Notes from Natasha is a newsletter that explores ways to be whole when our culture and sociopolitical environment divide us into fragments.
Published completed
Natasha is a writer, filmmaker and communications coach. She is the author of the popular memoirs My Daughters’ Mum and Immortal for a Moment. Her columns have appeared in publications such as Mint Lounge, The Hindu, Outlook, The Globe and Mail, The Indian Express, the Hindustan Times and Quint.
On my birthday this year, I learnt about boundaries that I didn’t know earlier. “Please be nice to me without being demanding,” I said to everyone without saying it to anyone. I was amused by this line.
When we reclaim stories that have been buried under the pressure of the multiple civilizations of our own life, we unearth parts of ourselves that make us whole. And wholesome.
14 Jun 2023
Sometimes when we struggle to fit in, it may be because we deserve better. We don’t always need to change. We owe it to ourselves to do justice to the self.
12 Apr 2023
To be a teacher means being open to learning all the time. To stand upon the desk and stay in touch with my inner student. To make mistakes and get used to being humbled.
09 Mar 2023
We wanted to change things but needed a safe space for ourselves, too. My elderly in-laws, Ammi and Papa—the two people we had been most afraid of offending with our inter-faith marriage—became our allies.
18 Jan 2023
Returning to a classroom of young adults, I learnt that the gentler I am with my students, the more I learn how to connect deeper with my children.
14 Dec 2022
More than anything else, at Karwan-e-Mohabbat, we discovered the potential within each one of us. The power of community. Of connecting with others and extending ourselves.
12 Oct 2022
We are buckling under pressure to brush off anxieties and pretend that everything is back to normal in our workplaces, homes and schools. We are not alone, yet we feel isolated.
14 Sept 2022
Hold yourself tenderly. Let your inner nurturing parent protect your inner child. We need more space to act out our anxieties.
10 Aug 2022
Memory is a powerful thing. Inspiration is tenacious like weeds. To be Mohammad Zubair is to be on the side of truth and civility.
13 Jul 2022