by Rudri | Dec 16, 2014 | The First Day Series
My daughter still believes. She will turn nine in less than a month, but for Christmas she composed and decorated her Santa gift list, researched recipes for cookies on the Internet and asked whether this season, she landed in the naughty or nice category. As her... by Rudri | Dec 3, 2014 | The First Day Series
A paper airline glided onto the kitchen countertop. When it landed, my daughter asked me to open the flaps. A meaning existed behind her request. She sometimes prefers to communicate with a handwritten note. Read the rest of this essay on The First Day where I... by Rudri | Nov 18, 2014 | The First Day Series
The pulse of a crisis has one pitch. Panic. I am not certain it needs to be this way. In fact, I know, after reflecting on this particular time in my life – It shouldn’t be this way. Although it sounds counterintuitive, striving toward balance becomes... by Rudri | Nov 4, 2014 | The First Day Series
It is my first time. I push open the doors to the studio and spot a young woman, in a high-ponytail, yoga pants and a tie-dye shirt with an Om symbol sits behind the desk. My approach is hesitant. Should I turn around and walk away? To read the rest of this... by Rudri | Oct 8, 2014 | The First Day Series
Last week, while surfing the internet, a particular story grabbed my attention. The New York Times featured a piece by Susan Minot, Forty Portraits in Forty Years. Nicolas Nixon took pictures of his wife and her three sisters every year for the past forty years. The... by Rudri | Sep 3, 2014 | The First Day Series
“What’s your name again? How do you pronounce it?” The teacher looked down at her class roll and repeated the question. “My name is Rudri.” I responded. The stares of my classmates felt like tiny laser beams that made me feel like...
Welcome! I am a lawyer turned freelance writer, essayist, and editor. On staff at Literary Mama and the co-founder and co-editor of the literary journal, The Sunlight Press, my essays and reported work have appeared in The Washington Post, The Lily, Saveur, Civil Eats, Brain, Child, ESPN and elsewhere. I am currently at work on a memoir on grief and culture and how it provides perspective on life’s ordinary graces. I invite you to appreciate the ordinary with me. I hope my daily practice of seeing the magic in the mundane helps you celebrate and find more of these moments in your life too. Read More