Being a part of the Blogchatter A to Z challenge has been an incredible experience. There are quite a few realizations and learnings I’ve had when I look back now.

• I didn’t want to participate – I had enough challenges as it is. With a toddler and no time for me, how could I commit to a post a day right?
  • Wrong. If you are also in a situation where you have little or no time for self, stop, reflect and step back. It’s rightly said: sometimes taking a step back helps you take two forward.
• I doubted myself – I knew I wanted to finish this challenge. But I am also a realist. And every single day that I lost to personal challenges, unable to write made me rethink and doubt myself.
  • Every time you doubt yourself, instead of asking yourself “What if I cant”, tell yourself “What If I can”. Along with the doubts came the perseverance to finish what I had started. 
• Real-Life challenges – First week into the challenge, my son came down with an ugly case of a stomach infection. All my time, energy and focus shifted to him. Exhausting days and sleepless nights. I lost those a week.
  • But I realized how powerful determination can be. If you really want to, you can.
• Support System – Thanks to the Blogchatter team who kept us motivated. My husband who took over the parenting duties the minute he returned from work, so I could write. My friends who kept pushing me gave constructive feedback and the community which showered so much love on my blog.

It was not just 30 days of the month. It was not just 26 letters. It was a journey of rediscovering myself and my belief in myself.

A to Z gave me a platform. A to Z gave me an excuse. A to Z gave me a reason. A to Z gave me the opportunity. To do something that I had been wanting to do for a very long time, to take up writing again, to start expressing my thoughts again, to rely on the power of words once again.

Thanks Blog Chatter.

The post Reflections – A to Z Challenge appeared first on Raising Rehaan.

I set out on a challenge. A letter a day. And today, with just a few minutes to spare, I am about to reach the finish line.

To be honest, I wasn’t very keen on taking up this challenge. Already pressed for time, with a toddler to look after, forever exhausted, it seemed impossible to me. But as they say, there’s always someone watching over you. For me, it came in the form of my dear friend and confidante Tamanna. She encouraged me to join, pushed me to keep going and motivated me to finish the challenge. Thanks Tammy!

This month has been about rediscovering myself as a writer. I still have miles to go but at least I have started.

I remember April 1 and 2 and 3 and maybe more, when it took me two days just to write one blog. When staring at a blank screen was all I did. And thinking about these last few days when I have written on over ten topics. Some in less than an hour.

I remember feeling under-confident, doubting myself. What if I am not able to write anything? What if no one likes my work? What if I end up making mistakes, etc etc. All those worries are now miles away.

In the last four weeks, I have rediscovered my own grit and level of determination. Deep fire within me egged me on. There were days when I felt that I was wasting my time if I wasn’t writing. All my focus and thoughts were on this challenge which kept me away from harbouring negative thoughts or dwelling on meaningless worldly concerns.

The last few days – the determination of completing this challenge, of staying awake till 4 AM to write blogs and waking up at 7 AM to look after my toddler – have felt nothing less than an adventure-packed, fast-paced movie.

The excitement I felt last night when I realised I was just two blogs from successfully completing this challenge was akin to staying awake on the eve of the maiden international vacation. My mind simply refused to switch off and I kept thinking of what I wanted to write on next.

Thanks, Blog Chatter for giving me an opportunity to feel the zeal again.

The post Zip Zap Zoom appeared first on Raising Rehaan.

Make summers fun with drinks for kids to beat the heat and the sweltering, mercury-busting temperatures with home-made healthy drinks.

Sharing with you all my top 5 favorites, easy to make, loved by kids “drinks”:

**These drinks are recommended for toddlers and kids. Some fruits are a strict no=no for children under one. SO be sure to check with your pediatrician before trying.

