As an actor oftentimes I am interviewed and people want to know about a little tid-bits from my life. But I am a curious soul, even I want to know about lives of others.That’s my way of getting inspired; for I believe, that every person has a story, every person has their own individual struggle that they go through; And they fight hard.
And eventually overcome that; and become a better version of themselves.
There’s a saying that goes --- "Always learn from others mistakes".
Well, what I believe in is that there’s always more to learn from others triumphs than from their mistakes. Mistakes teach you what not to do, and triumphs teach you what exactly should be done, and how should it be done.
And in my opinion both are equally important.
There’s this feisty girl from New-York City whos a westerner by thought; but phir bhi dil hai Hindustani.
Well, how we know each other is really not that important. What is important is her attitude towards life which taught me that, We cannot change our past, nor can we change the inevitable.
The one thing we can change is the only thing we have control over, and that is our attitude.
With her story I am convinced that life is 10% what actually happens to us and 90% how we react to it.
And eventually overcome that; and become a better version of themselves.
There’s a saying that goes --- "Always learn from others mistakes".
Well, what I believe in is that there’s always more to learn from others triumphs than from their mistakes. Mistakes teach you what not to do, and triumphs teach you what exactly should be done, and how should it be done.
And in my opinion both are equally important.
There’s this feisty girl from New-York City whos a westerner by thought; but phir bhi dil hai Hindustani.
Well, how we know each other is really not that important. What is important is her attitude towards life which taught me that, We cannot change our past, nor can we change the inevitable.
The one thing we can change is the only thing we have control over, and that is our attitude.
With her story I am convinced that life is 10% what actually happens to us and 90% how we react to it.
This is the story of Diana in her words :
Being a big sis is tough! You get punished for what your younger sibling does, you have to give up your party so you can babysit your sis at her friend's party. You have to share your pocket money with them as a child and your paycheck with them once you earn. You've got to cook them breakfast in the morning and wash their dishes when they're done eating. Phew! It's so much work! Sometimes you feel like the Cinderella to their wicked step sister! But one day you realize it's all worth it.
My name is Diana, I'm a Gujarati who lives in New York. Being a migrant can be tough especially when you're one of the in-betweens. What I mean by that is culturally I'm very different from most New Yorkers and most Gujaratis. Every time I visit India, I'm too much a westerner by thought and in New York, I'm a prideful Indian. Now you must be wondering how can this be? At least one of them has to be wrong. I can't be both?
Neither is wrong. Culture doesn't define you, you define your own culture. Your culture is who you are. So in that I'm me, a forensic psychology student, a writer, a dreamer, an independent woman with family values and a mouth which isn't afraid to speak up for myself when needed. I'm a human, I juggle a job, college life, family and social events just like the rest of us. I'm a daughter, a worker, a social activist of sorts. But more than that I am a big sister, or was one; to my make up artist, my bratzilla, the pick pocket who took my savings from my piggy bank, the little sister that I'll always be proud of and miss for the rest of my life.
She won't be there sitting next to me in church on my wedding day, or help me pick out my dress or tell me how ridiculously hideous I look in that outfit as I'm walking out the door to work in the morning but she will always be the brat who made a difference in someone's life right as hers was about to end.
On July 25th 2013, she went to the doctor with a simple fever. The next day, she was called in again for her blood reports. Acute Myeloid Leukemia. In lay men's terms blood cancer.
Usually it is the elders who teach the young but a lot of my go getter attitude comes from my little sister. Gosh she was feisty. Always spoke her mind, did what she wanted, and knew how to get what she wanted when she wanted it. She wasn't someone incredible, she was a human just like the rest of us. She held the same amount of power we all did but what she did with that minimalistic power is what made her legendary.
She died a year and 2 days later at the age of 21 as she was not able to find a bone marrow match.
We looked in every registry in places that we could but no avail. Her friends came up with the idea of hosting bone marrow drives to search for a match. We began the search but by then we knew that she was not going to survive, at least not for long. Even if the bone marrow was found she'd make at most 3-5 years if she was super lucky. There was no cure for her yet she agreed to continue the search.
Now you must be wondering Why? Because people that signed up wouldn't just be signing up for her, they'd be signing up to save someone like her. Because of her 1300 students signed up to be bone marrow donors around 7 college campuses in New York! Her friends and myself still hold drives in her honor and people still sign up to this day!
From inside a confined hospital room, she did more than you and I do as healthy able bodies who tread the earth everyday.
