Raj's Ranch

Recently, I traveled to California with my family. We saw many beautiful and interesting places, yet when I look back on the trip, the first thing that comes to mind is a tree. Yes, a tree. I discovered it in the backyard of a rental property where we stayed in San Diego. Trees like this are uncommon in Texas. At first glance, it appeared to be a pine, yet I found myself wondering why it wasn’t tall and straight like the pines typically seen in places such as Colorado or New Mexico. Curious, I did some research—and here’s what I learned.

The striking tree in the photo is a Torrey Pine. It is exceptionally rare, with fewer than a thousand in the United States. Under sheltered conditions—such as on a mountain slope or in a valley—it would have grown tall and upright. But this property sits less than a ten-minute walk from the shore. Though the homes here were likely built twenty to thirty years ago, the tree itself appears closer to seventy or eighty years old. Over its long life, it has weathered fierce coastal winds. To endure the heat and relentless gusts, it likely grew wider and closer to the ground.

The Torrey Pine is critically endangered and recognized as the rarest pine species in North America, surviving in only two native locations: the San Diego coastal area and Santa Rosa Island. Interestingly, in California, a permit is required to cut down a pine tree on private property. Thanks to that protection, and thanks to the property owner/manager, I was able to enjoy the shade and fresh, crisp, woodsy aroma of this remarkable tree.

Written By

Raj H.

The movie, Aashiqui 2 was released in 2013. The music was so amazing that I would listen to the album on repeat using a disc player. In fact, I kept using that stereo disc player so my daughter—just a year old at the time—could learn to operate it and have fun.

I was so enchanted by the song “Tum Hi Ho” that I even bought a piano to learn how to play it. I tried a few online piano lessons but never took any formal, in-person ones. Years went by without any real progress. My dream of playing that song myself remained just a dream.

Meanwhile, as my daughter grew older, she began taking piano lessons at the age of five. My own dream, however, was still hanging in the air.

My daughter is now fourteen. Today, she played “Tum Hi Ho” on the piano with such complete control and ease. Watching her play the paino was magical and almost trance-like. It was an incredibly proud moment; I couldn’t be happier.

Sometimes your dreams come true in ways you never even dreamed of.

Written by Raj H

Perhaps our lives would have been much more meaningful and rewarding:

– If we knew our priorities and remembered them whenever needed

– If we could manage our strengths and accept our weaknesses

– If we knew when to push hard and when to slowdown

– If we knew it’s all going to be ok (over) in the end.

Oh, that’s some serious stuff.

Ok, let’s do this then: try to stay present, forgive, forget, and move on…

Written by

Raj H.

I am at a conference this week. Today is my second day of it. My goal is to meet and get inspired by more experienced and more successful people.  But everything seems so insipid. The more I am forcing myself to like and appreciate them, the more it’s causing nausea. 

  Unfortunately, the people I wanted to get inspired by seemed to me as if they were very badly tuned musical instruments. Should I  listen to these badly tuned instruments to tune mine?  

  Then I step out of the conference hall. A short walk through the shade of the trees dissipated nausea. Now, I am looking at this beautiful lake and the marvelous trees, listening to the birds chirping, and feeling a cool breeze on my face. Aa ha…

By Raj H.

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

– Dylan Thomas.

No matter how prepared you think you are, life is going to hit you in your face. Perhaps it’s a wake up call. It’s a reminder that this game of life is very short. Perhaps a lot shorter and more fragile than we imagine.

Whether you play or you don’t, the game is going to be over soon. Why not go out there and give it our best shot.

Dad, let me play whatever’s out there for me. I will see you on the other side in a while.

There is noise and friction, pain and misery, disease and dissolution. Perhaps these are the darker elements of life.

But then there are brighter elements: nature, beauty, art, music, literature, and kinship.

Let’s acknowledge the existence of the darker side and appreciate and nurture the brighter.

Perhaps the darker side is the source of the brighter one.

By Raj H.