wizard on May 8th, 2012

Gazing into you warm, soft eyes,
Leaves love radiating from my soul.
A brush of your lips on mine,
Makes my spirits soar.

And I know that our destiny,
And fate is intertwined.
I often wonder if you are dream,
Or a figment of my mind?

Seized by memories of your passion;
My heart looses all control.
I could watch with you, a thousand sunsets,
and all realms, I leave behind.

When I think of you in my arms;
Imagination gives vent to reality,
There is nothing obscure-
you are all over my mind.

Relationship issues are complicated. You have been seeing someone who you feel could be your life partner but sometimes you get doubts. Often, your sixth sense tells you that it’s a wrong match, yet you tend to ignore certain pointers that say it all.

How do you know for sure whether to try and make it work or its time to say goodbye? How do you sort out your relationship issues and know for sure if you are made for each other?

Here are 5 simple methods that would help you decide if you are made for each other –

  1. Ask Your Close Friends – Often, your close friends who have known you for much longer period tend to know whether your prospective mate is right for you are not. Of course, do not be guided solely by this, but close friends would tell you certain things that might have been right under your nose but you had been overlooking.
  2. Is he/she always telling you off? –

    Giving an honest opinion sometimes is good but if someone is always trying to tell you how you are doing a thing wrongly or how you ought to be doing it, there is obviously a relationship issues problem of acceptance of the “way you are”.  For example- if he/she is always telling you what clothes you ought to be wearing, it is akin to telling you about  your poor taste in your dressing sense ( as compared to his/her superior taste).

  3. How comfortable are you together doing “nothing”? – After the initial impressionable time together watching movies, dining out, going on a drive, etc- the relationship hinges upon how well you get along with nothing to do, nothing to talk about- just sharing time and space together.
  4. Does he/she tend to make you feel guilty often – If whatever goes wrong in your relationship is your fault then there is obviously time to reflect! After all, if the movie that you selected turned out to be uninteresting or the restaurant selected did not measure up to his/her opinion and you are chided and made to feel guilty every time, it is a sure sign that the two of you are incompatible; and your partner has some major relationship issues with his/her personality and are obviously not made for each other.
  5. How is your Sex life? – Ask yourself one question.  Are you always made to “beg” for sex? Like- “no, first you do this, only then….” Or are you both enjoying it equally? Remember, one of the first sign of secure and happy relationship issues with those made for each other is better sex life.

A time to reflect; a time to say goodbye. Sexless Marriage?? Click Here!

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wizard on April 13th, 2012

Travel Planner – Things To Do Before Proceeding on a Trip

If you are thinking of making a trip for a few days it is necessary that it is well planned so that you do not run into problems that could hamper your fun.

 

Therefore, pay attention to these TWO very important facets of making a trip-

Event management and Administrative details.

Event Management

  • Arranging the Finances – This is the crucial part if you are making a trip, especially for those who are not rich and famous. Based on the total financial outlay, one can plan the type of services that one should go for. You could thereby add or cut down upon your itinerary or go for luxury, economy or budget holiday.
  • Listing out Itinerary – Make a list of complete itinerary and go over it a few times before making a trip, so that there is no clash of dates and timings for the next step.
  • Getting Bookings Organized – Based on the itinerary for making a trip, get the bookings of travel (air/train/bus/car) as well as staying (hotels) done. Do take time to check out the cancellation policies and keep the telephone numbers handy.
  • Go through Legal Requirements Carefully – For a visit abroad while making a trip it is important to go through the requirements of Visa, local addresses, embassy contact numbers etc so that you don’t get stranded due to lack of any connected formalities at any place.
  • Collect Information – Before you start making a trip, you ought to have all the information about each place in your itinerary. This would include road maps in case going by road, taxi fares, places to visit and their distances from your place of stay, eating out plans, need for special arrangements like medical facility in case of any problem, etc.

Administrative details

This is a very important part of making a trip since your comfort level would hinge upon it. Pack your bags in a way that they are well within the permissible limits for air travel. Also, they should be easy to carry – hence keep your baggage light!

