How love, patience and gentleness can soften even the deepest, oldest fears…!!!

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When Fear Finally Loosens Its Grip !!!

We all carry our past like a long shadow- following us, shaping us, sometimes even speaking for us.
But a shadow is not skin.
A memory is not identity.
And the ways we once survived are not the limits of who we can become.

This is a story of someone who forgot that. Until someone reminded her gently. Here it goes…

Sanjana had built a quiet, steady life for herself. Work. A small rented apartment. A balcony full of plants she talked to more than people.

It was enough. Or at least, that’s what she told herself.

She didn’t hate marriage or relationships.She just didn’t trust it.

Reason- Growing up in a home where love was a wound, not a warmth, does something to a child. Her parents didn’t fight daily-they fought in cycles. Explosions then silence.Apologies then distance. Promises then disappointment.

By the time she turned twelve, she had learned a heartbreaking truth- some houses have walls, but no refuge.

As she grew older, the idea of marriage didn’t scare her as much as the idea of repeating the story she had escaped. No she wasn’t cynical. She was just cautious. And caution, repeated long enough, becomes identity.

Then Vikram joined her team.

He wasn’t the kind of man who filled a room- he softened it. He spoke slowly, as if words deserved respect. He listened the way people do when they genuinely care.

There was a gentleness in him that felt like truth- and truth can be terrifying when you have spent your whole life expecting the ground to crack beneath you.

Without trying, he began to understand her in ways she didn’t expect.

The way she held her mug with both hands, as if warmth made her feel safer. How she always chose the corner seat in meetings, back to the wall, eyes on every exit. How cloudy days made her quieter, like the sky pulled old memories forward.

He sensed the parts of her she thought she hid well- the caution in her smile, the breath before vulnerability, the stiffness in her shoulders whenever marriage jokes floated around.

He didn’t ask why.
He didn’t push.
He didn’t try to fix her.

He simply stayed- consistent, steady, unthreatening.

And in the slow way real things happen,Sanjana began to like him.
Quietly.
Unwillingly.
Honestly.

She didn’t fall for him- there was no dramatic plunge.
She simply…softened.

She waited for his “Good morning.” She laughed without checking who was watching. She listened for his footsteps in the corridor.

But liking someone is one thing.
Believing your future won’t repeat your — that is an entirely different battle.

And it was a battle she fought quietly inside her chest.

One evening, as they walked toward the parking lot, the sky soft behind them, Vikram stopped.

He looked at her- not intensely, not dramatically but with a sincerity that went straight to her heartbeat and said-

“Sanjana…I don’t want to assume anything. But I care for you. More than I have said. And if you ever feel the same, I’d like to live my life with you.”

Simple words.
Gentle tone.
And her world tilted.

Not with joy.But with fear disguised as logic.

Her mind didn’t let her hear him. It let her hear echoes-

What if he changes?
What if I choose wrong?
What if love runs out?
What if I end up like them?

Sometimes the heart isn’t afraid of love at all- it’s afraid of reliving a story it never agreed to.

Fear is clever. It knows how to mimic wisdom.

“I need time”- she whispered.

Vikram nodded- not hurt, not impatient. Just respectful.

But in his eyes, she saw something she wasn’t ready for-

“Hope” And hope is terrifying when you have only ever known survival.

She went home with a heaviness she couldn’t explain.Sitting by her window, staring at the skyline, she felt split into two versions of herself-

One who wanted to run.
One who wanted to stay.

Then her phone buzzed.

A message from him- “No rush. No pressure. Some stories need slower chapters.”

She read it three times.

Not because it was poetic-but because it was safe.

For the first time, she realized-She wasn’t scared of Vikram.
She was scared of her memories. Of repeating a hurt she didn’t choose. Of stepping into something she had never seen succeed.

Then another thought arrived- quiet, almost shy-

What if love isn’t a trap?
What if love can be a soft landing?

The right person doesn’t erase your fears, they help you loosen your grip on them.

Here is the truth we lose in the noise of old fear-

We mistake our wounds for our worth.
We mistake trauma for temperament.
We mistake our guardrails for identity.

But the past is only proof that we lived through something-not proof that we must keep living the same way.

We get to outgrow the beliefs born in dark rooms.
We get to leave behind the versions of ourselves built for survival, not joy.

We get to choose again.

