An Year of Extremes - 2018 Filled with Great Losses and Everlasting Memories

A year that will remain in my life as unforgettable!   One more week to go, but I wish the year moves away faster.

This year shook me off like hell, taking away with it my guardian angel - my mother.   I lost my biggest strength when her end came peacefully after prolonged illness in August this year.   Miss you Amma....You will live in us, in our thoughts and actions for ever

A child who mattered to me the most,  who loved getting pampered by me, suddenly disappeared without even giving me a chance to grieve seeing her one last time in October.   Sai Manasa - whose passing away in freak accident pushed us to grief beyond imagination.   Love you Girl..

Raghu's cousin Indira lost her Son Adithya Pasupuleti making us very sad the way that fateful bus accident snatched away a promising young life, pushing his parents and family to such a sadness.  Adi,  look upon your parents and Gautam giving them strength and light and courage to move on

We also lost some of our relatives and friends too.   Keeping all of them in thoughts and prayers.  Om Shanthi;-(

These losses are real and extremely painful.  Losing a family member, a loved one is traumatic.  However, the fact that all of us comes with an expiry date, and life has to move on,  makes us ponder.  We cry, we grieve, we cherish their memories and we hold them tight in our thoughts! That's life

Amidst the life changing moments of sadness, this year also happened with some solacing moments and professional accomplishments and personal moments of happiness

Counting My Blessings!

1. Biggest of them all, is the accomplishment of my childhood dream, pursuing and completing LL.B

 2.   IBM Corporate Service Corps Deployment to CSCCAN1 - Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.   Meeting amazing IBMers and becoming one global family and learning so much and had great work experience, amazing travel stories and understanding of cultural diversity and loads of fun and friendship

3. Professionally, this year has been quite enriching with couple of best awards coming my way.    Eminence and Excellence Award 2018-  from Nordics is one of its kind award and also APMM Diamond Award forQ3- 2018 .  2 Projects scoring NPS of 10/10 was a motivator!

4.  My Sister Yamini and Brother in Law C.G.Krishnan celebrated their 25th Wedding Anniversary.  It is a major milestone in our lives as we welcomed Young Krishnan in our family in 1993, just a year after Dad passed away.  From then till today he had been our biggest strength and support

5.   May is the month of celebration is our lives, as we celebrate 'Aishu Season!' and this year is special as she turned 20.  In her happiness, our peace prevails.  Ammama's last outing as Aishu meant the most to her

Amma's first visit to Nando's to see the kids happy was to celebrate Ajay's birthday...and it remained special this year

The biggest happy moment for Amma was the morning in July, when Akshat came home.  Despite her failing health, she was waiting for Juju and Akshat and became hyper active when they landed

6.  Amma was extremely participative and delighted as we collected close to 800 sarees for underprivileged HIV Positive women in Tiruvallur,  and she joined us in this program in Feb.  She had been our biggest support system as we embraced on our social work.   

7.  MMA invited us for 'Book Reading and Panel Discussion of Our book 'Simply Being Sidd!' in January.   It was a momentous day of joy and pride for both Siddharth and me as authors

8.  Born2Win Trust is close to my heart.  As a Diversity & Inclusion Activist, meeting the founder Swetha Sudhakar and joining hands in the cause for Welfare of Transgenders is moment of pride

9.  My Colleagues has been my biggest support and encouraging brigade of happiness and joy.  Celebration of work achievements and festivals with them, sharing moments of anxiety and sorrows,  together we became on family for we spend the  most of our time together in office.  APMM PMs Celebrations in IBM Chennai.. Miss you Nancy in office!

 10.  Rotary Club of Madras South invited me as one of the Panel Speakers celebrating Women's Day this year.  Sharing the stage with Historian V. Sriram and Women achievers including Srividhya of Ravindra Security Services was another moment of pride

11.  Addressing PMP aspirants and PM Professional in Loyola College was a day of revisiting the coveted PMI certifications- Conducted workshop at LIBA

12. My EWIT Moments this year-  As GC Member, Treasurer & In charge- of Excellence Awards 2018

Addressing 200 Women IT Students of Vel Tech - motivating them on taking up right career choices

Annual Student Convention at Anna University CEG, Guindy, Chennai

Managing the annual 'The EWIT Excellence Awards 2018'  Planning, Organizing and Execution

Attending EWIT Annual Day in Savera

13.  My moments in Inner Wheel -  Personally I made lot of friends here, but equally I had my share of disappointments when this year showed me who true friends are

14. People who made my life beautiful

Of all the blessings, one thing stand out and this is visiting my sister and family in Canada.   Vimal, Jayanthi, Akshat and Prema aunty made me feel so blessed during my stay in Toronto and it is the best thing happened to be this year

Good Bye 2018.   An year of Extremes.   An year of great losses and immense gains.   An year that will be imprinted in my head forever. 

Hoping 2019 will be brighter, happier and beautiful..... Hope is the only thing that makes us move forward!