fast, our love, you are so profound

The tiny little hands and tiny little feet The baby babbles and smile so sweet You are a bundle of joy, love and innocence Don’t grow up so fast, our pride! Our heartbeat!

Every moment with you is truly special, and Tight and close to our heart, we hold You are so pure and so full of love Don’t grow up so fast, our angel, our world!

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A thoughtful walk

I was out for a walk in the night and thought about my life The ups and downs that I've crossed and the things for which I strive The way up I did rejoice along but the way down hurt a bit But with age, there came a stage where I learned to balance it

I chased and got many a things that my heart had chosen to chase I skinned and scarred my knee and many in the wild rat race The things that were, once very dear to me were all in time replaced In their spots came vacant slots that contentment and calmness embraced

I bet on myself to win the battle against him and her I chose to hold many a grudge and held my ego dear It all broke down when it dawned on me the cost of holding on The joy and peace I had to lose as I made the battle long drawn

They came along those setbacks and extremely testing times pinned me down, on the ground, within their terrifying boundary lines With no other choice, I gathered myself, stood up and faced them bold They moved aside and with time the good times in they rolled

As I walk along and look ahead into the dark and empty space The lessons I learned would help me out to traverse life's mystical maze At the end of the maze what treasure awaits, that nobody knows But each night and day, along the way, its only joy that ebbs and flows

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Monkey Mind

Oh my mind! -you go after inconsequential things like a twig in a river you go astray Keep pondering over the future and the past You keep the present far away

Wish you are kept chained at times Like a horse trotting along the course, steady You are kept in line with the now and here So you can always be afresh and ready

The joy, the sorrow, the pain, the anger and all the emotions that you hold dear They are mere passing clouds of thoughts With the winds of time they would clear

To keep detached from the things you chase Is what I strive to do each day Its a constant run up the hill With all the different tricks you tend to play

Like the lifetimes in the past or this I shall continue to try and try To find a way to root you to the now So that I can watch it all flash by!

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Cauvery Garden Times - No ball ( A short story )

Raghu, the 10 year old, entered the house in a rush. He flung his school bag to the side and ran into the room to change into his shorts and T-shirt. It was 4:20 PM and he was already 20 minutes late from school. On the way he had seen his usual apartment gang gather near the play area which made him even more anxious.

Cauvery Gardens apartment was home to about 200 families. There were 5 apartment buildings and each building roughly hosted about 40–50 flats. Evening times were usually bustling with activities such as chit chatting, cricket, seven stones, running and catching, cycling etc. Raghu’s gang included Sriram ( 7th Std ) , Vijay ( 6th Std ), Balaji ( 6th Std ) and Farooq ( 5th Std ). They had crossed the running and catching, cycling age and their recent interest was cricket. They graduated about a year ago from playing plastic ball terrace-cricket to rubber ball roadside-cricket. This was a huge thing since plastic balls could be handled with Bournvita or Maltova bats easily. Rubber balls demanded better, more durable bats.

Raghu impatiently waited for the evening coffee that his Amma was preparing for him. He gulped it down over the usual lecture from her about his habit of flinging the bag to the side and how he never puts his uniform in the washing machine.

“Match would have started and I would now be assigned to a team”, he thought to himself. He left the tumbler on the table, shouted “Bye Amma!” and darted out of his house. As he was running towards the play area he noticed the boys were all on one side discussing something. He looked at the sky and saw that it was a bit overcast. This meant that there will not be too much of cricket left for the day. He was already late.

“Raghu is here, lets ask him!”, shouted Vijay

“Raghu, do you by any chance have a ball in your house?”

“No Sriram. Farooq had a blue rubber ball that we played with yesterday, right?”