1. Lemonade – Nothing beats the good old lemonade. It is called the official drink for summers for a reason. Not just refreshing but also nutritious. You can add a twist to it by adding different ingredients to it like:
   • Mint
   • Edible lavender
   • Orange
   • Ginger
2. Smoothies – Be it breakfast, snack or dessert, smoothies not only keep you hydrated but is also filling.
   • Banana Smoothie – Easiest and toddler approved. Add diced banana and milk (you can use soy milk too) to a blender. Blend until the ingredients are combined and smooth. And tada..! Its ready to be served. Depending on your child’s taste buds, you can add your choice of sprinkles. To make variations of this smoothie, simply replace the fruit with another.
   • Mango smoothie
   • Strawberry + raspberry Smoothie
   • Mixed Fruit Smoothie
3. Aam Panna – Kids love mango and what better way to enjoy summers than home made aam panna. This recipe requires raw mangoes, which need to be pressure cooked. Once done, let them cool, peel them well and remove the pulp. Mix pulp with a little sugar and salt. Ass a dash of little cumin seed powder and blend the mixture in a blender. Kids will love its tangy, sweet-salty taste. You can substitute honey instead of regular sugar to make it extra healthy.
4. Juices – I am not in favour of packaged drinks, no matter what the brands claim. And I do not trust the local vendors to use hygienic ways of serving the drink. I prefer extracting the juice at home with a manual juicer or a food processor. Our favourites are:
   • Watermelon juice – Best thirst quencher
   • Pomegranate juice – loaded with anti-oxidants
   • Orange juice – daily dose of Vitamin C!
5. Lassi – Rey is a curd lover! So i had been looking for a recipe that I could prepare for him. I came across this simple yet awesome recipe. https://gkfooddiary.com/plain-lassi-for-babies/All it takes is 5 minutes and best served fresh!
6. Coconut water / Nariyal Paani – Yes, I know I said 5, but I just couldn’t leave this one out! Nariyal paani or coconut water is low in calories, delicious to boot and perhaps the healthiest natural drink you can indulge in on a hot, scorching summer day. It is our go-to-drink when we are traveling within the city. Even better than bottled water. To read of the many benefits of this refreshing natural drink, click here 

Do you have any toddler-approved, favourite summer drinks?

The post Quench the thirst appeared first on Raising Rehaan.

Sharing with you all the three R’s, the basic values we are trying to inculcate in our son from early on

Respect: Respect for everyone regardless of age, gender or profession. To raise a kind and compassionate child, they need to treat everyone with the same amount of respect. They need to see you doing the same.

• We do not yell or scream at each other. Anytime Rey raises his volume to gain attention, we simply request him (in a calm tone) to speak gently and the minute he does it, we acknowledge with a response.
• Anytime, anyone comes knocking on the door – be it the sweeper or the courier guy or our house help, we ensure to thank them for their help. If Rey is around when they arrive, we ask him too to say Thank You to them for helping us out.
• We ensure we and Rey say hi or jai to people we meet, from relatives to neighbors to society guards. There are times when he is not in the mood to do so, then we wait a few minutes, let him get comfortable and request again.
• Our day starts with a prayer and thanking the almighty for all that we have.
• Watering the plants – not plucking flowers or leaves – teaches him to respect nature
• Be compassionate towards animals – it helps that we have extended family who have pets at home.

Be Responsible – A child who learns to take care of himself and his belongings turns out to be a more responsible and self-disciplined human being. It’s easy to get swayed by the love we have for our children and pamper them. However, it is also important to realize that always picking up after your child is not the only way to show love.

• Small things like not relying on the house-help or nanny to do your work goes a long way. We encourage Rey to keep his dishes in the sink. He does so many times, though it is usually accompanied by a loud noise (he does a basketball throw as he isn’t tall enough to reach the sink yet)
• Recently (maybe 2 months now), I got wall shelves installed in Rey’s play room. It not only helps me keep his toys and books organized, it also serves another purpose. Everytime Rey asks for a new book to read or another toy to play with, I make him hand me the one he was playing with. I explain to him that I’ll keep the toy (one he is not playing with any longer) back before I give him the new one. Now whenever Rey wants a new toy, he himself hands over the old one and asks me to “peep it bat” translated from toddler lingo – its, yes, Keep It Back.
• Don’t let them take the easy route out. I do not jump to help Rey whenever I see he needs help. Let the child make an effort.
• Many more examples – bottom line, they will do as they teach them to do.

Relationships – Families that value each other, stay together. We are living in the times when people are more concerned about themselves than others, neighbours kill each other over parking slots, even families shatter and break at the most trivial of issues, it is important to keep your close ones close. Teach the children to value and respect family. And this can happen only if you speak positively about family members to them.