Sanjana closed her eyes and took a long, steady breath.

Nothing magical happened. No sudden courage.No dramatic transformation.

Just a small shift.

A loosening. A softening. Like a locked door quietly clicking open from the inside.

Maybe she wasn’t ready to say yes today.

But for the first time in her life, she wasn’t saying no out of fear.
And sometimes, that alone is the beginning of a whole new life.

“Healing begins the moment we stop letting old wounds choose our future.”

Yes… the ground may feel safe, but real living begins when we dare to lift our eyes.

Every story that shaped us can be thanked, honoured and then gently laid down.

Honouring the journey, Embracing new beginnings…!!!

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Grateful for 2025, Hopeful for 2026 !!!

As this year gently folds itself away, let’s make a wise and loving choice…for ourselves.

Let us keep the memories that made us smile, the moments that softened us, the lessons that quietly shaped our strength. And let us release the rest. Not with bitterness. Not with anger. Simply with understanding. Some experiences came to teach us, not to stay with us forever.

We don’t have to carry every wound into the next chapter. We don’t have to honour pain just because it stayed longer than it should have. The scars left by difficult relationships, draining workplaces or broken family bonds do not define our worth. They are reminders of resilience, not measures of who we are. And survival, beautiful soul, is not the destination- healing is.

From here on, may we learn to meet ourselves with gentler eyes. To choose patience over self-blame. Compassion over criticism. May we stop accepting anything less than respect, kindness and love- first from ourselves and then from the world. May we finally tend to the parts of us that were quiet for too long.

As 2025 closes its chapter, I want to thank each of you- for the warmth, the shared moments, the silent support and the kindness that mattered more than you know. You have been part of this journey and that will always be held with gratitude.

As we step into 2026, let’s travel lighter and freer- carrying forward only what truly serves us.

My prayer for you dear friend…May the days ahead be kind to you and your family. May you step into 2026 feeling richer in spirit, happier at heart and full of hope. May it bring you good health, abundant opportunities  and moments that make the journey truly meaningful.

Much love, always.

~Latika Teotia

 

A letter to every girl who ever looked in the mirror and felt not enough !!!

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In the Age of Filters, We Forgot What Beauty Feels Like !!!

Between ring lights and retouching, our daughters are losing the art of seeing themselves with kindness…

My dear girl,

you were born complete, not waiting for filters to finish you.

There was a time when mirrors were simple. They showed us our faces-not our flaws. We smiled into them without zooming in and we walked away without questioning our worth.

But somewhere along the way, something shifted. Now, mirrors speak louder than minds. They tell young girls how much thinner, fairer or smoother they should be -how their value depends on how close they come to someone else’s version of perfect.

The world has become a loud classroom that teaches one quiet lie- that beauty can be bought.

Scroll through any screen today and you’ll meet a thousand perfect faces. Same smiles. Same sculpted noses. Same unwrinkled expressions. Each post whispers- You could look like this too- if you tried harder.

And somewhere, a young girl- perhaps sixteen, perhaps you once — sits in her room, staring at a glowing screen. She compares her reflection to someone who doesn’t even look like herself anymore. She doesn’t realize that behind that flawless skin are filters, edits and the quiet fear of fading relevance.

She sighs, opens another app and thinks-
“Maybe if I change just one thing, I’ll feel better about me.”

That’s how it begins- not with vanity, but with doubt.

So girls start early. They hide freckles under foundation.
They contour their childhood away. They whisper to themselves, just one more change and I’ll be enough.

What begins as a dream of confidence slowly becomes a dependence on correction. But the truth, dear one, is that nothing is missing from you. You don’t need to chase perfection- you only need to return to yourself.

You were never meant to look like anyone else. You were meant to glow like you.

Actually, we have raised a generation that knows how to pose better than it knows how to pause. Every selfie is a small audition for acceptance. Every heart icon a fragile validation. But it’s high time we teach our daughters and lovingly tell them that beauty was never meant to compete- it was meant to connect.

Your face tells a story- of laughter, lessons, heartbreak and becoming. That story is your light. And the world doesn’t need another copy- it needs your truth.

Yes, society whispers differently. It rewards the flawless and celebrates the filtered. But remember this-

No surgeon’s hand can sculpt confidence.
No cream can lighten self-doubt.
And no camera can capture what a kind heart radiates.

