When the World Paused: Musings from the Margins of the Mind and Heart is a tribute from a daughter to her mother—anchored in love, deep listening, and surrender. During the stillness of lockdown, Mona Sharma began sending her mother poems via WhatsApp—fragments of feeling, presence, and reflection. Unbeknownst to her, Ma was quietly transcribing them into a diary, which she left behind when she passed. The book that followed is shaped by that gesture of quiet surrender—hers and the author’s. These poems, drawn from memory and emotion, offer a gentle presence to those who have loved, lost, and still listen inward.