“Yes, but it got lost during the PT period in his school today. We do not have a ball to play”, told Sriram

“How about we search for the yellow color rubber ball that we lost in the bush on Sunday evening? We did not search much that day since there was very less sunlight. “, said Farooq

All of them agreed that it was a great idea and decided to enter the dreaded bush area again. The problem with the bush area were many folds. The area was large and very thick. They had been warned by the watchmen that the bush area was home to deadly lizards and snakes. The chances of finding a ball in the bush diminished as the days progressed since other gangs might have performed a search operation and successfully found a free ball to play with. Despite of the odds, they entered and started searching.

The time was already close to 5 PM and all they found were a few broken tennis balls, a punctured rubber ball, a few glass bottles and a lot of weird looking insects. Sriram, being the gang leader, called off the search operation and asked the gang to assemble near the wall. It was time to try and execute Plan B, which was tougher.

“I think we are wasting our time. Its already 5 PM and we hardly have an hour and a half left. How about we all pool in money to buy a new rubber ball?”, said the gang leader.

“I dont think my mom will give me money”, said Farooq

Sriram thought for a bit, and decided it was only fair since they had played with Farooq’s rubber ball the last 4 days. So he suggested the rest of the gang to get Rs 2.50 each so that they can buy a new ball. The gang dispersed with a clear understanding that they will meet near the wall again in 10 minutes or less.

Raghu raced to his house again and impatiently rang the calling bell. His Amma opened the door and was surprised to see him back this early. He went into the kitchen, drank a tumbler of water.

“Amma, we are collecting money to get a new rubber ball. I need Rs. 2.50”, said Raghu

“I gave you Rs. 5 last week for you to get a rubber ball, what happened to that?”

“That ball got lost over the weekend when Balaji hit it”

“Ask Balaji to get the new rubber ball then. Why is that its always you who has to pitch in to get a new ball each time?”

“Amma please, only this time!”

“No Raghu. This is becoming a bad habit, asking for money every week. You are not getting it this time”

Raghu knew if his Amma says a “no” in that fashion, there was no point arguing. He was angry and sad, but also was in a hurry to go and convey the news to his gang. He banged the door shut with a loud thud and rushed out to the play area again.

The boys were all already there counting the money.

“Raghu, give me the 2.50”, said Sriram

“I dont have it Sriram. My amma said she will not give it this time around”

There was surprise and chaos in the gang for a brief time. Sriram thought about it and knew he had to come up with a plan fast. Otherwise there will not be any play that evening and that would be very disappointing.

“Okay. We are short by Rs 2.50 then. Let me see if I can ask my mother.”, saying that he ran towards D block where he resided.

On the way he had briefly stopped near the sump tank where the watchmen usually sit and chit chat in the evenings over a tea around 5-ish. Raghu saw him run with new enthusiasm after that conversation.

In a few minutes, with a proud and smiling face the gang leader returned to the wall and took out Rs 2.50 from his pocket.

“How did you manage it? Didnt your amma shout?”, asked the surprised Vijay

“Ha ha. I struck a deal with Mohan Anna. I asked my mother and exchanged a stack of old news papers that was lying around in my house for Rs. 2.50. “

Mohan Anna was the old paper vendor for Cauvery Gardens and other apartment complexes nearby. He usually does business only over the weekends, but operated on as-needed basis over weekdays. Today was a clear emergency and Mohan Anna had to step in.

The rest of the gang were at awe when they heard the story from Sriram. Farooq and Vijay went to Milan stores and got a brand new red color rubber ball for Rs.10

Time was close to 5:30 PM. About an hour of play was left in the evening.

As Balaji twirled the bat around, “Mountain!”, came the call from Raghu. The bat fell down with the plain side up. Toss was done and play began.

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தீபொறி ஒன்று பிறக்கிறது

தீபொறி ஒன்று பிறக்கிறது ஜ்வாலையாய் எரிய துடிக்கிறது நேரம் காலம் எல்லாம் கடந்து இருளை ஒழிக்க புரபடுது! (தீபொறி ஒன்று )

தன் தழல் தன்னை தின்று தின்று என்னுள் அக்னிகுன்ஜாய் வளர்கிறது அஹங்கரத்தை அத்தழல் விழுங்கி மாயையை நீக்கி உளொளி தருது!