Beauty that depends on approval will always feel fragile. But beauty that grows from acceptance- that is strength, peace and freedom.

To every girl reading this- your reflection is not a test. It is not a project to be perfected, but a poem to be understood. You can choose to be whole, without anyone else’s permission.

And one day, you’ll look in the mirror and smile- not because it shows perfection, but because it shows truth.

And truth, dear girl, is the most radiant thing you will ever wear.

“The world will try to sell you mirrors. But your real beauty begins the moment you start seeing yourself with kindness.”

~Latika Teotia

Loved Anyway !!!

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If you’ve ever caught yourself, at any point in your life wondering-

“Would anyone still love me… if I wasn’t trying so hard?”
Or perhaps…
“Would they still accept me, still include me, still want me,if I stopped performing, stopped pleasing, stopped pretending?”

Then this- this is for you my dear reader.

If you ever wondered what would happen if you dropped the mask. If you let the tears come instead of swallowing them back. If you stopped being agreeable just to keep the peace and simply existed- messy, emotional, real.

Would love survive that version of you?

The one who is silent some days, sharp-edged on others.
The one whose softness hides beneath a strong act, whose truth is sometimes tangled, unsure or hard to hold?

If that question has ever lived quietly in your chest,
then let these words be your answer-

The world taught us early how to shine in ways that please. How to perform belonging. How to keep the room comfortable, even when we are falling apart inside.

But let me tell you something, not as advice, not as poetry, but as something that has lived in my heart-

The deepest kind of love, the rare, life-altering kind- is not the one that arrives when you’re at your best. It’s the one that stays when you’re not easy to be around. When your wounds are loud. When your walls are high. When your past walks into the room before you do and your self-doubt clings to every word you speak. It’s not love that demands you to be “better” before it offers warmth. It doesn’t turn away. It doesn’t bargain. It just stays. And when you taste that kind of love, even once, it changes you.

Not because it flatters you. But because it frees you.

You begin to unclench. To exhale. To believe, maybe for the first time, that you are not too much or too little. You are simply, deeply, heartbreakingly human. You stop shrinking to be accepted. You stop editing your soul to fit a frame that was never meant for you. Instead, you start standing tall in your flawed, magnificent skin and whisper-
Here I am. All of me. And I am loved.

That is the beginning of a homecoming. Not to someone else’s arms, but to your own heart.

Because being loved anyway, when the seams show, when the mascara runs, when the silence stretches, when your anger erupts like a storm, is where the sacred truly lives. It’s not the kind of love that wants something from you. It’s the kind that holds you when you have nothing left to give.

It’s the text that says- I’m here, even when you canceled again. It’s the hand that reaches for yours not when you’re glowing, but when you’re gasping. It’s someone sitting beside you in your storm- not trying to fix it, not handing you sunshine, just choosing not to leave.

And maybe, if we’re lucky, we taste this love not only from others,but from ourselves. Maybe we start to become the ones who stay. With our own hearts. With our mess. With our tired bodies and beautiful scars. And in that staying, with a gaze that holds instead of fixes, we begin to unlearn every version of ourselves we thought we had to become.

We are loved.
Still.
Not because of what we bring.
But because we exist.
And in that tender truth, the heart finally comes home…~ Latika Teotia

If today feels heavy, let this hold you !!!

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Maybe life fell apart when you least expected it. Maybe a loss came too suddenly, a goodbye, a moment that split your world in two. Maybe your heart feels like a house no one visits anymore. The world keeps moving, and you feel as if you’re standing still, aching, unseen, unsure.

So let this land on your heart like a warm hug- you’re still here.
And that’s not small, that’s sacred.

Life breaks things. But God doesn’t walk away from broken things. He draws near. He sits with you in the silence, in the heaviness, in the dark. He places His hand gently on your back and says, “I’m not leaving. Not now. Not ever.”

You don’t have to be strong. You don’t have to explain. He already knows. And still, He stays.

You were never meant to carry this alone.You were meant to be comforted, to be held, to be reminded that even now “especially now” you are loved beyond measure.

One day, slowly, something inside you will rise again- its voice as gentle as love itself-
“You’re not lost. You’re safe. Come home to yourself- you were & are never alone.”
That’s how peace returns, not all at once, but softly, like love remembering where you live.

