Maa is my grandmother.
I was very fortunate to have grown up with my grandparents. I think i owe this to my mom, who (despite the challenges of staying with aged in laws) made this possible for me.
Maa loved me :) i was the first kid in our joint family and for four long years, the sole center of attention.
But i was remembering her today for something entirely different.
I must have been about four or five years old when this happened. My uncle was home and he had brought a gift for ma (his mom). And stupid and "fearless" as kids are i asked him loudly if this ring was real! He smiled and i saw a weird expression on Maa's face, one i had not seen before. I knew that i had done something when i asked that question but since i recieved no answer or feedback i was not sure.
Few days later, while she was in the poojaghar i went and sat with her. After sometime, while she was rubbing the sandalwood stick to make paste for tilak, I pointed to her earing and asked her, "Maa is this real?"
Before i could recieve an answer or register whether her expression again changes to the same weird expression there was blinding pain, she pulled my ear and told me, "if you ask that question to anyone ever again u will answer to me. You will accept with gratitude whatever someone gives you. What is good for them to give is good for you to have."
I have not forgotten it.
It was one of the most important lessons in my life: humility and respect.
As we go up in life, we forget what matters most is the sentiment. We evaluate others and ourselves in things possessed, in things displayed, in things gifted.... in things.
In this mad race to possess "things" we sometimes forget what we started out for. We forget what matters most to us.
I went shopping today, spent a lot.
I was very fortunate to have grown up with my grandparents. I think i owe this to my mom, who (despite the challenges of staying with aged in laws) made this possible for me.
Maa loved me :) i was the first kid in our joint family and for four long years, the sole center of attention.
But i was remembering her today for something entirely different.
I must have been about four or five years old when this happened. My uncle was home and he had brought a gift for ma (his mom). And stupid and "fearless" as kids are i asked him loudly if this ring was real! He smiled and i saw a weird expression on Maa's face, one i had not seen before. I knew that i had done something when i asked that question but since i recieved no answer or feedback i was not sure.
Few days later, while she was in the poojaghar i went and sat with her. After sometime, while she was rubbing the sandalwood stick to make paste for tilak, I pointed to her earing and asked her, "Maa is this real?"
Before i could recieve an answer or register whether her expression again changes to the same weird expression there was blinding pain, she pulled my ear and told me, "if you ask that question to anyone ever again u will answer to me. You will accept with gratitude whatever someone gives you. What is good for them to give is good for you to have."
I have not forgotten it.
It was one of the most important lessons in my life: humility and respect.
As we go up in life, we forget what matters most is the sentiment. We evaluate others and ourselves in things possessed, in things displayed, in things gifted.... in things.
In this mad race to possess "things" we sometimes forget what we started out for. We forget what matters most to us.
I went shopping today, spent a lot.
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