Geetha

“Life takes strange turns, but I’m on a great path now.”

Geetha Rathnamala has adopted the word “I can” and no longer speaks or thinks negative words.

She came to UPS in 2015 after being homeless for several years and credits the staff at her residence, especially her Case Manager, with “improving her quality of life and aiding in her road to recovery.”

Geetha enjoys the City and is constantly on the lookout for “free” opportunities which will allow her to continue exploring it. As a result she is able to enjoy nature walks, gardening and kayaking all “favorite activities.” A pass to the Botanical Garden was a true gift and she “feels blessed” to have the opportunity to go there often to not only view the flowers but also for her daily meditations. There is also a small garden behind her building and the owner encourages her to work there. She loves kayaking and takes every opportunity to participate in the sport that she can. She also enjoys hiking and used to hike with the Sierra Club.

She believes that “nourishment is not only good for the body but also for the mind” and as a result, she is a strict vegetarian. Through yoga for regular exercise and hot steam sauna rooms, she purifies her body by sweating out negative toxins. She has not only shown improvement with her body but also her mind and spirit. She has made a concentrated effort to be in touch with her spiritual side and is a daily practitioner of meditation and calming techniques to help channel her inner being with positive emotions.

For her intellectual side, Geetha had previously enrolled at a local university where she did exceptionally well in chemistry, scoring 100% on all her exams. During that time, a “previous life” she tutored other students in math – a job she thoroughly enjoyed.

Geetha is very creative and multi-talented. She plays several instruments including the piano and guitar and enjoys writing poetry and books. (She also thoroughly enjoys reading – especially fiction and magazines – notably The Economist.) We look forward to seeing her as an author of children’s books and mystery novels in the future. For the UPS Black History Poetry contest she submitted the following:

A Love Like Winter Sunshine

A love
as warming and unexpected as
sunshine in winter
A slanted shaft slipping through
a streaked window pane,
frosted at its edge, glinting unabashedly

Dust motes commingling,
lit in stillness
caught in a momentary cosmic dance

Already its edges shift and slide,
leaving a chilled shadow
of jealous gloom
behind.

Perhaps it’s just an echo
of sifted light
from exuberant summers past
a promise, however pallid,
of summers yet to come.

– Geetha Rathnamala

Today, Geetha is a much happier person and is enjoying her well rounded life. She has plans to purchase her own home someday and looks forward to traveling. She visits her family in India whenever she can and often thinks about returning to live in her homeland.

To continue her path towards wellness and wholeness, Geetha is writing her memoir. She feels that this process will “help her know what is next in her life.”

Geetha has proven that making a change is as easy as saying “I will.” She is perfectly matched at Unique People Services for she is as unique as they come and can do many amazing things. She is multi-talented and very creative and we look forward to great things from her in the future.

Please join us in congratulating our Individual of the Month, Geetha Rathnamala as we continue to witness her journey to success.

Geetha you are shining bright – keep shining.