Winter Break

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Another cold season is upon us, and the schools are off. Sleeping, eating and chilling are high up on the list of 'to do' things. But there are things near the bottom too: grading papers, making presentations, lesson planning, catching up on reading and getting some quality family time.

My brother went off back to Toronto with his family earlier this week. But on the up side, my other brother is coming back after five long years in a bit... my sister and I have planned pranking him at the airport - so what if I'm too old to be doing this stuff - one should be young at heart.

With the winter comes wedding madness. Left and right, people are falling into matrimonial bliss. This of course, poses the problem of sufficient attire. There is a certain untold law to attending weddings in that you can't be repeating an outfit if the same crowd is going to be there. But I have to be honest - dressing up still gives me a kick, especially for weddings. More so when people drop compliments and you think to yourself 'you still got it!'

Here's a strange thing that happened a couple of days ago. A lavish wedding lunch (yes, the trend is catching on thankfully) was overcast by sadness and despondency as just a couple of days prior, a little baby in the immediate family had passed away. If there was ever someone to proclaim 'The show much go on,' this would be that place. Everyone made the best of it. My colleagues and I had a good time - good company matters so much. But life can be such a paradox - in fact it is just one gigantic cloud of antitheses.

Life goes on - even when children are taken from the their mothers and mothers are taken from their children. Life goes on. Winter comes back as certain as day even when in the midst of summer it is hard to really recall if the temperature actually does ever drop in good old Karachi.

For now my fleece socks are about enough shielding I need from the cold which is expected to increase over the next few weeks. Hopefully by March, the weather will be moderate again as I am to pay a visit to my brother abroad.

Until there are breaths, there is hope. And until hopes are fulfilled, we live on and live on well. If I have learned anything in life it is this. 

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