Friday, January 11, 2008

For You a Thousand Times Over…

These are li’l anecdotes/ thoughts from my childhood that will remain with me forever and can never be erased from my mind. Li’l facts that have helped build the person I am today….

->As students, I or Sums (my sister) have NEVER got reprimanded by my parents for our grades/scores. I really mean NEVER. N we were only average students though extremely hardworking, burning the midnight oil etc etc types. My Dad’s theories were
a) As long as we were putting in our best and were dedicated towards our efforts, it was not fair to complain about the grades.
b) Children would be only as intelligent as their parents. He believed it was a gene-thing. So it would be unfair if they expected miracles from us.
‘ Coz of these theories, we both were very highly motivated to study real hard n score the best n make him proud of us.

->My Dad comes from an extremely poor background. 3 meals a day was a luxury. He started working at the age of 17 to support his family of 3 sisters and 1 brother. N so he was willing to do whatever, spend how-much ever for his daughters to be educated, which at that point he could not afford. When he went to get my sister admitted into LKG, the principal told him “With your kind of salary, you won’t be able to afford my school”. He told my principal to give him a fair chance n send the kids out of the school the instant he missed paying a fee.
· My sister studied in that school for 12 years and had to leave after class X coz they din’t have the course she wanted.
· I studied in that school for 14 years. That was all they had!

->Mom had a very modest background and completed her B’com in Chennai. She got married at the age of 19 and had her 1st kid when she was 20 years old. She started working for financial reasons and is today the Media Manager of an Advertising Company. Today, she gets restless if she has a break for a little over 3-4 days and says she can’t dream of quitting work. She is our biggest inspiration…as a Home-maker, a Career Woman, a Mother, a Human Being!

->There were several instances where we received scoldings from our parents. My Dad ALWAYS said Sorry, when it was an undeserved scolding. I remember, he would walk into our bedroom at night before going to sleep, kiss our foreheads n say Sorry. He believed that sorry had to be said when it has to be said. There was no age barrier for using the word and that there are times when even a one-year old has to be asked for apology!

->Sums n I were extremely close to each other as children. Even now we are. But now I’m as close to mom much as I am to sums. As a child I would say “I love sums more” so easily. Now I know how much that must have hurt mom, though she never showed how she felt!
Mom was the tough one in the family. She was never expressive .She wasn’t the hug n kiss kind. Before each of our weddings my dad would have sleepless nights of how life would be without Sums/me at home. Mom dint say a word. Now I know, that was only to make us stronger. She cried more than anyone n she feels more than anyone, but she never shows! She is really the pillar of strength for the family.

->well I’ve been in the US for a year now…My 1st year out of home and I know mom ,dad n Sums are missing me real badly. I am getting very homesick myself. In November My manager at work had told me my leave in April was approved and there was so much excitement in the air. The 1st week of 2008, she comes back n tells me, my leave is not approved. I have been so upset about it and I know I crushed a whole bunch of dreams my parents had. All that mom had to say was “Don’t worry Sweetheart, God willing we’ll see you soon. Just be brave”. She dint show any disappointment. ….Just for me!

->Sums ..well to talk about our relationship would take a lifetime…There would be no childhood or for that matter no Pavi, if not for her…. Touchwood, I think we are simply the best n the perfect sisters in this whole wide galaxy!

These are a fraction of the reasons why I’m proud of you 3..

Well for u Ma n Pa and for u Sums… I want to relive those childhood years…
FOR YOU A THOUSAND TIMES OVER!


Ps: This line is used in the movie/book “The Kite Runner”. I just can’t get over the book….I can’t say enough how much I loved it….and I thought it was a beautiful line and am glad I found an appropriate usage for it in my life!!!

5 comments:

Cosmic Joy said...

Very touching thoughts .. I hope the three that matter are reading it :)

Pavi!!!! said...

@cosmic - No, mom n Dad won't be reading it.n know wat, thats the way i like it! it'll bring them tears if they knew I have grown up enuf to reflect on all of this![:)]..As far as they are concerned..I'm yet their li'l talkative gurl who thinks shes grown up!

Sums will, n will miss me more!

Keshi said...

WOW Pavi that was a tearjerker!!

Keshi.

Ankur said...

cant say a word abt the post... coz i can feel the emotions there... in every word!!! :)
Very very emotional!!! :)

I think i shld tell this story of mine to u... :)

I do belong to a modest background. My dad came from his village to do his B.Com. to the city of Jaipur. He didnt had a cycle then!!!
My mom too comes from a modest family, she tell us how she used to walk 7 kms to the university everyday just to save the fair of 25 paise!!!

and after my and moi sis birth she joined as a teacher for financial reasons, used to wake up at 3.30, prepare brkfast n lunch and then used to leave for her school at 5.30, the bus used to drop her at the begining of the village where she used to walk another 5 kms everyday to the school and come back...

This is my beginning... they gave me everything, wat me n my sis wanted.... they gave me love, and materials too!!!

Later in my life i appeared for CAT and was selected (recently), and my dad was diagnosed with heart disease... we didnt had enugh money (Cash) available to admit him to Escorts, we atleast thought it for a month in his critical state and then i said to mom that even if we have to sell our house, i dont care... somehow we managed!!!

On the day of his open heart surgery, my interview was going on in Symbiosis... sad day for me but it changed my life too!!!

He sweared me to appear...

there is a lot more i can write and which i cant ever forget... my parents has given me enugh and i dont know how many have seen this... Due to their blessings and gods grace i m doing alright now in my career!!!

but when u said belonging to parents, it hurted at that time... but i never said that u dont love ur parents enugh... i also understand that there is a thin line of difference but believe me i wont leave them or reduce the belogning ever for anyone!!!

I am wat i m beacuse of them!!! :)

And Pavi, i never misunderstood u in terms of respect towards ur parents... its just tat i wanted u to think for d belonging thing!!!

And i respect u for watevr u have written here... may be we belong to the same background and now we are where we are because of our parents... they have given a lot to us...

Wish good health and long life to ur parents... just keep them happy!!!

Cheers!!!

P.S. If i have hurt u in any way then i am really Sorry but that wasnt my intention!!! i hope u understand!!! :)

Pavi!!!! said...

@Ankur: Firstly. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post and responding to it with such a long comment.

Yes. We love, respect, admire our parents for the things theyhave sacrificed n done for us and for the fact tht its 'em...as simple as that!
I u'stand how u feel about the belonging part but i'm not able to convey wat i want in the right words. n yes i cant think of leavin 'em or reducing thier importance in my life. Diff people hold different kind of importance in our lives n no 1 person can replace the other. I talked about the belongingness coz i hv experienced it. Mabbe if u were @ the same place u wld u'steand. Nevermind. I think we agree at the high-level.

So is Dad okay now?Hope the heart surgery was fine. Thnx for those lovely words for my parents...lots of love,luck n happiness to urs :)