Some of you have written to me how the Birthday Reminder Service is working for you! Thank you for the feedback! This week we have a toddler with a kitten, a steamy talk and why you need to be careful about your online associations. Hop in…

When you are proud of something, it is only natural that you will want to flaunt it. Little Andrew is not any different! Readers of my newsletters would know that some months back, Andrew wanted to have a pet. But his parents and grandmother, Eleanor, had urged him to get one later on when he was able to take care of the pet. Now Andrew has picked up a kitten from the streets! And he’s so proud of it, he wants his parents to write to everyone on their ecard dashboard to come and see the kitten.

Andrew’s days revolve around the pup these days. It’s not that as a five-year old he’s able to take complete control of the kitten’s life! But he’s trying his best to pamper the kitten, sometimes ignoring his own meals to feed his pet. Eleanor, who was a little apprehensive about a street kitten coming into contact with the kid, is now breathing easy. “Love seems to have conquered the harmful effects of germs!” Eleanor quipped to me as she recounted this tale of a brewing friendship.

You have to give it to our about-to-be-married lovers Adrian and Cathy for innovative thinking! Now you know that conflicts and clashes of opinions are part of a relationship. But is it necessary that we have them under strenuous conditions? How about a romantic ambiance where your partner cannot possibly lose temper? That’s what Adrian did for Cathy! There were some skirmishes between them and Cathy sternly told Adrian that in the evening they will have a talk over it.

Adrian knows, as any other man, that in a ‘frank talk’ with the special person in their lives, they have little leverage! So he decided to arrange for a hot tub bath, with essential oils and aromatic candles burning sensuously. When Cathy walked in after a hard day’s work, he whisked her away to the hot tub. Cathy was so blown away with the romantic appeal of the scene, the ‘frank talk’ she had planned quickly evaporated like dew in sunlight.

While Adrian and Cathy remained in the hot tub, Frank and Eleanor threw a small party for their friends. Frank used online invitations, something I introduced him to! He could track RSVPs and thanked me later for the convenience.

In our daily lives, we are faced against situations where stress becomes an inevitable byproduct. You may pick up self-help books from which one can learn so many mind-boggling exercises to keep worries at bay. But let’s admit it, despair does seep in! I asked my friends what they do to combat the attacks of the blue. Donna says that deep breathing works for her. “I also meditate in the mornings,” she informed me.

I’m one of those who’d rather sleep for an extra hour than meditate! Finding no comfort here, I turned to Steve. “Opening up a CPU cabinet and tinkering with the innards help me relax!” Steve told me. Why am I not surprised! The other answers varied from humming a tune (Ryan) to taking a walk through the mall with a cola in hand (Irina). Rachael said, “I imagine scenes of visual delight, like a sea beach or a lush green valley!” Now that’s something I have not heard too often. Try it!

Scientists have suggested that you can find out a lot about a person if you study their online behavior. Social media networks are a reality in everyone’s life these days. We connect ever so often through these platforms. Have you noted how some users keep changing their profile pictures or continuously upload and share photographs? Behavioral studies indicate that such users put a lot of importance on what others think of them.

These users are much concerned about getting the approval of their friends and family on their network channels. My friends often discuss about their experiences on the social networks. Some perk up their online avatars in snazzy ways. They want to appear ‘cool’ to people who know them through online threads only. Make no mistake, I’m not making a judgment call here! Having said that, I’d like to caution my friends across the globe to be careful about their online contacts.

Here’s a beautiful quote by Mary Ann Radmacher: “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow’.”