உள்ளொளியால் அறியாமை விலகியது என் எதிரி நானே என்று புரிகிறது   உள்ளும் புறமும் தணலாய் கொதிக்க வீர வேகத்தில் வெளி வருது!

தடைகளை போசிக்கி அழிகிறது என் பாதையில் வெளிச்சம் தருகிறது   உயிராய் உணர்வாய் ஒளியாய் அறிவாய் மொழியாய் என்னுள் வலம் வருது!

தீபொறி ஒன்று பிறக்கிறது அது தினம் தினம் பெரிதாய் வளர்கிறது அச்சம் எனும் நிழலை ஒழித்து ஞான ஜ்யோதியாய் ஜொலிக்கிறது!

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The Search

I stare into oblivion and muse about you today How wonderful it must feel to be you, so blissful and gay! Probably present in everything, everywhere, big and small, You might have timeless wisdom, for you seem to know it all.

To make life even, memories in you should be zilch End of it you remain untouched and only the bodies switch Peaceful and calm like the still waters, you are You just seem to be — No joy and no scar!

Wanting me to recognize if you are the weaved or the weaver, Not tired of the same old trick you play each life and forever I close my eyes, meditate and submit to thee I snap back to reality just when I am about to be set free!

Is it all an imagination, something in my mind? Evading all senses, hidden in me somewhere deep behind! Agnostic I would be till you are sought and found, And the search making me soul-like — still, calm and profound!

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Somewhere Ramblings of a Nomadic Soul

What do you desire my soul? Happiness? And leave my heart with a hole? What is right and what is wrong? Happiness personified I am writing this song

Torn apart as you can see, Tell me, how do you define me? I am sane is what I think, A lifetime just disappears in a wink!

Oh let me think about time a bit, Quantum mechanics and the likes of it, What is time? What is space? Seems like I run on this recursive race!

What is truth and what is real? Answering that makes my whole world whirl! This moment and this second, Don't wanna lose it, I reckon

Tell me universe or tell me god, Am I insane, am I a retard? The puzzle of life I try to solve, I melt in reality and I just dissolve!

Happiness and living this moment, Is real and that I can see! To judge or not to judge, Truth and Morality it kills me!

Who put the rules? And why is it there? To live life to the fullest, it's just fair! One life and I know I am the hero, Puff! I disappear and I got to start at ground zero!

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My Darling Kannama / Paayumoli Nee Enaku

Listened to bombay jayashree’s rendition of a Barathiyar song called "Paayum oli nee enaku" a couple of days back and fell in love with it. I immediately started translating it and found this particular translation a bit challenging. Firstly the genius of Barathiyar who managed to sum up so many things in such simple words. Second, this was my first time translating an eight stanza poem. Since I wanted to make justice to the translation I took time and translated this over a couple of days. The poem below will not be a literal translation, rather an adaptation of the poem trying to still maintain the original meaning wherever possible. The original can be found below. Feedback welcome!

Translation

To me, you are the rushing light that makes the universe be, To you, I am the eyes that which lets you see To me, you are the nectar within the blossomed flowers, To you, I am the honey bee that which floats and hovers Oh Kannama! There aint no words to describe all the goodness thats in you! You are the shining light of the sky and the ebbing nectar of the world too!

To me, you are the string instrument that creates the celestial harmony, To you, I am the fingers that which plays the instrument ardently To me, you are the new golden ornament worn around my neckline, To you, I am the new diamond pendant that which has the dazzle and shine Oh Kannama! Every direction I see, I just see the glitter in your eyes! You are the universe and the basis of all the lives!

To me, you are the dark sky and the pouring rain, To you, I am the pretty peacock that which dances in vain To me, you are the abundant elixir of life and things, To you, I am the empty vessel that which holds the divine drinks Oh Kannama! The luster of knowledge shines from your shining face and you! You are the beauty without any faults and the taste that makes me salivate too!