Based on the itinerary, check out the weather conditions at that particular time of the year and plan your wardrobe accordingly. While making a trip take items that are easy to wash and wear, so that you can make do with three to four pairs of everything.

Make a checklist of items that you would be carrying. Do include a small pack that has things like a piece of twine, clothes clips, fold-able hangers, some padlocks of various sizes, metal fasteners or chains for securing luggage, soap, jack-knife, small pair of scissors, nail cutters, phone chargers, emergency flashlight, mosquito repellants, medicated band-aids, antibiotic sprays, emergency medicines for common ailments, prescription medicines, etc. These often come handy while making a trip and are not readily available since you would be in a new place and won’t know from where to get them.

Remember, you are making a trip and going to a new place where the food available may not be to your liking or may not suit you. Therefore, plan to carry biscuits or chocolates or dried / dehydrated items that you may want to use.

While you travel, if you have a local friend at the place where you are making a trip, try and make him/her a part of your group so that you can overcome language barriers and generally are able to get around more easily.
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wizard on March 25th, 2012

 

Friends like you may be far,
Yet you are near,
I know you are always there,
To lend me an ear,
you listen and laugh,
And I know- you care.

Through thick and thin,
And my ups and downs,
my wonderful friend,
You are always around.

Your warmth, your hugs,
And you enchanting smiles,
travel to me from several miles,
Your thoughts come to me today,
And kindle my desire to hold you tight,
All the time, be it day or night.


Women have always been in the forefront of any movement that has brought positive changes in the society. The list of such women is endless. Here we are covering some such women who come to mind the moment we think of those who have contributed immensely by their sheer determination and belief in their cause.

These women dared to pursue their cause and left indelible marks on the history. They belong to  diaspora that belong to different places,  share different interests, do their things differently, but they ALL have shown the grit to convert their imperishable dreams into reality.

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa was bestowed with many top honors all across the globe for her selfless efforts to help the ‘poorest of the poor’ including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, in 1980. Following her death in 1997, she was beatified by Pope John Paul II and given the title of ‘Blessed Teresa of Calcutta’.

Today, the Missionaries of Charity consists of over 4500 sisters across 133 countries. Mother Teresa may have left this world more than a decade ago but her legacy lives on, giving the light of hope to the poor and the homeless, and inspiration to many young women all around the world.

Aung San Suu Kyi

Aung San Suu Kyi is the symbol of Burma’s struggle for freedom. Burma’s pro-democracy leader and a Nobel Peace laureate, she has spent more than 15 years under house arrest.

Kiran Bedi

Kiran Bedi has been India’s first and highest (woman) ranking officer who joined the Indian Police Service in 1972. Her expertise includes more than 35 years of creative and reformative policing and prison management. She represented India in International forums on crime prevention, drug abuse, police and prison reforms and women’s issues.

She holds a Law, Masters, Doctorate degree. She is also a Nehru Fellow (post doctoral) — Been a National and an Asian Tennis champion.  She has addressed audiences at the American, British, European, Indian Universities, Corporate and Civil Society groups.  

She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award (also called the Asian Nobel Prize), and several other national and international decorations.

Arundhati Roy

The Indian novelist, activist and a world citizen, Arundhati Roy is known worldwide for her contribution to many issues from environment to women’s rights to other social issues. She is renowned for her novel “The God of Small Things” which also won her the Booker Prize. “The God of Small Things” is the only novel written by her. After the success of the book people anticipated about what the author would write next, when she surprised everyone by concentrating on political issues. She started writing about the Narmada Dam project, India’s Nuclear Weapons, corrupt power company Enron’s activities in India. She has now become a figure-head of the anti-globalization/alter-globalization movement and a vehement critic of neo-imperialism.

Roy was awarded the Sydney Peace Prize in May 2004 for her work in social campaigns and advocacy of non-violence. She was also awarded the Sahitya Akademi award for her collection of essays, ‘The Algebra of Infinite Justice’ in January 2006, however she declined to accept it.

JK Rowling

Back in the summer of 1990, a young woman travelling in a train from Manchester to London conceived an idea so enthralling and engrossing that even she herself did not realise her idea would one day transform her life completely and in the process give the world a ‘New Hero’.

