Category: Inspiring Moments

Only a few days ago, I went through a heartbreaking experience; one marked by such deep disrespect that it landed me in the ICU.

As my loved ones said,  it was scary. Can’t say I was fully aware but I am incredibly grateful for the super fast recovery and incredible team of doctors and nurses who saved my life.

As I lay there healing, I wasn’t just tending to my physical recovery, but also to a pain that cuts deeper. The pain of being torn down, not just by a broken system, but sometimes by other women. I could not believe that a woman can treat another woman the way I was treated. But, it is not unknown either.

That realization stayed with me.

Why is it that we, who know struggle so intimately, sometimes become the ones to inflict it on each other?

We must change this.

We must choose to uplift, to support, and to stand beside each other.

Because we are stronger and we must remain strong, together.

Simply too often and too many of us try to do it all alone, and we call it being independent.

We misunderstand independence as ‘not needing, wanting or seeking Support’, when in reality one can be entirely independent yet seek and accept support as a mutual agreement for being there for each other equally, with our unique skills or abilities.

Because society has taught us over and over that seeking support or asking for help is burdening others.

I am no exception.

I considered accepting support as being a burden on people who could be doing better things than helping me. This essentially means that I considered myself unworthy. Society and life experiences can do that to our mindset.

–

Recently, I started changing that narrative in my head.

Result?

• You see my messaging with more clarity and confidence – because I accepted a skilled copywriter and a dependable translator to support me with their ability and help me get my message out there in English, my second language, while keeping the soul of my intention intact. In fact, as I read back, I realize they represent my thoughts accurately, without exaggeration or undermining but only beautifully.
• You see me once again going out and about – because I accepted support for my health care as was needed. I reminded myself that I have taken care of so many, and it is now my time to accept the care I am offered and given, because it is being offered out of love.
• You see me getting back into my advocacy work – because I accepted that I do not have to fight all battles alone. There are people who value human rights as much as I do and are willing to volunteer their time, efforts and even be physically present where solidarity needs to be visible.

I could go on but really, my message and humble reminder for your is remarkably simple today –

Recognize the power of togetherness, welcome the support you are offered, allow people to bring to the table what they are willing to do for you in return of what you have done for them. Together is more effective, more resilient and most importantly, a powerful and memorable journey to be on.

–

In that spirit, I will begin sharing positive outcomes of what ‘Power of Together’ did for me and my community. So please stay connected as I will share more in coming times. Some of my posts will be friends only, while others will be entirely public. I hope to add value and even if I can inspire one person a day, in the smallest of ways, I will consider that as a reward of my labor.

…because everyone deserves a smile!

Ms. Juneja, the Hi-Tech Mother

#PowerOfTogether #HiTechMother

4th November is the hardest day in life for over 2 decades.

It would be fair to say, the entire first couple of weeks of November are extraordinarily emotional and heartbreaking for me and my family. Not to mention that since 1998 we have never celebrated any festival, birthday, or any event that you’d expect a ‘normal’ family to celebrate. With a couple of exceptions, that have a story of their own.
Today, after 24 years, a small but important incident took place that made me smile for a moment even on what is the hardest day of the year for me.
–
I was at the bank today, providing them ‘evidence’ that I am ‘not dead yet’. The entire process is simply disrespectful of human life, senior citizens and fundamental right to dignity.
But I will get into that another time.
I did what I needed to and moved from desk to desk to desk for their tedious and not so respectful process.

–
Later, tired from this process, I went to another office (rather nicer people there) and applied for something else. The nice people always treat every customer very kindly. Give credit where credit is due.

In the process of all these hectic forms, conversations, sit-downs I accidentally took someone else’s phone assuming it is mine and bid them goodbye and started returning to my home.

As a habit, I call at least one family member when I enter or leave a place, so they know where I am at all times. I picked up the phone and started to make a call but realized that it wasn’t my phone.

–
I panicked if I switched phones with someone, but no my phone was also sitting next to that phone in my purse.
Now I panicked even more because I did not know whose phone it was and which office, I managed to pick it up from without realizing and felt awful for the person who must be thinking their phone got swiped.

–

Of course, there was no way I could have accessed their phone to call any of their family members, but I could tell it is an expensive phone and I was just so concerned how stressed they would be right now. Thankfully, I had my own phone so I called one of my children to quickly pick me up and take me back to all the places I have been to see if we could find the owner of the phone and reunite them with it.

Good News!

We started off with the last place I went and thankfully the owner of the phone was right there.

–

He was grateful and thanked me, but I said, ‘No instead I should apologize that I did not even see and took the phone and left. I cannot imagine how stressed you must have been’ to which he said, ‘But look you restored my faith in humanity and that people with principles and integrity exist who would travel all the way back to find the owner of the property. That is not common these days, so I am grateful that you are one of those rare people with integrity’.
This made me both emotional and brought a smile to my face and my heart instantly sang, ‘Yes, I am this person because of the principles both you and I followed all our lives and today in some magical way, you are right here with me in this moment to remind me that our attraction, love and bond formed on our mutual appreciation for each other’s integrity and principles. It made me feel like you are right here with me’ to my husband.

–
His murder took away all my joys.

–
But what it never took away is our shared principles, integrity, courage, and strength to keep fighting for what is right.

–
So, on this day, this little incident, what most would consider not so important, made a big difference to my heart and my ability to see my best friend beyond our years together in human form.

–
A bond, our principles and integrity never die if we stay true to them.
They can never kill you and who you were and are for us.
I do not need to move on from you.
You are my celebration.
You are all I need.