• We ensure Rey spends time with family as and when possible. We take him to his Nani-Nanu’s (maternal grandparents) house at least twice or thrice in a month which includes a short stay as well.
• He spends quality time with his uncles and aunts and we try and meet them often. He is as fond of them as they are of him.
• He is an only child and we try to get Rey to meet and spend time with his big bro #Keebomiester and baby bro (cousins). Being children, they bond well and we hope we can keep this bond as strong once they grow up.

It is said that by the time a child is 5 or 6 years old, they start differentiating between right and wrong. They look up to their parents (who play a dominant role in modeling the child’s personality) and follow in their footsteps.

Children see, children do. I  do not tire of quoting this line. Children emulate what their parents and family members do. So as a child’s biggest influencers, we need to practice what we preach to our children.

I would love to know what are the basic human values you swear by? How are you teaching them to your children?

The post Inculcating Values In Children appeared first on Raising Rehaan.

As much as we would like to believe, the arrival of a baby and parenthood is not all fun. There are things to learn and challenges to overcome. While the first year has its own challenges, it’s the terrible twos, the terrifying threes and the frightening fours that test you and define you as a family.

People often talk about setting the expectations with the kids. But what about setting expectations as a family?

It is often the most ignored topic in a house. I often hear parents say “But we can’t expect them to alter their lifestyle” or “How can we ask them to change, it is our baby” or “They are old, expecting them to change now is not right”, etc etc.

Here, I beg to differ. Though I do not disregard all of the above and don’t expect people to change their way of life, I do believe that there is always some middle ground to be found. It doesn’t always have to be our way or no way.

Honest, straight-forward communication is essential. Even before our son was born, there were certain expectations that we as a family has agreed upon. These basic expectations were from us to our families and from our families to us.

Before I go ahead, let me make one thing very clear. Rehaan is not a deprived child and neither are we control freaks. We have chosen to give him a clean and healthy start.

• NO JUNK – Absolutely no junk which includes chips, chocolates, toffees, ice-creams, cakes, candies, lollies, aerated drinks, deep fried, street food, etc for the first two years and thereafter as long as we can. No artificial sugar till two. I add organic jaggery to his food. Glad to report that Rey doesn’t know a chocolate from a wafer chip. Even when he is handed a toffee, he gives it away because he doesn’t know what it is.

• DONT GIVE IN TO DEMANDS OR TANTRUMS – Children test you, they will try to manipulate you into giving in to their demands by throwing tantrums. Hold your ground. When the child sees one person in the house caving in, he will invariably go back for more. AND he will want the same expectation from you. If you refuse, you often become the villain. The key here is to maintain the same stance as a family. Mutual understanding in the family is a must to avoid setting an unwanted trend.

• NO SCREENS – Children see, children do. They will never ask you or others for something they don’t see you and anyone else doing. I openly discourage anyone from showing him their phone. Click here to read more on my journey to raising a toddler screen-free.

• NO CONFLICTS in front of the baby – Yes, this one is a little difficult to live in real life. Even healthy decisions when discussed animatedly can sound like an argument to a toddler especially if he is still trying to grasp languages. We have been making a conscious effort of watching our tone when our son is around. We move to a different room when a situation arises.

• Informed DECISIONS vs. age old MYTHS – This one is my favourite and where I am challenged the most. And I don’t mean at home. I mean anywhere there is a generation gap. “We have also raised kids. We raised you guys. Did you not turn out fine?” Phew!! My only argument (when I do make one, most of the times I ignore them and their ignorance) is that its not the same world we are living in, not the same air we breathe, not the same food (chemical-free/unadulterated) we eat. So why the same way of upbringing? A common cold that used to take 2 to 3 days to recover from, now takes weeks, thanks to the pollution and quality of life. Also, technology has grown by leaps and bounds to provide deep insight. It’s not guesswork any longer.

Thankfully, my immediate family is not so difficult to reason with and have accepted and respect the choices we are making. It may or may not work, but it is definitely worth a try. Isn’t it?

What have your challenges been? How have you overcome them as a family?

The post eXpectation Setting appeared first on Raising Rehaan.

Parties, club hopping, designer dresses and Stuart Weitzman. Ok, maybe not Stuart, that’s taking it too far. Guccis and Louboutins.

Fancy hotels, expensive Liqueurs, and postcard photos. A larger than life lifestyle.

Perfect pout, high heels, and salon ready hair. This – while working in the kitchen which doesn’t have anything out of place or even a stain to prove that anything has ever been used.