Meet Joanne Rowling, better known as JK Rowling, creator of the legendary boy superhero, Harry Potter.

She is now one of the most influential women in her country besides being one of the richest. She has become a notable philanthropist, supporting such charities as Comic Relief, One Parent Families, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain, and Lumos (formerly the Children’s High Level Group).

Madonna

When she sings, the whole world gets ‘Frozen’. When she says ‘Papa Don’t Preach’, everyone agrees. When she dresses, she’s always in’Vogue’. When she looks at you, she looks ‘Like a virgin’. No female artist in the entire history of the music industry has sold more records than her, vouches the Guinness Book of World Records. She is the most successful solo artist in the history of the Billboard chart and plays the multiple roles of a singer, songwriter, actress, producer, director, fashion designer, author and an entrepreneur to perfection. What’s more, she has been named as one of the ’25 Most Powerful Women of the Past Century’ by Time magazine for being an influential figure in contemporary music.

Ekta Kapoor

The Indian TV industry has reached new heights and has been given a new direction by the czarina of TV soaps, Ekta Kapoor. She has changed how Indian audiences viewed Indian soaps. Her serials have become an everyday dose of medicine for viewers, which if not taken will make them restless and give them sleepless nights. She has created renaissance in the Indian TV industry.

Enterpreneur Ekta Kapoor, daughter of yesteryear superstar Jeetendra, has made people fall in love with the serials and the characters. Her serials are so popular that these soaps have become an everyday affair in the lives of housewives. These women can relate to the characters and enjoy the drama that these serials are packed with.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, a student of Bangalore’s Bishop Cotton Girl’s High School (1968) wanted to join medical school but instead took up biology and completed her BSc Zoology Honors course. She later did her post-graduation in Malting and Brewing from Ballarat College, Melbourne University (1975). After being trained in Australia and working in Calcutta, she returned to Bangalore to start a biotech company when nobody was even talking about biotechnology. With grit and determination, she took her company to unparalleled heights. This is how the story of one of India’s finest entrepreneurs began.

Kalpana Chawla

As a child, most of us wondered about the mystery behind the stars that glimmered at night. Some of us thought they were our dead relatives, who were now taken away by god! But there was one girl who did not want to believe in this imaginary story. She pledged to reach the stars one day and uncover the truth behind it. This special girl was none other than Kalpana Chawala, the first Indian born female to fly into space.

Medha Patkar

The first name that comes to your mind the moment you hear about Narmada Bachao Andolan is that of Medha Patkar. Medha, the founder of the Andolan and the National Alliance of People’s movements,

Medha, born on 1 December 1954 in Bombay, came from a family of crusaders. An MA in Social Works from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Patkar gave up on her PhD because she got immersed in the tribal and peasant communities in Maharashtra, MP and Gujarat eventually organising the Narmada Bachao Andolan.

Medha Patkar spearheaded the Narmada Bachao Andolan to stop the dam’s construction. She was also a Commissioner to the World Commission on Dams.

The Narmada Bachao Andolan began as a fight for information about the Narmada Valley Development Projects and continued as a fight for just rehabilitation for the lakhs of people to be ousted by the Sardar Sarovar Dam and other large dams along the Narmada river. She is among India’s most dynamic activists.

Chanda Kochhar

Business Leader of the Year – The list of recipients of the Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence 2011 is finally out. Chanda Kochhar, managing director of ICICI Bank, the country’s largest private sector lender, has been named Business Leader of the Year. It is great news as Chanda is the first woman to win this award. Her achievement in stabilising ICICI bank, which had a high proportion of non-performing assets during a period of rapid growth in the first decade of the century has been remarkable.

Margaret Thatcher

Meet Margaret Thatcher – United Kingdom’s first female Prime Minister. Call her the ‘Iron Lady’ or ‘The Baroness Thatcher’; like her ideals or resent her thinking; love her or hate her; but you simply can’t ignore her! She was instrumental in helping the world end the millennium on a note of hope and confidence by giving a revolutionary twist to the century’s last couple of decades through a series of interconnected events.

