HOW MEDIUM CHANGES MY LIFE

Notes on Tissues for Sivakami

When writers talk I listen

Sivakami and me at a local bakery just before Diwali. Author’s image.

I read Lucinda Munro Cook on Medium. I understand that every one of us is different and special. With Lucinda, however — she grew up in more countries than you could imagine. She didn’t become broad-minded because of learning; she is broad-minded because of exposure to different cultures as she was growing up.

So when Lucinda talks, I listen.

She suggested a book by Bonnie Garmus — Lessons in Chemistry.

In the book, Elizabeth Zott writes notes for her daughter Madeline’s school lunch boxes.

The notes were inspiring things like —

It’s not your imagination. Most people are awful.

I started to try to do the same. However, the food I pack for my daughter’s lunch would make the notes soggy. Also, part of my daughter’s food would get harder to eat and my message would get lost among the calories.

Then, Sivakami needed iron and vitamin C and B supplements. I tried to get her to take them but found that she was regrettably neglectful in taking her pills.

I didn’t want to judge Sivakami for not taking her iron pills. I’ve been through this as a kid. It’s a vicious cycle — you need the…