Newsletter – November 2024
| Presidential Message – V. Balaraman November started with a lot of activity for our LOTUS team in coordinating our annual Diwali celebrations. We believe the event held on November 3rd overall was a great success. If you have not yet provided a response, please take a few minutes to give your feedback on the event. The form will remain available to complete until the end of the month. Please also enjoy the pictures taken during that event on our website. With the completion of elections, we can now settle down to semblance of normalcy without any acrimony that was associated with the campaigns. Our country has given Mr. Trump a mandate, so let us collectively work on our continued community engagement in supporting the cause of the needy, who invariably are the constituents who required a broad shoulder irrespective of the political leanings of the leadership in the country and at the local level. Maiju Kutty has opened the doors for our members to get involved in volunteer activities and some of you have signed up to volunteer for food packaging for our Kupuna on the morning of Thanksgiving Day. We will continue to look for activities that our members of all age groups can participate and hope you will continue to donate your time and effort for these. There was a lot of energy at the Diwali event and I urge you to reach out to us with your passion and commitment. We would like to hear your ideas and also your interest in guiding LOTUS in its ongoing journey of supporting the community in the cultural, spiritual and economic needs of the community. Even as we slowly usher in the close of an eventful year, please stay safe. We the leadership of LOTUS wish you and your family a peaceful holiday season starting with Thanksgiving. V. Balaraman President COMMUNITY CORNER  Shruthi Sudhakar, a 10th grader at the University Lab School shares her thoughts about the upcoming Holidays. This 15 year old student is talented and her hobbies include drawing, reading books and playing Piano and the Violin Time is flying by so fast, and soon we will say goodbye to 2024 and a warm welcome to 2025. We are in November now, the month of expressing gratitude! This is usually the busiest time of the year with Diwali celebrations, Thanksgiving holidays, and the Christmas and New Year celebrations coming up soon! Diwali is the festival of lights, celebrating the victory of knowledge over ignorance and light over darkness. This festival is usually associated with Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Personally, it’s one of my favorite celebrations, because every year the Lotus organization hosts a grand Diwali cultural program, and it’s so much fun celebrating with people you cherish, seeing everyone adorned with colorful attire, and making new friends. I always look forward to this holiday season, since it’s so memorable! It’s a wonderful habit to think about what you are grateful for every day. Thanksgiving is the time of the year when you get to spend quality time with family & friends and have an amazing Thanksgiving feast! It’s also when you look back and notice all the little things in your life you are grateful for, whether they are important people to you, or everyday activities that you don’t usually think much about. I’m grateful to have such a wonderful family and trustworthy friends, and I always feel safe and happy around them. I’m also grateful for being able to go to school every day & have good study habits, to be in good health, and to have a comfortable life. You can notice the small things in your life that make it much better only when you think about it. We all should be thankful for every little thing that makes our lives worth it. Christmas is just around the corner! I love this holiday because it’s the season of giving and receiving gifts, and I love playing Secret Santa with friends because it’s nice learning more about people and valuing their interests! It’s also a great time to spend with the people you love, especially when there are activities and games involved. I can’t wait for it to be Christmas and to get into the festive mood! Before you know it, it will already be 2025! My favorite part about every New Year celebration is the fireworks and the countdown to midnight. Even though the fireworks are loud, they are so pretty, especially since they burst into different shapes, sizes, and colors. On the night of New Year’s Eve, I love to countdown the seconds and then shout, “Happy New Year!” as the clock strikes midnight, and the fireworks start on cue. It’s especially fun when everyone counts down at the same time. Have you ever said, “The last time I did something was last year,” on the day of the new year when in reality, you just did it the day before? I love to use that phrase, because isn’t it true in a way? 🙂 My favorite holidays are towards the end of the year, and I love to celebrate them! I always look forward to the last quarter of the year. Let’s make sure that we end this year on a good note and make 2024 memorable for all of us! Wahiawa Shiva Temple Activities – November 17th, 2024 Our monthly pooja will start promptly at noon on the 17th. Prof. Bhawuk will be officiating the Pooja. The prasadam and lunch for this event is being sponsored by Ajita Pradhan, Rina Sharma, Shanta Kunikel and Sonu Shrestha along with their families.  Decorated altar on October 20th, 2024 November and December 2024: November 17th – Wahiawa Shiva Temple Pooja November 28th – Thanksgiving Day (US) December 15th – Wahiawa Shiva Temple Pooja December 25th – Christmas December 31st – New Year’s Eve |