Tawakul Karman

Tawakul Karman, the 32 year old human rights activist who has been the driving force behind anti-government protests in Yemen was awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize along with 2 other influential women this year. Ms. Karman seemed stunned by the award as she sat surrounded by admirers in the worn blue tent where she has lived in a sprawling protest camp for nine months. Many expected the award to go to one of the protest leaders in Egypt or Tunisia, where the revolts have succeeded in toppling authoritarian leaders. This is a welcome decision that was taken in order to draw attention to the suppression of women’s rights around the world and spur their fight for greater equality in male-dominated societies.

Irom Sharmila

She is known as the Iron Lady of Manipur. A civil rights activist, political activist, and a poet from Manipur, India. She has been on fast for more than 10 years. Her only demand to the Indian government – withdraw the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA), which authorize the army to kill without being questioned.

Irom Sharmila Awarded “Gwangju Prize for Human Rights 2007″ – South Korea.

 

 


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wizard on March 7th, 2012

Like a river,
Swollen from rain,
Being far part,
Causes a sweet pain.

I yearn for your touch,
That tingles the thought.
Memories of yesterday,
Warm my heart.

 I imagine and feel your hand,
Your caress divine.
Sensuous touch of your fingers,
Wrapped in mine.

I have no doubt,
That we will share,
A love so transcendent,
And truly rare.


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wizard on January 22nd, 2012

The youth today are increasingly developing a negative view of agriculture as a source employment.  This has been the biggest drawback of the rapid urbanisation and development. The population shift from villages to towns and cities, due to most young people opting out of the traditional agro-based sources of employment to white collared easy lifestyle is a cause of worry.

This shift has been partly due to lack of information and knowledge about the opportunities in the agricultural industry, as well as the flawed perceptions that most educated young people have about agriculture and farming. The misconception prevails that pursuing agriculture would give them a low social status as well as a low income.

Nothing can be far from the truth. The agriculture industry provides many opportunities which could give them not only a good income but also a good standing in the society if these were pursued properly.  There is a need for awareness and adequate inputs by the governments to ensure an increased participation in agricultural activities by young people.

How is the Agriculture Different Today?

Scientific Advances – Gone are the days when farmers had to plough the fields manually and work at the farms was a long arduous hours from dawn to dusk. A good agriculturist plans well and uses technology to help him/her to attain maximum benefits with fewer efforts. Most people are not aware that it is actually is a very lucrative field.

Machinery - The first tractor revolutionized farming in the late 20th century. Since then, agricultural machinery has seen a radical make over from the early apparatus like chainsaws and trimmers. The modern day computer-controlled machinery and GPS based monitoring systems have virtually reduced the need for human intervention to the minimum.

Agricultural technology – Nanotechnology and genetic engineering have opened a hitherto magical world of hybrid crops and other produce. The animal husbandry techniques being practiced mirror the huge potential in agro farming.

Awareness Levels – The health concerns have witnessed a soaring popularity and demand for organic vegetables and fruits.  There have been advancements in use of the right kind of environment friendly, synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and growth hormones. Food processing without ionizing radiation and the use of food additives is the call of the day.

Genomics - The genetically modified (GM) vegetation has increased the insect resistance and abundant nutritional advantages in the plants, vegetables and fruits.

Hybrid Variety of Livestock – The influx of technology has witnessed revolution in the methods used in livestock farming and cattle breeding. These now encompass scientific crossbreeding techniques that produce cattle with improved fertility.

Why is it important to involve Youth in the field of Agriculture?

Agriculture is no more a domain of an uneducated farmer. The giant strides made in this field as enumerated above makes it a vocation that can be easily pursued by the intelligent and technology savvy young people. The social status of the farmer therefore is parallel to that of any educated technocrat, provided he starts believing so himself. The youth have the wherewithal to make it a profitable venture by using the right technology and knowledge.