Until then… rest. Cry. Let the tears fall.
Call someone who loves you simply for existing.
Let yourself be human.

This is not the end of your story.
It’s just the part where heaven holds you a little closer, kisses your forehead and says,
“When you’re ready, we’ll walk again… together.”

Sending you a hug , woven from light and love, reaching straight to your soul.…because even if the world feels far, love is near. And I’m holding you there gently…~Latika Teotia

Perhaps Even God Is Still Figuring It Out – And I’m Still Waiting for Wisdom (That Never Downloaded)

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By age 13, I was absolutely sure of one thing- everyone older than me had life all sorted. College-goers? Oh, they definitely knew what they wanted and what their purpose was. Married people? Must be walking encyclopedias of emotional wisdom. And mothers? Don’t even get me started. I truly believed that anyone who could manage a child, run a home and handle a pressure cooker at the same time had to be operating with NASA-level intelligence.

But then I grew up. And turns out… it’s not quite like that.

By college, I was no clearer than a foggy windshield during monsoon season. I waited for enlightenment like one waits for a delayed train-standing at the station of life with a hopeful heart. Marriage came and brought its own syllabus of confusion. Motherhood???  Ohh yes. The time when you realize that even the child you gave birth to is now smarter than you, especially in settings, software and shortcuts.

Still, I waited. Because surely, once I hit 50, the Wisdom Fairy would descend, toss me a USB stick loaded with Life 101 and whisper, “Update complete.” Alas. I’m now 61. And guess what? Still clueless. Possibly even more clueless- just with added aches & pains.

I used to look up to my mother like she was born with a compass in her brain. Never missed a beat. She could fold a saree with her eyes closed, balance a budget without blinking, remember the entire grocery list without writing a word and serve the yummiest dishes without ever opening a cookbook. But maybe, just maybe, she was faking it, too. Maybe she also stood in front of the fridge some nights and whispered- “What on earth do they mean by ‘Eat before expiry’ when life itself comes with no such label?”

Now when I look at toddlers, I think- wow, they really know what they want. iPad, lollipop, which channel to watch, which cartoon series they’re hooked on and even which song is their absolute jam. No confusion there. And teenagers? Their fingers fly across screens like concert pianists on energy drinks. They speak fluent Techlish. They multitask while multitasking. They don’t even say “I don’t know” anymore. They say- “Let me Google that.”

I mean, look at the evidence. We have mosquitoes- but no real way to stop them from treating us like an open buffet.We send satellites to Mars, yet can’t find our own glasses (which are often on our head). Despite all these technological revolutions, we’re still clueless when it comes to everyday stuff- like how to fix a mood swing, how to stop tears that come out of nowhere, how to fall asleep when your brain suddenly decides it’s time to review every decision you’ve made since 1983. We’ve got smart TVs, smart fridges, smart phones… but no real clue how to switch off our overthinking.

Maybe, just maybe, The Creator is still experimenting. Still beta testing Earth. Perhaps the Big Bang was just a sneeze and the universe is still expanding because no one remembered to hit the stop button. Maybe heaven’s just a cosmic Helpdesk where even angels occasionally turn to one another and ask- “Wait… was free will part of the original plan or an accidental download?”

There’s some strange comfort in that thought.

If the Almighty is still in awe of His own inventions, still spinning galaxies like a child twirling a globe- just to see where the finger lands- then maybe I can forgive myself for not knowing how to properly use half the features on my phone or half the rules of life.

Because here’s the fun, dear reader:

Nobody has it figured out. They’re just better at nodding wisely while Googling quietly.

So cheers to lifelong confusion, to learning and unlearning, to being 60 and still wondering what you’ll be when you grow up. If God’s still wondering what to do with Jupiter’s 79 moons, I think we’re in fine company…~ Latika Teotia

Dear Papa- A Letter To My Father !

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Dear Papa,

Now, when I sit quietly and look back, my heart overflows.

I feel so incredibly blessed that you were my father- so forward-thinking, so quietly strong, so deeply kind. In a time when most daughters were still being told to stay quiet and small, you gave me the wings to fly. Imagine, Papa… 1964 and you never once made me feel like I was “just a girl.” You never treated your daughter any different from your sons. There were no lines, no labels, no “this is not for you.” There was only love. Only freedom. And trust.

You gave us all the same freedom to run, to fall, to try, to speak up- to be.

