My First Born here to you on your 6th Bday

Your funny, your smart and you have your own ways of making us happy :)

The fisrt time I saw those twinkling big black eyes....I drowned into them. I still remember the first time you made an attempt to talk the only words you could say was "Aa" I was overjoyed that you had said first sound and Knew that it was not long before you would say the second sound that would go with it "ma" which was just somewhere round the corner...

The wait was long but it never came ...but what came surprised me...... "Asha" (our maids name :D) !!! So I tried teaching you to say "Amma" but like I said you have a mind of your own. One fine day you just said "Shubi" Oh!! that was the day someone should have pictured me :D and you continued calling me that till you were four after which I was graced with the title of "amma" from there to today.....when in one conversation you just said "Amma that's "PREPOSTEROUS" I couldn't believe you had just said that so I made you say that again and asked you what it meant ........you knew its meaning!! .......wow!! Made me think since when did you start to give in your punch lines......

Also I have to mention this today on last day of school you get off the bus and come running to me saying amma "Josie" gave me her number........

like all mums(which I never thought I will be ) I transformed into a canon shooting out "why" what" "when" ???????

To which you said "cool it amma" :O just for a play date !!!!

your conversations make me wonder are you growing up too fast ?? Or is this the way it is ......

As you turn 6 today I am very proud of who you are and always will be.

Love you lots ATHARV

oops!( yesterday you had requested to be called "Birthday Boy")

Fireflies.............

They watched it from their windows each night the fireflies creating a dreamy , hazy pathway. Very tempted they were to get on that path to explore the unseen world. But couldn’t muster up the courage , they looked at each other and both knew that one day they will walk that path.

The sun brightly shone on their faces as they were sound asleep tossing and turning to avoid the sun. The morning breeze brought in air filled with aroma of the morning breakfast, which they could no longer resist. Within no time they were in the kitchen where mom had served some yummy steamed idli’s on a plaintain leaf. They had their fill and off they went into the fields to play for they knew it was not long before they would’ve to get back to the daily chores.

“Excuse me” came a voice, not once but she heard it twice. She opened her eyes and reality struck, there was the stewardess asking if she needed anything to eat or maybe a drink. The runway had brought in memories of her childhood and her village. And here she was finally walking the path she and her little brother as a child had always thought about ‘an unseen world’.

“I’ll have some coffee please”, she said. She sipped her coffee and looked out of the window, it was dark outside but when she looked down she could see the city lights which were going further away from her till there was nothing but darkness! She decided to get back on the half left novel and before she could finish off a chapter she was fast asleep. An announcement from the pilot woke her up. She looked outside and it was bright n nice but white! She knew it was her destination and she needed to embark upon a new journey in her life, she collected her baggage and waited anxiously to see him….and there he was with a bunch of white daisies. “ welcome to your new home” he said......................

(to be cont......)

HOPE is made to be shared………Thoreau

My memories of him are from the age when I was three. Never have I seen or met any person so patient and content with life. He inspires me in my parenting skills, of what I can still remember, he was a very good husband, good father and the best part was he was a good human being.

He came from a fairly big family they were 7 brothers and sisters. His dad was a headmaster at school in a small village of ANKOLA. He did his schooling there and college at Hubli. The stories that I remember he told us of his childhood were amazing. We used to look forward to listen to the actual experiences…some of the memories were…he had a cow named ‘gori’ that he used to ride on to school….he had a parrot that used to wake him up in the morning and a squirrel that he used to hide in his shirt and take him to school. Being the eldest son of the family he made his share of sacrifices, his dream of getting into engineering never materialized. Still he was a content and happy person! He worked for 33 yrs at a company in the small town of Shahabad. He started there as a charge hand and went on to become a senior engineer when he retired. There were so many offer’s that he got to move on out of the small town but somehow nothing clicked. One such offer was from Saudi and that was when he was truly in need of money but his parents were getting old and were living with him and they said no to it and he agreed…till date I have no idea why he agreed…..maybe someday when I am a little older I might understand his views better. As a kid I never ever remember him reprimanding us. He had his own style of letting us know that what we did was not correct…..maybe one of the reasons why we were very open with him and talked about everything and discussed every bit with him. I remember when I was 16 , I met my now husband satish….I just walked up to him and said…that I have chosen my life partner…he was so cool about it…the only thing he told me was’ if at 16 you think u can choose Your life partner than I am sure Your matured enough to know what to do if the relation does not work. And that he will always be there for me! He gave me HOPE…..

