gratitude

33 years of “US”

Ensures

They say the 33rd anniversary is the porphyry anniversary, named after the deep purple gemstone. Purple is associated with nobility, which is sort of fitting to this co-passenger of my life, who reigns over me….errr… my heart. Your strength, kindness, and unwavering support has made this journey of blissful togetherness not only last long, but also royal. Happy 33rd to US, Dearest Aparna! As I mentioned earlier in one of my article, looking back I can say that I don’t mind getting stranded on an uninhabited island after a ship wreck if you are around (so that you can keep reminding me that it was my fault 🤪)

To write something year after year has never been difficult since there would always be something new and more to write. One of the greatest virtue is being “Mum” (Pun intended). Being Mum to lovely kids, biological and manasik. And being “Mum” and let all others talk (while you scheme 🤪)

Jokes apart, I repeat once again, I was lucky enough to have been blessed to be married to someone, not whom I can live with but whom I cannot live without. Nothing explains why and how it worked. It just did. God and Guru have been Kind. I have nothing else to say. But for those beginning on this journey, we would like to say, “It is never nor was it ever hunky-dory every moment. We have had our share of travails (but opting out was never even a passing thought). We sailed through, cheering each other up, supported by gems of Kids around us, but sail we did. WE HAD TO WORK TO MAKE THIS WORK” The key word is “We”. And with someone like Aparna around it only made it easier for everyone around.

You may not be the Eternal optimist who always saw the glass half full, instead of half empty but when it needs the most you ensured that anyone around you saw even an empty glass as an over-flowing one.

What an incredible journey of 40 years (informally when I met you first) and 33 as a couple. Ever grateful for being truly a “Better” half. And a song dedicated to you

To the one who made me forget time

Ensures

As we complete 31 years of journey together, someone just said the traditional gift idea – The Time Piece! I wonder if it is even appropriate gift especially to Aparna, my companion in this blissful journey who made me forget time. 31 years went away in a jiffy and it would be inappropriate to use this gift idea.

Happy Anniversary Aparna

28th March 2022 – In a wedding of our friend’s son. An appropriate occasion to use this photograph

Yes, 31 years of cohabitation or rather living it up together, though ups and downs, in bliss and in challenge, in abundance and scarcity – nothing mattered – it was so easy living it up after having seen both the best and not so good moments. When one of the kids asked me how different it was on this day 31 years ago, has the love diminished, have the dreams remained a dream, given a chance what would you like to change and do things differently? I chose to answer the last question first and that has the answer to all those questions. I would change nothing at all. I will do things exactly like the way it has been done every moment of 31 years and nothing differently. That starry eyed me still remains at the core and left wondering what and where I would have ended up, had this amazing lady not chosen to walk alongside me.

When all our kids decided to get together at home to make this a memorable and special day for us and be with us to usher in midnight of 31st March, it got even more overwhelming. Each one of them make it special for us at every step, in their own ways. Ever grateful to the divine for the presence of each one in our lives. Thank you Kids! You make every moment worth living.

As always here is the song, miraculously found it while uploading some songs onto my channel. And it was Michael Matta’s tribute to his better half on their 31st Anniversary (Coincidental or Law of Attraction?). And every word is just a reflection of what I have to say. Thanks Mike for saying it for me.

Heart of Gold

Ensures

It is 10,227 to this day when I carried the best bundle of joy, a precious Gift that I ever carried in my arms – just seemed that the entire family waited for that day for lifetime to see her appearance into the world. The first Girl of the family in generations and how lucky we are to be her parents, uncle, aunt, cousins and most importantly Grandmother. (I so badly want to add Arun into the equation but then let me confirm if he really is :-P)

A lot of what I write here maybe a repeat, because she never ceased to be the great human being she was ever since she came along – it only got better? To write instances will need Terrabytes of webspace, but suffice to say “Trust me, ask anyone who has crossed her path – what I said is truth and nothing but truth”

From that day on 3rd April 1993, to a being a bride last year and first Birthday as a wife, you have grown gracefully into an amazing young (and beautiful – my genes you see) woman. You are that human being that I often wished I could be. You are beautiful, confident, smart, and well-liked by everyone.

This was the journey so far. My Precious one in my Arms at 28 hours and 28 years

Thank you Divine, for this wonderful gift – Akhila a.k.a. Divya – who has been more a friend than a daughter. It is always tough to write my heart out in limited abilities with words – because there is so much to write and to choose some is a challenge when it comes to writing about you. To start with, incredibly proud of you darling for the way you managed our expectations, by and large exceeded meeting it. You made up more than for small little disappointments when in the rare event you did not meet it. Looking back, it was great that you yourself set such a high expectations on yourself, which means you never ever felt you are undeserving of anything great that the creation has on offer.

As I have kept saying, I only pray that you continue to remain as confident and experiment. Best learning we all drew from you is not to be afraid of making mistakes. Many doors opened due to that, a lot of lessons learnt making you even greater person. As some wise man (don’t know why it has to be a man always :-P) said mistakes create the path to the amazing life one can aspire for later.

Isn’t it a great virtue of how you make friends and people are so easily drawn to you – highly magnetic feature that is everyone’s envy. You can go to a God forsaken place, half way across the globe, or into a desert, where you know nobody, yet I am sure you will come back with loads of new friends (and yet a few more of Whatsapp groups, Amma would say this). No adversity has ever dragged you down as we saw over the years. Just shed the moment and keep moving forward. I pray to the Divine that all these characteristics are never lost on you ever.

You are the best daughter, best grand-daughter, niece, sister, cousin, friend and now (assumedly) a great wife too. Keep smiling like you do while you make light of navigating the worst and most choppy seas of challenges. The way you, Arun and Vishnu managed along with everyone in the family those days when a lot of us were down with Covid, was simply unbelievable. Made it so easy for all of us to come out of it unscathed. Those words you wrote after it was over (in a week) was very touching – not showing any worry outside but what you were going through was so evident in that FB/Insta post. WoW Darling – You are unmatchable

Loads and loads of love from all of us here

Happy birthday Di, my beautiful and invaluable Friend! It’s still unbelievable that it is 28 summers ago on this day that we met for the first time – as a few minutes old, 3.1kg lively “staring” bundle. Keep your chin high and stay happy and progress in life retaining all those great traits that you possess. I love you more than you will ever know. Have a lovely day and a great year ahead.


From Grateful Dad

On this special day, here is my pick for you (or rather for me)