Sometimes I just need to close my eyes; it’s raining outside, it made me think of this song for some reason, and a search on “Africa + Toto” + “Covers” led me here. And I couldn’t be happier. I’ve got it on (manual) loop and I couldn’t be happier.
In a time where everything needs a little more purpose, meaning, and just grace, it’s not a bad song to have in your head. Bless everything and everyone. Let’s go.
If you’re tagged here, I thought of you at a very precise moment.
One thing I’ve promised to do in the spirit of moving forward, honoring legacies, and simply, trying to do better — was to honor Daddy’s legacy on this Father’s Day.
I’m doing that with two posts:
1) My $.02 | Preparing for the Inevitable – I’ve been asked a few times over to share anything I’ve learned, working through my family’s estate, over the past few months. I did my best here. I welcome feedback on it. And I hope it’s helpful.
I’m also always happy to discuss it if/when you find yourself going through it. I’m not an expert, just a guy with some experiences to share:
2) “WAIT, WHAT?” or HOW I GRIEVE – I’ve been asked a few times over to consolidate all the posts I’ve written about Daddy over the past few months; I’ve done that here in one blog post, that gives some additional context around the origin of the posts as well as links to all 16 I’ve written about my journey/experience.
#iamgrateful and #iamthankful for all the love, support, and strength our family’s been given. All we can do is say thank you and pay it forward. Here’s what probably amounts to some spare change, being paid forward.
Do you know someone fighting cancer? Love someone who has?
Do you have a kid in your life who you want to develop empathy and compassion?
Do you know a kid who is already blowing your mind with how they think and what they process?
We wrote this book for you. I assure you, the book will move you. Inspire conversations with those kids in your life. And it will catalyze some powerful next step, some action. Today’s the Day brings together the true stories of three amazing young ladies into one powerful narrative about hair donation.
The story is anchored in a beautiful friendship that will bring you to tears; along the way, your kids will be compelled to talk to you about everything from bullying and absenteeism to hair donation and yes, maybe even pediatric cancer.
100% of our proceeds are donated to relevant causes based on how kids vote on our website.#iamgrateful and #iamthankful for all of your support.
We at Dream Village, Where Kids Build Better Tomorrows have written (I think) our best book yet. It brings together the true stories of three amazing young ladies into one powerful narrative about hair donation. The story is anchored in a beautiful friendship that will bring you to tears; along the way, your kids will be compelled to talk to you about everything from bullying and absenteeism to hair donation and yes, maybe even pediatric cancer.
100% of our proceeds are donated to relevant causes based on how kids vote on our website. I wrote the book to be published on June 1st because my Nani would have been 90; and we lost her to cancer. The young lady featured in this book, Siona, would have been 14 this week (the same day as our son). We lost her just the same.
Help us spread the word. Celebrate the young ladies in this book. Generate awareness and funds for the causes featured in this book. Let’s make this an Amazon bestseller in tribute. #iamgrateful and #iamthankful for all of your support. Le’go.
Listen to Walking Trophy. Then, try and stop rewinding. Then, try and stop singing along. Then, tell me this isn’t a killer era of women in pop, universally accessible, music.
You are…my dude. My two year old dude. You are clumsy as sin. You are stubborn as hell. You are defiant as humanly possible. And you also have the most incredible laugh, give the most sincere hugs and kisses, have a social awareness that most people never find, and have drunk strength constantly.
You are beloved everywhere you go because that smile (and that hair) and that list for life is inspiring. I’ve heard that your personality is defined and well in hand by age 2. If so, I’m as proud as I can possibly be mostly because I couldn’t be prouder.
You’re my dude. As time moves on I get How this father/son thing goes. You will never copy me. You will react to me. You will see things I do and find ways to do them better. You will see things I do poorly and chart your own course.
But my dude, there are things I do that you’ll never know or see. You’ll only hear about. Those complete the story. Because those happen after the fact. When you can’t react; you can only.