That was Nancy for you March 13th 2015 would have been her 22nd birthday. This is her first birthday after she passed and I intend on having a party she'll be darn jealous that she missed, but who knows maybe she'll show up in spirit?
So you see, Life has many facets and the facets are a mix of all bads and goods here on earth. Sometimes in our lives, we do not need to have a lifetime guarantees of happiness. Reality is, all we have are just HERE AND NOW. So, make the most of every single chance that you are given, Secure your life with what is laid on your table.
Our life isn’t about how it started, nor also about how it will be ended because it is always about “what we are doing with the given chances”, especially in making those people close to your heart feel the merriment with you.
Moment lost is lost forever but make sure that after you lose a moment, the time it flashes back, it makes you feel happy and fulfilled.
Happy Birthday Nancy.
Being a big sis is tough! You get punished for what your younger sibling does, you have to give up your party so you can babysit your sis at her friend's party. You have to share your pocket money with them as a child and your paycheck with them once you earn. You've got to cook them breakfast in the morning and wash their dishes when they're done eating. Phew! It's so much work! Sometimes you feel like the Cinderella to their wicked step sister! But one day you realize it's all worth it.
My name is Diana, I'm a Gujarati who lives in New York. Being a migrant can be tough especially when you're one of the in-betweens. What I mean by that is culturally I'm very different from most New Yorkers and most Gujaratis. Every time I visit India, I'm too much a westerner by thought and in New York, I'm a prideful Indian. Now you must be wondering how can this be? At least one of them has to be wrong. I can't be both?
Neither is wrong. Culture doesn't define you, you define your own culture. Your culture is who you are. So in that I'm me, a forensic psychology student, a writer, a dreamer, an independent woman with family values and a mouth which isn't afraid to speak up for myself when needed. I'm a human, I juggle a job, college life, family and social events just like the rest of us. I'm a daughter, a worker, a social activist of sorts. But more than that I am a big sister, or was one; to my make up artist, my bratzilla, the pick pocket who took my savings from my piggy bank, the little sister that I'll always be proud of and miss for the rest of my life.
She won't be there sitting next to me in church on my wedding day, or help me pick out my dress or tell me how ridiculously hideous I look in that outfit as I'm walking out the door to work in the morning but she will always be the brat who made a difference in someone's life right as hers was about to end.
On July 25th 2013, she went to the doctor with a simple fever. The next day, she was called in again for her blood reports. Acute Myeloid Leukemia. In lay men's terms blood cancer.
Usually it is the elders who teach the young but a lot of my go getter attitude comes from my little sister. Gosh she was feisty. Always spoke her mind, did what she wanted, and knew how to get what she wanted when she wanted it. She wasn't someone incredible, she was a human just like the rest of us. She held the same amount of power we all did but what she did with that minimalistic power is what made her legendary.
She died a year and 2 days later at the age of 21 as she was not able to find a bone marrow match.
We looked in every registry in places that we could but no avail. Her friends came up with the idea of hosting bone marrow drives to search for a match. We began the search but by then we knew that she was not going to survive, at least not for long. Even if the bone marrow was found she'd make at most 3-5 years if she was super lucky. There was no cure for her yet she agreed to continue the search.
Now you must be wondering Why? Because people that signed up wouldn't just be signing up for her, they'd be signing up to save someone like her. Because of her 1300 students signed up to be bone marrow donors around 7 college campuses in New York! Her friends and myself still hold drives in her honor and people still sign up to this day!
From inside a confined hospital room, she did more than you and I do as healthy able bodies who tread the earth everyday.
That was Nancy for you March 13th 2015 would have been her 22nd birthday. This is her first birthday after she passed and I intend on having a party she'll be darn jealous that she missed, but who knows maybe she'll show up in spirit?
So you see, Life has many facets and the facets are a mix of all bads and goods here on earth. Sometimes in our lives, we do not need to have a lifetime guarantees of happiness. Reality is, all we have are just HERE AND NOW. So, make the most of every single chance that you are given, Secure your life with what is laid on your table.
Our life isn’t about how it started, nor also about how it will be ended because it is always about “what we are doing with the given chances”, especially in making those people close to your heart feel the merriment with you.
Moment lost is lost forever but make sure that after you lose a moment, the time it flashes back, it makes you feel happy and fulfilled.
Happy Birthday Nancy.
Tribute to Nancy. from PankitThakker on Vimeo.