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As you turn a young 82, am writing this, dear Amma, to celebrate eight decades of your life and to wish you many more years of good health, happiness and peace. To acknowledge the rich experience and wisdom that you have gained from the joys and sorrows, laughter and tears, successes and failures that came your way and  everything that made you who you are today, and how you made us who we are.

You ensured that Appa’s inspiring spirit lives on in us even though he passed on 29 years ago.  You were two of a kind, were you not? You were 53 when Appa moved on but you coped with the grief and the loss of a dearly loved spouse, partner and friend, with dignity and grace. And in the last 29 years, you have been a mother and father rolled into one, while simultaneously continuing to live your many other roles.

Amma, at 82, you are still rock solid strong  and yet, I see traces of vulnerability and very often, when I look back and reflect on your life, your journey, I think of the immense joy, your parents must have felt when you were born, of the dreams they must have had for you when you were a baby, the fun, you must have had as a kid, your own dreams as a teenager,  your wishes, hopes and aspirations as an adult.

Then, as they say, life happened .  You got married at 17, half-way into college, completing your graduation afterwards. You worked hard, with immense love, understanding and patience, to take care of the large family, making our home a happy, warm and loving place, building, nurturing and binding all relationships in the best possible ways.

As a mother, you did (and still do, because one never stops being a parent) everything possible, to nurture your daughters, more often than not, setting aside your own dreams in trying to make ours come true. Standing by us at all times, and making sure that we stood strong on our own.

As a grand-mother, the bond that you share with your grand-son is so precious and it exudes endless and uninterrupted love, affection and caring, fun and  play, stories, teaching and learning.

You are a walking and talking life lesson and have  instilled in us, purely by example, all that we needed to know about being  good human beings. We learnt from you values of affection, caring, compassion, understanding, gentleness, generosity, faith, patience, strength, courage, resilience, commitment. We learnt to nurture people and relationships, to respect and take care of the elderly. The importance of communication, how to forgive and forget, how to face life head on, to never give up or give in and balance the different aspects of life. And to be strong, happy and positive in body, mind and soul.  And to stay calm regardless of the turmoil within or without. To stand tall, with integrity, dignity and grace.

Nothing has dented your enthusiasm, your charm, your implicit faith, that things will work out and will get better, your laughter, the ability to find joy in the toughest of times and to see the good in everyone and everything.

I could go on and on but this is just a little attempt to let you know just how much you are treasured, loved and needed. We want you to know just how much we cherish you and your presence in our life. How much we love your stories and that we will always be there to nurture you like you nurtured us, to hold your hand like you held ours and to give you the tender care, warmth, affection and understanding that you gave us.

We will never do anything to bruise you pride and self-reliance but will ensure that you enjoy contentment. And we will make you proud too as we continue to show you in ways, big and small, that we, your children,  are living by all that you stand for.

Dear Amma and Appa (because, you are watching us),  we are blessed and grateful to be a part of you. Thank you for lighting our path and showing us the way.

With love and respect,

Your daughter

 

Minnie loves music, reading and serene natural landscapes and other spaces that connect with her heart. In the past, she has written a little but recently in her own words, ”I garnered enough confidence to attempt to share my writing when I connected with Unboxed Writers.”