Many of us are familiar with the phrase “beauty from ashes.” It evokes a sense of comeback, of a phoenix rising from destruction, of finding something good in the midst of so much evil. Throughout history ashes have represented loss and mourning One of my favorite passages in the Bible comes from Isaiah 61:3 “…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” The assortment of genres chosen is based on my life’s experiences and the lively interactions I have had with both illustrious predecessors, peers and others. The bottom-line motive of this initiative is to make the reader pause, dispassionately introspect and re-visit their attitude towards life and initiate ‘course correction’ if need be.