These photos portray a life one can’t help but wish for.

That is social media for you. Where everyone (well almost) is trying to portray a life so perfect that the gullible and unsuspecting might end up feeling like complete losers.

Their picture-perfect lives, spotless homes, fancy lifestyle is what people start wishing for. What they do not realize is that it’s more often than not a sham. That the “memories” are often staged, that the “moment” is specially set up for a photo-op. In a bid to maintain the “perfect” virtual profile, they sacrifice a lot more in their real life.

That kitchen.. it was cleaned especially for the photo. And all the items which usually decorate the slab, shoved into a corner and out of the camera frame.

That picturesque snap that made you yearn to travel to the place took him hours to edit and process.

Those adorable smiles in that candid shot? Well, that’s one out of the hundred shots which were clicked that day which wasn’t blurred or unbalanced in composition.

Those parties? Those check-ins? Well, how does you paryting, getting drunk and getting clicked in a hundred different poses interest me anyway?

If we start comparing us to what we see on social media, we would never be satisfied with what we have and how we are. It’s a facade. Next time you see a profile and wish for a life like their’s, think again. Think if you really want to live in an illusion. Or would you rather live a life that’s real?

Would you like to live in a grid or a bubble or would you rather keep it real?

The post Keep it real appeared first on Raising Rehaan.

A keen learner, she picked up the ropes of the corporate world pretty quickly. From a newbie to a professional, she soon garnered enough experience and appreciation to try for bigger and better roles. She got what she went after. There wasn’t an interview she wasn’t able to crack. She quickly rose through the ranks. A favourite among her audience and admired by her co-workers, she worked hard to prove her mettle. She saved most of her salary. She travelled, she explored.

Soon there was enough in her kitty to fulfil her dreams and support her family, she rewarded herself by buying herself a car. A childhood dream of being able to drive, sitting behind the wheel, zooming past the landscape, feeling the wind on her face (ok.. AC, given the unapologetic weather and pollution in her city), listening to the slight hum of music in the background.

Life was good. She had a loving clan, friends who were family. She had everything going for her. She even met someone who was perfect for her. In a whirlwind romance sort of way, they met, dated, got engaged and married – all within a few months. She was growing not just as an individual but also professionally. There was only one thing left to complete the picture. And God was kind enough to bless them with it – a baby.

She couldn’t have been happier. She was blessed. She adored her baby, spent sleepless nights making sure he was comfortable, made sure he got the best of upbringing. She was termed as a model parent. She was glad to be able to spend those crucial years with her son. Helping him through the formative years of his life.

But life changed.

As much as she loved her son, there was always something nagging her. Having worked almost all of her adult life, she didn’t know how to cope with being at home all day long. There wasn’t a moment to rest yet she felt the hours dragging by. There was something she felt that kept piercing her from within.

She felt caged. She felt suffocated. She knew she wasn’t happy. She could never be – for she wasn’t built that way. She wasn’t built to stay at home. It was the biggest dilemma she had ever faced in her life. But she admitted and accepted the fact.

She missed it.

She missed the independence. She missed working. She missed the environment. She missed the brain-storming. She missed nurturing in a different way. She missed the adrenalin rush that came with each presentation. She missed getting ready every day. Missed the appreciations her hard work brought in. She missed the financial independence, missed growing and learning.

She missed it.

Being a parent is the most overwhelming reward ever. There are things you need to choose between. These decisions are not always as easy or as obvious as the society makes them be. There are expectations. There are restrictions. There are examples. There is unsolicited advice. It takes time to accept your own decisions.

Being a parent is life-changing. It takes time to give up the independence that was a part of you. 

One is your heart and the other is your way of being. There are no comparisons. There can never be. It is about finding the inner peace.

The post Inner Peace appeared first on Raising Rehaan.

I have fond memories of my childhood when holidays and school breaks meant a visit to Nani House. Bags were packed and countdowns recited with uncontained excitement. Nani house meant loads of hugs, love and pampering. Not that any of that was missing at our own home where we stayed with Dadi. But the exclusivity of the visits and the distance does make a difference.

Those were the days when mobile phones were only heard of in movies. When internet did not exist and video calls via satellite were only used by the Intelligence agencies or NASA. So it was either good old landline calls or visits.