An increased participation by youth in the field of agriculture is necessary to facilitate food and nutrition security since:

  • There is an ageing farmer population which must be retired to ensure sustainable agricultural production. The average age of farmers has risen with higher life expectancy. If young farmers do not replace them the production of food grains will be seriously compromised in the near future.
  • The food import bill would continue to increase as the agricultural production falls. If such trends continue the availability of food will be dependent on outside help. Therefore, it is necessary for youth to take up farming to increase the level of productivity.
  • The image of people involved in agriculture as poor, needs to be changed. Youth are the ideal catalysts for such a change since they are perceived as more willing to adopt new ideas, technology and concepts.
  • Agriculture can play a significant role in removing youth unemployment.
  • The energy that the youth possess and their significant numbers provides us with tremendous opportunities for an increased agricultural productivity.
  • Agriculture can provide productive alternatives for youth and help reduce crime rate and other similar social problems. The availability of income generating options would help to rehabilitate many young persons.

Motivating the youth to view agriculture as a career opportunity requires a multi-level intervention. At first, there should be awareness and counseling sessions at the school level. Thereafter, those seeking jobs and looking for a good life need to be lured and sensitized. This can be done by delivering age-appropriate information inside as well as outside the formal school system.

Methods

  • Integrate into Curricula – Agriculture is virtually absent from the curriculum, at all the levels of education. This needs to be addressed. The current mode of education is geared towards educating white-collar workers, most of whom are not even aware from where their food grains come!
  • Arousing Interest - Agriculture is often incorporated only as an optional component and taught with minimal enthusiasm; its broad-based inclusion with the appropriate resources is the need of the hour to motivate youth to have a favorable view of the employment opportunities in the agricultural sector.
  • Tapping into Interests – Creation of ongoing initiatives to support youth in agricultural based enterprises, and existence of opportunities to showcase their success will attract more young people. Today’s youth is savvier with better communication technologies such as the Internet, computers, mobile phones, and global positioning systems. This can be used to their advantage in getting information about their interests in agriculture.

Importance of Youth in agriculture

There are more than one billion people between the ages of 15-24 years. Quite a large number of them are not able to utilize their full potential because of hunger, poverty, poor health, lack of education, etc. Since they lack the skills needed to gain employment, the rural youth starts migrating in search of better economic opportunities.

Modern technology and techniques pave a way that would fulfill all the dreams of those looking for interesting and challenging sources of employment.

If they are given support and the opportunity, youth have the potential to play a significant role in rural development. This would not only make their own life richer and more fulfilling, but also would have a positive impact on the economic health of the nation.

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wizard on November 23rd, 2011

When Chhavi Rajawat, a young, female MBA graduate became the sarpanch (village head) of a small village in Rajasthan, it hit the headlines for more reasons than one. Her’s is a tale that actually is a mix of many stories.

This jeans-clad smart female from India had created quite a stir at the 11th Info-Poverty World Conference held at the United Nations. She is a live example of the changing Indian society and signifies the arrival of the women on one of the hitherto male bastion, and also signifies slow but emerging acceptance of the women power in every sphere of social activity.

For countless women, Rajawat, who rides a horse named Magic and conducts village meetings dressed in jeans and T-shirt in an Indian state where women cover their face with a veil as part of the tradition, she is a symbol of empowerment of women to which they all aspire.

Quite often there is some confusion when we use terms like “gender equality”, “women’s empowerment” and “female autonomy”.  While they may be used differently to suit the context, these are all essentially the order in which women are evolving in modern society today.

The present century is witness to the highly patriarchal past of the human civilization. Women all over the world were oppressed, be it within the premises of their homes or outside. However, with the refinement of life and human race, some simmering of gender equality issues have  emerged wherein, more and more women, as well as the governments are focusing on equality of women and their empowerment.

By and large in the third world countries like India, women are more likely to be poor and illiterate as compared to men. Not only that, they are also often a victim of traditional biases that give them little or no rights to property ownership, lack of education , employment, medical care and control over their own destinies. They are also often the victims of acute domestic violence.

For a balanced development, not only sociologically but also mathematically – as they constitute fifty percent of the human race, it is imperative that every section of the society develops equally and in harmony with each other. Be it the rich and influential or the not so rich. Therefore, it is important to harness the capabilities of women irrespective of the strata of society to which they belong.

Empowering Women

The first step therefore, is to initiate a change in the  mindset not only of men, but also women themselves. While there are many things that can be done at the institutional or the governmental level like equality in education, medical treatment, job opportunities, etc; more can come in form of change in attitudes of the masses.

