A Decade In Retrospect!

Retrospect...what a hive of memories one becomes! As I reminisce about the past decade, a myriad of memories come crowding into my mind. The most life-altering changes have taken place in my life these past ten years, both good and bad. The upheavals have been many, as have the moments to savor, and I'm truly thankful to God for helping me weather both the ups and downs in life. As I set foot in the second decade of this millennium, I only pray that His grace be with me and my family in the coming years. Hope, as always, reigns supreme, and my heart yearns for a better tomorrow!

The major change in the last decade was our immigration to Canada from California. Having lived in the US for six years, it was my idea to make the big move here. The husband, though hesitant initially, finally acquiesced and was quite caught up with the idea after all the initial research about Canada. I have lived these past six plus years in British Columbia, one of the most beautiful regions on the planet, in a peace-loving country with an idealistic government that welcomes immigrants with open arms. Needless to say, I am now a proud Canadian citizen, having embraced this wonderful country with all my heart and soul! If anyone had told me at the beginning of the decade that I would be a Canadian citizen by the end of the decade, I would've simply laughed and poohed poohed the idea as preposterous. Strange, how and where life takes us!

On the down side, I have lost two very important people in my life, my beloved mother and my dear father-in-law. The heartache has been too much to bear this decade, both of them dying three years apart. The times were traumatic in the aftermath of seeing my loved ones suffer and perish. Death was a merciful deliverance to them, putting an end to all their suffering, yet for those of us left behind, their passing away was emotionally crippling and devastatingly sad.

Another bold move I had to make was to quit my Assistant Professorship in India. I had been on a long leave of absence while I lived in the US and subsequently moved to Canada. Three years into the decade, it was time for me to make a final decision professionally, and I resigned from my privileged position in academia, painful though it was. This is one thing that I still do regret. I am to this day filled with remorse for having given up that which I loved the most, teaching English Literature to both the undergraduate and graduate students back home.

Our blessings these past years have been many...good health, good jobs amid the raging recession all around us, a home to call our own in our new country, a brand new environmentally friendly car in the last year, and of course, friendships that have sustained us through the years. I was able to go to University for four certificates, take a course to hone my writing skills, and above all, have the courage to venture into blogging territory. Being roped into the social network of Facebook was another milestone for me this decade, and surprisingly enough, my French Professor, Ms. Maida Gonsalvez (now Thomas), from my undergraduate days, found me on the network. Through her, I've been able to reconnect with my undergraduate friends - Margaret, Hema, Cynthia, Fatima, Madhavi, Bhuvana, and Thenmozhi - and that too after 29 years !!! What a way to end the decade!

The kid has entered his 14th year now, the husband and I are counting 22 years of togetherness, and looking back, this past decade has not been too bad after all. Changes, upheavals and all, life has been generally good, and I look forward to the future with undying optimism and never-ending hope!