I remember our Sunday visits. Every weekend, we would all pile up in our car and Papa would drive us halfway across the city just in time for the Mahabharata to start. Nani would have chilled Shikanji ready for us. All ten or twelve of us would make ourselves comfortable in one room, half of us on the bed, some on the couch, remaining on the floor or wherever they could fit themselves. It was a huge bungalow, but Sunday called for everyone to be united and together.

Those were the days when we still had 24 hours in a day and they were enough.

Afternoons were spent playing with my uncles. Teams were made and unmade. At the end of the games, there were only winners, no losers. Nanu – Nani made sure of that. Our favourite game back then was Ludo and Patte pe patta. A far cry from the high-tech apps and games that currently rule the life of children these days. I hope and wish that I can one day play these long-forgotten board games with my toddler and revisit my childhood with him.

I remember how my Nani would make us pluck her greys by rewarding us for every grey strand we found and got rid of. 25 paise for every 5 strands. That, in those days, for a child was a lot of money. I still wonder how my Granny managed to retain her crowning glory after putting such a glorious offer on the table. Maybe we weren’t as naughty as they said we were or maybe she was much too smart for us naïve kids.

I remember the days when spring meant sleeping under the stars. Armed with a cot each, we would set camp on the terrace of the house. The day would end listening to my Grandfather recite stories and falling asleep gazing at the stars. Those were the days when families could sleep on their rooftops and not worry about some crazy Monkey-man attacking them or waking up to find a member of the family missing.

I remember the visits to the local market with Nanu-Nani. How they would hold our tiny hand with their frail hands never once letting go. I remember the weekly visit to the golgappa shop with them and how they indulged us with that “last golgappa” every time I would plead for one.

I remember all this and more. All I have are happy fond memories of my time with them. I am blessed to still have them around, to shower their love and blessings on us and their great-grandson. I wish I could meet them more often, spend more time with them, for I know life goes on and one day we all will too. But until then, I want to make the most of it.

I want Rehaan to experience the same love and joy that only a grandparent can give to his grandchild. I want him to spend time with his parent’s parents. I want him to have a treasure trove of memories like I do.

“Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children.” – Alex Haley

The post Grandparents – Always and Forever appeared first on Raising Rehaan.

Time is the biggest healer. With time you move on. There are new beginnings, new memories to be created and cherished. All this is true. But what when the one who rejects you for someone else is your own child?

And that is the dilemma I was in. I clearly remember when the first time it happened.

We were holidaying in Goa. Our first together as a family. A ten-day long break in the fisherman village called Arambol. We had rented an apartment as we wanted access to a kitchen to prepare meals for Rey as opposed to feeding him from restaurants for ten days, which for him would’ve been over thirty meals.

We are travellers and we do a lot of exploration on foot. That is how we are raising Rehaan too. Back in October 2016, we had yet not experienced the joy of baby-wearing and were pretty much ignorant of its advantages. We had decided against bringing a stroller for this trip as we already had too much baggage for ten days (maybe a mistake if I look back now). We took turns carrying Rehaan, but it was soon clear that Daddy was the physically stronger one and hence doing most of the ferrying. I was happy to see them bond and spend quality time together. After all, I was the one who had been asking for a break and a holiday.

It was post this trip that I noticed the sudden changes. He was old enough to show his preference. Though he would be happy with me all day long and refuse to go to anyone else. He would shower his love, his attention, his smiles on me. But all that would change when the clock struck 9 every night. That’s when I was given the boot. I kept telling myself that children soon grow out of this phase and my baby too will. I wasn’t jealous, just heart-broken and felt unneeded. It hurt. I reasoned that it was because he had less time with his daddy as compared to me, and maybe he wanted to make the most of it.

Nine months of having him exclusively to me in my womb. Another ten months of feeling needed. That feeling that you’re the world for this little someone. That his day started with waking up to me and nights in my arms. And now all of a sudden, that changed. He wanted to be held by Daddy. Wanted to be fed by him. Wanted Daddy to play with him. Wanted Daddy.

I remember coming back after an assignment one day and hoping to get the same reaction as he usually gave his Daddy. With my heart thumping, I walked in. Half afraid, half excited to meet my baby who I had left alone for hours for the first time. Yes, he came running. Yes, he hugged me. Yes, he showered me with smiles. It is later that I realised how I had been holding my breath that evening. Such was the anxiety that ran through my blood, fuelled by the postpartum depression that had taken over my happiness in those months.