For women’s empowerment and equality it is therefore fundamental that women have the right to decide upon their choices without coercion or violence and have the freedom to participate more fully and equally in society.

Importance of Gender Equality

Gender equality ensures same opportunities, rights and obligations for women in every sphere of life. This in turn implies equality in opinion, equal opportunities, financial independence and equal access to facilities like education and business as well as the opportunities to develop their personal ambitions.

Shifting of Roles

The roles that men and women play in a society are overlapping and changing rapidly. Unlike in the medieval times, these roles are not biologically determined these days, but are more interchangeable and are socially determined. Therefore, for a stronger social fabric it is important that a woman’s potential contribution is harnessed to the optimum.

Key issues and Stages of Women’s Empowerment

  1. Identification of Needs and Concerns –To address any issue regarding women, firstly, the role that they play needs to be determined. This is governed by factors such as age, urban/rural orientation, social status and educational attainment. While women in general may have many common interests, the choices that they have may widely vary from region to region. Certain groups need more attention in order to address specific concerns.
  1. Education for the Girl Child – Although education is important for all, it is more so for the girl child. Governments across the world have realized that investing in girls’ education leads to overall reduction of poverty. Educated girls generally marry later and have smaller families. Similarly, educated women are more aware of health care and are better caretakers. Education also helps them to know about their rights and privileges. An educated mother generally has a greater influence in a household which help in securing more resources for herself and her children.
  1. Giving Women More Autonomy – This can be done by focusing on letting women manage their own lives as far as issues like size of their family, education, employment, etc are concerned. Empowering women by giving them equal say in deciding such issues results in families benefitting, which in turn has ripple effects for the development of future generations. A woman ought not only to have control over her fertility but also the number and spacing of children.

Women’s empowerment deals with the entire gambit of day to day life which includes right to education, health and an equal status in work environment. It should also include the political empowerment that would guarantee women equality in basic human and legal rights, control of resources, land etc, and an equal opportunity in employment and earning. Women’s empowerment benefits the society at large and is the magic key to a family’s as well as a nation’s well being.

 

 

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wizard on November 16th, 2011

Agreed that there is no ideal human being, but there are certain traits that would give you a clue if the man you are dreaming about is really worth it. The same applies vice versa too; however, women seem to think much more on this subject, so here is a list of things that would give you a go ahead signal.

  1. Does he listen?  A good boyfriend is attentive to whatever you talk about. He asks questions about your topic and more importantly, waits for his turn to speak.
  2. Does he respect your opinion?  If he loves you, he ought to find your opinions interesting and would respect them despite his own differing views.
  3. Does he seem bored with you sometimes?  As a lover, he should be intrigued by you and would spontaneously do interesting things for you without having to ask. He should make you feel wanted in all his activities.
  4. Is he delicate in his touch?  The most important factor in a caring person is the he ought to make it look as if you were made of breakable porcelain and should touch you with gentle care.
  5. Can he please you in bed?  Sex is important. Hence if he cannot care for your romantic needs above his own, he is certainly not wasting emotions on.
  6. Does he give you space?  He should not be possessive nor tail you at all times. He must understand your need to be away from him at certain occasions.
  7. Healthy respect?  A good person ought to have a genuine healthy respect, not only for you but also your kith and kin.
  8. Does he find faults?  It’s one matter to try and bring out the best in you by corrective positive criticism within limits. However, some men tend to find fault in everything. Make sure the person you are seeing does not have these hidden traits. Observe his remarks about others; that would give you a clue how he would be after the initial sheen has worn over.
  9. Compatible values?  You should never compromise on your own set of values by accommodating his habits like alcoholism, smoking, etc, under a false premise that you would slowly change him.
  10. Does he make you feel beautiful?  The man who loves you for what you are is the person you ought to love. He ought to find beauty in everything you do or say. Finally, it boils down to HOW DOES HE MAKE YOU FEEL.

 

 

 


 

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wizard on November 3rd, 2011

“People are like stained-glass windows.
They sparkle and shine when the sun is out,
but when the darkness sets in,
their true beauty is revealed only
if there is light from within.” -Elisabeth Kübler-Ross.