I’m on it. #iamgrateful and #iamthankful that you carry his name, Jaanu. In your smile, in all your traits, I see his spirit. God bless you, my dude. Thanks for carrying that forward.
If you or someone you know has any advice or input on the below, I’d love to make an introduction to a friend. DM me or comment below.
I connected with a friend-of-a-friend earlier today who runs an admirable social enterprise that supports students in 150+ schools life a healthy lifestyle.
1) He is looking to talk with people who have significantly scaled operations for a labor-intensive production, to get thoughts on how best to think about culture and organization. People who have scaled from the 50-100 person size to 500 people or so, in any large manufacturing operation, from food, CPG, fashion or other industries.
2) He is looking for people who have knowledge around industrial-size kitchen design.
3) He is trying to find a large space in Manhattan to scale his operation.
#iamgrateful and #iamthankful for anyone who’s got a lead or may be willing to help (with advice, with introductions, with time, with whatever). DM me or message me below if anything comes to mind.
Or it’s almost here? Our third published book — Today’s the Day, a true, beautiful, and powerful story about two girls on either side of the hair donation process — is going through its last round of edits.
We found a way to meld three true stories into one book and narrative experience. I love the result. And I couldn’t be more excited.
#iamgrateful and #iamthankful for the opportunity to pursue one of my passions and bring some of these stories to life with the help of some incredible people. Stay tuned. cc Dream Village, Where Kids Build Better Tomorrows
I’m good. I’m truly honestly and undeniably good. But, I wanted to share this because I think it’s the kind of thing that…more folks just need to know, or read, or share. Just because…good doesn’t mean purely good, there’s always an underlying truth.
Four times.
Today.
On four distinct, unique, unrelated moments, I’ve had tears stream down my face. Not a tear. Not a couple of tears. Not the kind of tears that are wiped away with the back of one hand swiftly, or hell, even slowly. Nope. Streams. The kind that form patterns on your face. Where one tear blazes a trail for others to then follow. Drops turn into flow, and it’s the kind of flow so smooth and so steady that even the greatest Nuyoricans would step back and hand you the mic.
That’s my face. But my face and my tearducts are a mere preview, a trailer. of the thoughts and memories. I’m rocking your polo right now. I got angry when something wasn’t in its right place earlier today. I got angry because it wasn’t. I then got mad at myself for being you. I then got sad because there was no (practical or physical) you.
I ate eggplant and mushrooms almost as a rejection of your palate. I struggled at work, really hard today, because I felt like there were objective truths that weren’t being acknowledged. And I found myself having a handful of very productive, unvarnished and fully honest conversations with people that were representative of your spirit (it’s not about me, it’s not about the idea, it’s about your contribution to the bigger, collective idea, that’s what will make the world move forward.)
And then…mom…your wife. 45 minutes between wrapping up dinner with Anu Kiran and Drinda Kay and closing her iPad and heading up to bed with your granddaughter (who still misses you so publicly and so potently), posted this pic.
And it’s just Monday. And this photo, just says it all.
And you know, it all just sucks. But we’ll also, just keep moving forward. That’s, just life. And I’m good. Just, good. I’m good. #iamgrateful and #iamthankful for this polo. I’m going to sleep in it tonight. Just…because.
I miss you and I love you, and … we’ll keep just doing our best to honor you.
PS – Make that five times. Once while writing this.
Yesterday while running around town(s) I tuned away from NPR and after a third trip around the dial I ended up at this song. I then opened the window and turned the volume in my CRV up to 25. I’m certain every person that approached me planned on finding a 40 year old woman driving the car and reliving her youth.
Instead, they found a 40 year old woman in the body of a 40 year old man driving the car and reliving his/her youth.
I then found myself thinking of Guilty Pop in general and the first song that came to mind was…and if you’ve worked with me, you’d know…was this song (Free Ke$ha, always).
Suneet Bhatt 