I played basketball when few girls did. I explored every silly idea that popped into my head. I made mistakes- oh, so sooo many-  and not once did you scold me into silence. You never said, “I told you so.” Instead, you stood by with that quiet smile and let me learn. You let me grow. You let me become.

Papa, you made space for my voice before I even knew how to use it. You listened. You let me disagree. You taught me that love doesn’t control- it trusts.

It’s because of you that I am the mother I am today. Because of you, I know that raising a child isn’t about molding them- it’s about holding them gently as they unfold into who they are meant to be. You were my greatest teacher. Not with lectures -but with life. With how you lived, how you loved, how you simply showed up.

You never gave up on me, even during the rough patches- those times I didn’t even believe in myself. And because of that, I never give up on my children either.

When Apoorva was born with cerebral palsy, I didn’t collapse under the weight of why us? I didn’t let pity pull me down. I remembered you. Your strength. Your steady faith. I took it as a challenge- a chance to give her the same kind of love and belief you once gave me. Not a single day did I let her feel less. Not once did I let the world’s opinions become her limits. And maybe that’s why she shines today- confident, capable, with a master’s degree and a heart full of fire. She is not our weakness, Papa-  she is our light.

And Aman-  oh, our brave boy- when he met with that terrifying accident at six, when doctors spoke in hushed voices about ruptured organs (pancreas and intestines)  and the uncertainty ahead, I held on to the faith I saw in you all my life. I chose hope. I chose belief. And today, he runs marathons with the same fierce spirit I once saw in your eyes. I see you in him. I see you in both of them.

You’re not gone, Papa. Not really. You are woven into every strength I carry, every word of encouragement I give, every time I hold space for my children to simply be. You are still teaching me- quietly, invisibly- just like you always did.

You were and will always be, my hero. My guide. My soft place to fall. In a world that’s always rushing, you were stillness. In a world that judged, you understood. In a world full of noise, you heard me.

I miss you every single day. Sometimes the ache is so quiet, it catches me off guard- like a whisper in the wind or the way the sun filters through the trees. But I smile too, because I know – you’re still here. In my heart. In my children. In every choice I make with love.

Thank you, Papa… for everything. For being you.

With all the love in the world,
Your daughter

~Latika Teotia

Trust Through Trials !!!

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There is no weight too heavy for God to lift, no dream too distant for Him to bring to life. There is no chain too strong that He cannot break, no rift too deep that He cannot mend and no wound too raw that He cannot heal. He sees the longings you whisper in silence, the burdens you carry in the quiet hours, and the needs that leave your heart aching. Place it all at His feet-your hopes, your hurts and your hidden fears and trust that the One who shaped the stars can surely take care of you…~Latika Teotia

Unapologetically Aligned-Choosing Health as an Act of Self-Respect !!!

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There comes a time when you stop explaining yourself for choosing what nourishes your body, calms your mind, and protects your peace.

Eating clean, sleeping early, saying no to chaos, skipping the late-night scroll, or turning down that second glass of wine-these aren’t trends. These are sacred acts of self-respect.

Let people call it boring, obsessive, or too disciplined. You know what it really is? It’s alignment. It’s choosing a life where your energy feels whole and your mind feels clear. You’re not trying to impress; you’re trying to heal, grow, and show up fully.

You don’t owe anyone an explanation for wanting to feel good in your own skin.

“Honor the life within you. Make choices that water your roots, not just please the crowd.”

Stay kind, but stay firm. You’re allowed to protect your light… ~Latika Teotia

Dear Homemaker, You Don’t Have to Be Everything !!!

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She wakes before the sun, serves without complaint, juggles meals, messes, moods, and still smiles through her exhaustion. She’s told she’s “just at home,” yet she’s the anchor that holds everyone together. In trying to be everything for everyone, she forgets to leave space for herself.

But dear homemaker-you are not a machine.
You don’t have to prove your worth by how tired you are.
You are not selfish for resting. You are not weak for asking for help.
You are allowed to pause. To breathe. To simply be.

The world may not always applaud the quiet heroism of your day, but your soul feels every moment you ignore its whisper.

“You were never meant to burn out while keeping the lights on for everyone else. You deserve the same care you so freely give.”

You don’t have to be superwoman. You just have to be you, and that is more than enough…~Latika Teotia