"Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart." Winnie the Pooh
There are plenty of small/short/lesser known things that appeal to me more than the big and the bombastic.
I give a list of 3 things each from the kitchen, makeup, poems, books and songs that are small/tiny/less known, but indispensible and dear to me.
From the Kitchen:
I just cannot cook without these tiny spices
1. Jeera
2. Heeng
3. Rai
From my dressing table:
Can any lady do without these?
1. Lip Balm
2. Hair pins
3. Safety pins
From my favorite songs:
These singers were not in the top bracket, but what a voice they had. Listen to the songs they sung.
1. Sandhya Mukherjee
2. Meena Kapoor
3. Jagjit Kaur
From my favorite books:
I choose these three slim books that are worth their weight many times over.
1. The adventures of Rusty - Ruskin Bond
Ruskin Bond rarely indulges in long winded writing. His stories are about day to day doings in the life of Rusty. In one chapter he describes how well his grandmother cooks. In another he writes about the misdoings of his Uncle Ken. These small snapshots from the life of Rusty are captivating.
2. The Prophet by Khalil Gibran
The Prophet speaks on a number of topics ranging from relationship between wife and husband, child and parents, between friends.
"For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill
Seek him always with hours to live.
For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness.
And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.
For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.”
There is nothing preachy in this book, just common sense.
3. The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
This is one slim little book that gives me the goosebumps everytime I read it. It makes you re-examine your life, and fall in love once again with the little things.
I rarely go about recommending books. I know people have varied tastes and what I love is not what others will love as well. But these three books MUST sit on everyone's bookshelves.
From my favorite poems:
There are many grand poems out there in our world. Our religious works are primarily poetry. The Bible, Ramayana, Guru Granth Sahib, The Koran. They are all magnificent poems. But in keeping with the theme of the post, I list here three small poems.
Summer is icumen in -Anonymous
This is an ancient poem celebrating the coming of Summer. It is recognised as one of the oldest poems in English. I love the imagery it invokes, blowing mead, lowing cows, the ewes frolicking!
2. Home they Brought her warrior dead-Lord Alfred Tennyson
What an evocative poem about a soldiers wife who is struck by grief.
3. For the want of a nail - Anonymous
Nothing illustrates the importance of small things like this little cautionary poem.
There are plenty of small/short/lesser known things that appeal to me more than the big and the bombastic.
- A "Hi" from a loved friend brings a smile to your lips and is more precious to you than a large solitaire diamond.
- The askew sun that your little child drew is more precious to you than a Piccaso.
- Finding a 50 Rupee note in an old jacket makes you feel you just won a windfall.
I give a list of 3 things each from the kitchen, makeup, poems, books and songs that are small/tiny/less known, but indispensible and dear to me.
From the Kitchen:
I just cannot cook without these tiny spices
1. Jeera
2. Heeng
3. Rai
From my dressing table:
Can any lady do without these?
1. Lip Balm
2. Hair pins
3. Safety pins
From my favorite songs:
These singers were not in the top bracket, but what a voice they had. Listen to the songs they sung.
1. Sandhya Mukherjee
2. Meena Kapoor
3. Jagjit Kaur
From my favorite books:
I choose these three slim books that are worth their weight many times over.
1. The adventures of Rusty - Ruskin Bond
Ruskin Bond rarely indulges in long winded writing. His stories are about day to day doings in the life of Rusty. In one chapter he describes how well his grandmother cooks. In another he writes about the misdoings of his Uncle Ken. These small snapshots from the life of Rusty are captivating.
2. The Prophet by Khalil Gibran
The Prophet speaks on a number of topics ranging from relationship between wife and husband, child and parents, between friends.
"For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill
Seek him always with hours to live.
For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness.
And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.
For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.”
There is nothing preachy in this book, just common sense.
3. The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
This is one slim little book that gives me the goosebumps everytime I read it. It makes you re-examine your life, and fall in love once again with the little things.
I rarely go about recommending books. I know people have varied tastes and what I love is not what others will love as well. But these three books MUST sit on everyone's bookshelves.
From my favorite poems:
There are many grand poems out there in our world. Our religious works are primarily poetry. The Bible, Ramayana, Guru Granth Sahib, The Koran. They are all magnificent poems. But in keeping with the theme of the post, I list here three small poems.
Summer is icumen in -Anonymous
This is an ancient poem celebrating the coming of Summer. It is recognised as one of the oldest poems in English. I love the imagery it invokes, blowing mead, lowing cows, the ewes frolicking!
Sumer is icumen in,
Loude sing cuckou!
Groweth seed and bloweth meed,
And springth the wode now.
Sing cuckou!
Ewe bleteth after lamb,
Loweth after calve cow,
Bulloc sterteth, bucke verteth,
Merye sing cuckou!
Cuckou, cuckou,
Wel singest thou cuckou:
Ne swik thou never now!
Loude sing cuckou!
Groweth seed and bloweth meed,
And springth the wode now.
Sing cuckou!
Ewe bleteth after lamb,
Loweth after calve cow,
Bulloc sterteth, bucke verteth,
Merye sing cuckou!
Cuckou, cuckou,
Wel singest thou cuckou:
Ne swik thou never now!
2. Home they Brought her warrior dead-Lord Alfred Tennyson
What an evocative poem about a soldiers wife who is struck by grief.
Home they brought her warrior dead:
She nor swooned, nor uttered cry:
All her maidens, watching, said,
‘She must weep or she will die.’
Then they praised him, soft and low,
Called him worthy to be loved,
Truest friend and noblest foe;
Yet she neither spoke nor moved.
Stole a maiden from her place,
Lightly to the warrior stepped,
Took the face-cloth from the face;
Yet she neither moved nor wept.
Rose a nurse of ninety years,
Set his child upon her knee—
Like summer tempest came her tears—
‘Sweet my child, I live for thee.’
3. For the want of a nail - Anonymous
Nothing illustrates the importance of small things like this little cautionary poem.
For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the message was lost.
For want of a message the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the message was lost.
For want of a message the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