To me, you are the luminous full moon that brightens the night sky, To you, I am the vast ocean that which joyously springs when you are close by To me, you are the rhythm and the beats of any music and all songs, To you, I am the sweetness of the vibrations that to which everything belongs Oh kannama! I searched and gave up for there aint nothing like your divine taste! You are the bag of nectar and the infinite twinkle in all our eyes together, laced!

To me, you are the zephyr that vivifies the heart and the soul, To you, I am the flower that which blossoms from a bud to become the whole To me, you are the words that I spoke and their implied meaning, To you, I am those deep verses that made your heart rejoice and sing Oh kannama! How do I describe the beauty of a ray of light in the sky and you! You are an intoxicating wine to me and your taste is indescribably endless too!

To me, you are the eternal love that kindles my divine yearn, To you, I am the magnet that which attracts and gets attracted in turn To me, you are the vedic truth that is omnipresent to displace all my qualms, To you, I am the blissful knowledge that which manifests itself as countless forms Oh Kannama! You are the taste that ebbs at the height of my divine passion! You are the musical form and your great soul is filled with infinite compassion!

To me, you are the soul that stays indifferent to the ridiculous and the sublime, To you, I am the ticking pulse that which frees you up a second at a time To me, you are the wealth that I cherish more than desires and precious stones, To you, I am the life savings that which a poor old man owns Oh Kannama! You unfathomable beauty, an ever expanding golden sun-rays! With a smile of a blossoming jasmine, you batter me with your blissful waves!

To me, everything is a manifestation of you represented by a billion stars, To you, I am the full moon that which shines happily despite the many scars To me, you are the valor that I rejoice at the depths of my despair, To you, I am the vibrant victory that which is rewarded for fighting truthful and fair Oh Kannama! If I take all the drops of sweetness, earthly and divine! You are an amalgam of all those drops Kannama and darling you are mine!

Ajith

Original - Paayumoli Nee Enaku By Barathiyar

Paayumoli nee enakku paarkum vizhi nan unakku Thoyummadhu nee enakku thumbiy adi nan unakku Vaayuraikka varuguvathillai vaalinindran menmai yellam Thuyachudar vaanoliye suraiyamuthe kannamma

Veenaiyadi nee enakku mevum viral naan unakku Poonum vadam nee enakku puthu vairam naan unakku Kaanumidam thorum nindran kannin oli veesuthadi Paanudaya perarase vaalvu nilaiye kannamma

vaana mazhai nee enakku vanna mayil nan unakku baanamadi nee enakku paandamadi nan unakku nyaana oli veesuthadi nangai nindran jothimugam uunamaru nallalazhghe uuru suvaiye kannamma

vennilavu nee enakku mevu kadal nan unakku pannusuthi nee enakku paattinimai nan unakku enni enni paarthadilor ennamillai ninsuvaikke kannin mani pondravale kattiyamuthe kannamma

veesukamal nee enakku viriyumalar nan unakku pesuporul nee enakku penumozhi nan unakku nesamulla vaansudare ninnazghae yethuraippen aasai madhuve kaniye allu suvaiye Kannamma

kaathaladi nee enakku gaanthamadi nan unakku vethamadi nee enakku vithaiyadi nan unakku pothamutra pothinile pongivarum theenchuvaiye naathavadivaanavale nalla uyire kannamma

nallavuyir nee enakku naadiyadi nan unakku selvamadi nee enakku semanithi nan unakku ellaiyatra perazhghe enggum nirai potchudare mullai nigar punnagaiyai moodhuminbame kannamma

taaraiyadi nee enakku thanmathiyam nan unakku veeramadi nee enakku vetriyadi nan unakku tharaniyil vaanulaghil saarnthirukkum inbamellam ooruruvamaai samainthai ullamuthe kannamma

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Feeling your love

A few years its been since I started talking with you,

A girl who would be beside me always, thought who?

My first breezy relationship just being the good old me,

You added colors of care and painted the we.

