Happy Holi | Holi Ke Din Dil Khil Jaate Hai

Growing up this was the type of Holi celebrations my dreams were made of.  I would pore over the pictures of my parents playing Holi together in India with utter amazement.

Growing up in the 80's in Pennsylvania we just didn't have regular access to Indian stores and I never remember seeing any stocked with Holi color.  It is always too cold there to have much fun anyway.  Playing Holi was the unattainable.  The long lost and left behind celebration I could only dream about.

I think a lot of people are more familiar with it now as the Color Run.  But that is based on an actual Hindu holiday and custom.  It is not a race or competition.  It is about renewal and faith in God.  It is about community.   It is about pure joy and love.  It is about family.

This is what the Holi of my dreams looks like now.  Sitting down trying to open up more bags of colored powder while I get ambushed by these three.

And, it is way better than I ever imagined.

Fun to the core.

Joyful, a time to let go, get messy and run around wildly together.

 Does life get any better?

Of course I never get stressed the mess going all over? NOT A BIT. 

Ok, a bit.  

But, the car is easy to clean, we go straight in for showers and baths. I worry about the rugs, I do.  Though I make everybody put their clothes in the washing machine as soon as we get home.

I also wrapped my camera body up in bandages so the powder wouldn't get stuck deep inside the mechanism.  It seemed to help.

 Nandini loved it.  Chasing Avinash and running around with their newly made friends.  She was so excited about the new white dress we bought together the day before.  Right at the end she started to worry that her dress was "getting messy".  Really, where?  I don't see anything unusual. 

She totally didn't buy our, "It's getting more beautiful" line.  Smart girl.

Lakshman loves anything that involves chasing his kids around.  They were pretty good about keeping the powder off his head.  They would lovingly dab his legs and feet, just make my heart melt why don't you? Most of that on his face is from me.

Happy Holi everyone!