He has been the biggest influence in my life and has helped me with his views ……there were so many things that he wanted to achieve in life …which he couldn’t, but never ever did I see a sad face….or a sad soul…..whenever I think of him I remember his smiling face …. he was my hope……and still is. To a great extent I have achieved all that he dreamed of …how I wish he was here today with me to share my happiness. I Still feel that I need to smile more and be content and be a better human being.

He left us in the year 1996 at the age of 63…….when it was time for him to sit back and relax. I keep thinking there aren’t a lot of people of this kind. Maybe GOD wanted him to be some other place to bring up better human beings.… When I saw him after he had passed away…he still had a smile and contentment that reflected of his face………..I dedicate this blog in his loving memory, on his 13th death anniversary.

DAD I love you ….you have been my inspiration and my strength … I miss you……you taught me HOPE!!

My first born here's to u......on ur b'day!

You changed our lives for ever......
The day I held u for the first time tears rolled down my eyes....
I waited 6 yrs for the amazing moment....
and u have never ever stopped to amaze me after that day........
your first smile....your first step....your first fall......
your first sneeze....your first word.....your first day at school.....
its not long before u say....... 'Ma' my first girlfriend!! :)
You are a year older today ......
but I still see u as I had seen u the first time ....my lil baby!!

LIVE…………………

In a world of anger, deceit, jealously, resentment, competition, career, money….are we not forgetting to live the life we dreamed about.….?

Most of us are looking for peace all our lives …..Contentment is long forgotten……and just think about what all we do in search of peace ….which either most of us are in the quest of or never accept that we need it.

Just take a minute to sit and relive the dreams that you had thought of as a kid for your life…….are u walking the path that leads you there. We are all lost ……I strongly feel that our earlier generations were more content and at peace than what we are ……..and the coming generations will never know what peace is ….are we inculcating the right values in our kids ? For that matter are we at home to look after our kids…….Is our coming generation strong enough emotionally to face the challenges of the wild world? Are we doing enough for our kids so that they can face the world n life, come what may? We get to hear so many teenagers have committed suicide…or killed their friends….WHY? Why are their minds so unstable? Why are these kids emotionally weak? All the money and the materialist things will take you nowhere if you are emotionally weak and cannot deal with the pressures of the world and life.

I quit my career to be with my kids…at the beginning I did not like it, thinking, Why did I do college, if I had to sit at home…. Today when I look at my kids, I know what me and my hubby decided was right and I am proud about it…I had my chance in making a career and someday I will for sure get back to work…but today they need me more…. I am truly happy and take pride in saying that I am a homemaker. My kids are still little but I know for all the efforts that we have put they will be emotionally strong youths…who could deal with any challenge of the world and life. I give credit to a dear friend of mine who reassured me that its the best decision and that you will be proud of it some day. Today I am proud of it so I am writing .......

One can make a career at any age…. there are so many people who have done it….…you could walk out of your house at 50 also to make a career…if you believe in yourself. But what’s the use of a career or a promotion or a hefty pay packet if you are not there to hold and comfort your kid when he/she falls down…or when you are not there at home to see their achievement at school…just because you have a deadline on a project or have to attend a meeting.. Parenting is no more dual it’s more on taking turns…….here I salute those people who decide not to have kids for they know that career is what they want at least they are being fair! Has money/career become the focal point in everyone's life these days? Live the life you have always thought of …make the most of it. Strive to give your kids a good life by this I don’t mean a materialistic life..…I mean a life filled with small pleasures …..a warm hug …..a smile of approval….saying I am always there with you …come what may. Just being there when they need you the most. Make a emotionally strong & confident generation. LIVE and teach your kids the skills to LIVE in todays world.

Because I BELIEVE , LIVE and HOPE that there is nothing impossible in this world……it’s just in the state of your mind to DECIDE that you could make a difference!!!