Even if a day goes by without talking to you,

I feel a deep disappointment and I feel so blue

A few thousand miles away and we have met, never

But it feels like I’ve known you beyond space and forever!

When you hold my hands and hug me tight,

When you are playful as a pup, and you kiss me goodnight,

When my heart throbs and I close my eyes,

I swear I feel you beside me, and it aint no lies!

Its a feeling that grew without the sense of touch, taste or smell

A true relationship that the two hearts forged so well

I will traverse the distance soon and traverse the time,

Till then just close your eyes, and in my arms you will be fine.

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We take a handful of sand from the endless landscape of awareness around us and call that handful of sand the world.

Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values

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இழப்பின் மறுபக்கம் / Give my losses back, Mr.God!

I Chanced upon a thamizh poem that was forwarded by my dad and he had asked me if I could do a translation from Tamizh to English. I read through the poem and got into a pensive mood that I started translating immediately. Below the translation you would find the original thamizh kavidhai. Here goes the translation :

Translation : 

Give my losses back, Mr.God!

  Mr.God! Give me back everything that I have lost

"What have you really lost my child?" was his retort

  I told myself it's an endless list but I will have it furnished

For one, I grew up so fast that my youth just vanished!

  My beauty faded away with the seconds that were ticking,

And you plucked away my lady love and my heart's still pricking!

  The touch of time aged me and made me old and sick

What do I tell him? I should tell him something quick!

  "Give all that I have ever lost in my life back to me!" I demanded

He looked at me with a charming smile and responded:

  "When you got educated, your ignorance was lost!

With all your hard-work poverty was left in the dark past 

  And you lost all your enemies with the habits you cultured, just think

I could give all that you have lost there even before you blink!"

  Dumbstruck I realized two sides of the same coin were to gain and to part,

He vanished in thin air leaving a queer peace in my heart.

Original :

இழந்ததெல்லாம் திரும்பத் தா இறைவா!

இழந்ததெல்லாம் திரும்பத் தா எனக் கென்றேன்

இழந்த தெவை என இறைவன் கேட்டான்!

பலவும் இழந்திருக்கிறேன்,கணக்கில்லை

பட்டியல் ஒன்றிட்டுச் சொல்லவா இயலும்?

கால மாற்றத்தில் இளமையை இழந்தேன்

கோலம் மாறி என் அழகையும் இழந்தேன்

காதலித்து அவளிடம் இதயமிழந்தேன்

காணாமல் போனாளே அவளை இழந்தேன்

வயதாக ஆக உடல் நலமிழந்தேன்

எதை என்று சொல்வேன் நான்

இறைவன் கேட்கையில்?

எதையெல்லாம் இழந்தேனோ

அதையெல்லாம் மீண்டும்தா என்றேன்.

அழகாகச் சிரித்தான் பரமன்

”கல்வி கற்றதால் அறியாமை இழந்தாய்

உழைப்பின் பயனாய் வறுமையை இழந்தாய்

நல்ல பண்புகளால் எதிரிகளை இழந்தாய்

சொல்ல இன்னும் பல உண்டு இதுபோல

தரட்டுமா அனைத்தையும் திரும்ப என்றான்.

  திகைத்தேன்!

  இழப்பின் மறுபக்கம் எதுவென்று உணர்ந்தேன்

வாழ்க்கையின் ஓட்டத்தில் இழப்பும் பேறும்

இணைந்ததை அறிந்தேன் இதயம் தெளிந்தேன்

இறைவன் மறைந்தான்  

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Scalability in a Startup

Scalability is one of the most talked about things within the Product team. In DropThought, every feature, every decision, every bit of the platform architecture is vetted multiple times wearing the scalability hat. Scalability to most of them will mean clouds, no-sql, big data etc. However as Karan puts it “In the Silicon Valley, a good startup already starts with the assumption that it has an awesome engineering team that will take care of scalable architecture and engineering”. I am going to discuss a few other scalability hats that we wear when we have a product level brain storming :

1. Scalability of the Sales 

The biggest challenge that a few companies like Groupon are facing is that their sales force is ever growing since their revenue comes from the number of stores that they can reach out to and sell. The flaw has been discussed multiple times by experts and proven to be not scalable. A smart approach would be to build a product that has the value prop of getting viral by itself or build it with large enterprises in mind. Any product that requires a door to door sell will soon disappear.