Rey is now a toddler. I miss my tiny squishy-ball. I miss holding him, cradling him to sleep, I miss his outstretched arms urging me to pick him up. I miss all this and more. And though he is a lot more relaxed now and not as clingy to his father (except for on vacations, maybe because he prefers a better view from up there), there are still those moments when he favours his father. And sometimes, I still feel sad not being the one he prefers. Not being the one he runs to.

I know that I will always be his mom. That no matter what, my love and affection for him will only grow with each passing day. That we will always have a deeper connection than anyone else can have with each other. I’ve been told it’s a phase. It will pass. I’ve looked it up and I know am not an isolated case. But it still breaks my heart into a million pieces everytime he turns the other way. When he plays favourites.

Mom heart. Mom life. Sigh.

The post Playing Favourites appeared first on Raising Rehaan.

Leave aside the external factors, one of the biggest reasons for the failure is because we end up expecting too much. I am a culprit too. We expect from our partner, from our families, from friends, from children, from neighbours, from society, from colleagues, from the governing parties, from EVERYONE and that includes yourself.

Broadly speaking, there are two species of this monster. There are Expectations you have from people and Expectations that people have of you.

I remember attending a workshop at The Landmark Forum which made me do a deep dive assessment of my behaviour and how it was impacting my present and shaping my future. One of those introspections included the expectations that weigh us down. And more importantly the stress on how, more often than not, it’s our expectation of people that disappoint us. It was not something I didn’t already know. Yet it brought with it an epiphany of how I was the one responsible for ruining my mood, day after day.

Even Alexander Pope (the greatest English poet of the eighteenth century) said and I quote “Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.” One of the key factors that helped me resurface from my blues postpartum was acknowledging this fact. Not that I am immune to this syndrome now, I am just more conscious of the fact that I control what I feel. I can either feel let down when my expectation – which was set by me – was not met. Or I can simply not expect much from others. The choice is mine.

The other species – people’s expectation from you is even more interesting.

Some 8 or 9 years back when my parents started looking for a match for me, one of the first questions they were asked is if I could cook. I think those people had confused the job profile of a chef to a wife. Well, such were their expectations from the woman they wanted to welcome in the family. Thank heavens, I didn’t apply for that role. They would have had to spend their life regretting hiring me.

I got married in 2011 and remember the events that led up to my wedding day. One of the first on my to-do list was to finalize the invitation list. I remember having multiple discussions on why we had to invite “family” we hadn’t spoken to in years and met even less. The logic I was given was that they had invited us to their son’s/daughter’s wedding some 15 years back and would expect an invitation. I don’t even remember these distant relative’s faces. Alas, they were invited. And when they approached us on stage to give us the customary congratulatory blessings, all I could muster was a Hello Uncle & Aunty for I didn’t even remember if they were my chacha/chachi/bua/mama/maami/maasi…you get the idea.

When the news of my pregnancy spread and congratulatory wished flew in, also came in remarks as to how I will have to be strong and look after the baby (isn’t carrying a baby for nine months and going through delivery enough proof of a woman’s strength?). How I will need to look after the baby day and night. My husband would return exhausted from work and need rest and “proper” sleep to return to work the next day. Well, what about the mother who has gone through an excruciating labour/c-sec and needs rest for recovery, yet is managing and taking care of a newborn baby. OMG! The expectations people have!

People expect you to “like” every one of their 7654 photos on FB from the same vacation. They expect you to show up just because they have invited you even if its 56 seconds before the party kick-off time. They expect you to have all answers. They expect you to raise a perfect kid. They expect you to respond to every one of their WhatsApp messages.

The examples are aplenty. Kya kahenge Log. Sabse bada yeh rog (What will people say, the biggest disorder). Somebody once said to me that expectations are disappointments in the making. The burden of these expectation creates a false sense of how things should be.

It’s alright to have expectations. However, you also need to accept that they won’t always come through. It’s best to be prepared in case what you expect doesn’t happen. Liberate yourself from the trap these expectations lay. It’s a beautiful journey from there on.

 “Expectations were like fine pottery. The harder you held them, the more likely they were to crack.”
― Brandon Sanderson

The post Great Expectations appeared first on Raising Rehaan.