2. Scalability of Usability

Usability and User Experience is one of the most important things in a product. The art of masking the complexities of engineering with a simple and clean user interface is practiced only by a few startup companies. Though the emphasis is initially upon a clean and lean design, as new features get added many teams compromise on UI/UX on the grounds of execution speed and deployment. Every new feature that goes into the product has to be carefully designed and made sure that they fit into the “clean and lean” standards of the product. Until a feature can be represented in a clean way by the design team, the feature should under go rapid prototyping and user testing until it becomes clean and lean.

3. Scalability of  Testing and Support

Testing the product is an ongoing activity similar to product building. Support goes hand in hand with deployment and customer satisfaction. Features and feature sets rolled out at rapid pace with low quality testing or with an inadequate support team will soon cause havoc and earn a bad brand name for the product. Every patch of the product must undergo high quality testing before release and should be built with a robust rollback feature which will let the product roll back to the previously stable state with a single click or command. Support teams must be trained and updated with features that are rolled out and should be trained to do user testing on new features that are rolled out. If there is no adequate time for training or educating the support team, it is a clear indication that testing and support teams must be scaled up to meet the speed of product and engineering.

4. Scalability of Need

Scalability of need is often not discussed upfront by many startups. With the product and userbase scaling up constant efforts have to be taken to see if the need has scaled proportionately. Just a large userbase does not guarantee that the customer needs are satisfied. Constant efforts need to be taken to make sure that the product need is tracked using in app analytics and talking with the real customers and finding out if there are any features that they want better or do not like. The quantified relationship between any patch release and the scalability of need should always be directly proportional. Tracking this is a must.

5. Scalability of Finance

Though this is the most talked about issue when bootstrapping a startup, it generally tends to get neglected during product iteration. Finances have a direct correlation to the working of the entire startup and is a continuous process like product iteration and development. Development, Testing and Support efforts of new features have to be mapped to man hours and adequate financial buffers have to be available.

Speed of execution when a startup scales up is critical and has to be carefully balanced with product focus. The faster the speed of execution the lesser the time a team will have to discuss product level strategies. This is especially true for startups since the execution team is small, and most of the execution team will also be a part of the product strategy discussions. For a startup to be successful, the delicate balance between execution speed and product focus must always be maintained.

Scalability thus is a company wide term instead of a product level term as misunderstood by many startups. Every department in the company must wear the scalability hat and be prepared with scalability strategy. This should be practiced as a continuous process for a startup to be successful.

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When you look directly at an insane man all you see is a reflection of your own knowledge that he's insane, which is not to see him at all. To see him you must see what he saw and when you are trying to see the vision of an insane man, an oblique route is the only way to come at it.

Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

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Successful people always carry two things on their face : "Smile and Silence" 1. Smile to solve problems 2. Silence to avoid problems

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Found this awesome Poem by penned by Karthikeyen of Extragr.am :)

My love,

I am sorry if I broke the promise,

If I brought home my failures,

If I ever embarrassed you by falling flat,

If I even embarrassed myself by not giving up,

If I put you in trouble when I rebelled,

If others doubted us,

If I seemed distant,

If you doubted me,

If my postcards always read "I am almost there".

I am sorry, most of all, for over-quoting 'The Art of War',

I am trying to make your world better, the world aroud you better.

Dont you see my love? We are blooming. We are almost there.

I love you.

--

Hope, Courage and Love

The struggling entrepreneur

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Analysis destroys wholes. Some things, magic things, are meant to stay whole. If you look at their pieces, they go away. - Bridges of Madison County