It's been over 5 months since I wrote my first blog. The first one was about Dada and by gods grace it was well received. I wasn't keen on writing the next one anytime soon. I was certain that whatever I write should be from within and should not be just for the sake of it.
My cousin got married last month and around that time a few incidents made me realize that life is not only about spending time with friends, hanging out with them and passing time watching movies. It is also about spending quality time with your grandparents which can give you unmatched satisfaction and joy. Whatever I am in life today, I owe it to them. I come from a big joint family. I have always been showered with unprecedented love and affection. I have a twin brother Ashok. They treat both of us in a manner that literally makes us yearn for their love.
We fondly address our Grandfather as "Bike Thatha" because he used to ride a TVS bike when we were young and thereby we started calling him that. We fondly call our grandmother "Pattu Paati" because she addresses us as "Pattu" which means "My Dear" in English and so we started calling her that. We got addicted to cricket at a very young age like every other boy in the country. My grandfather is a huge cricket fanatic, so he used to give us all insights and updates on the game and that's how the love for the game began. Back home when i was 10, we had this habit of playing cricket around 4'o clock in the evening on weekends. My grandfather wakes up around 4 after a short nap and the first thing he does after he comes downstairs is to look for us. He comes and he bowls under arm to both us. He was quick and it was difficult to tackle his under arm bowling. It gradually became a regular practice to play cricket with him. On the other hand my grandmother was officially our care taker when playing cricket. She used to feed us with snacks and soft drinks. She also used to carry a towel with her and whenever she found us sweating, she came running to help us out. People talk about how great Mother Teresa was. About her patience, the kind of affection and love she showered on people. I see it all in my grandma, I swear. Myself and Ashok, We lose temper at times and we shout at her ( For no fault of hers ), she will come back to us with a smiling face the very next moment. As I write this I am feeling very emotional about how badly I regret not big able to spend much time with them nowadays.
My grandfather is a retired government officer and my grandmother is a retired defence personnel. Right from my childhood they made sure we watched more English news channels as compared to the regional ones. Thank you Bike and Pattu, If not for you both I won't be here writing this blog in English. I am not showing off here tying to glorify my writing or communication skills. I am not sure where i would have been if not for their sincere effort to push us at a very young age to learn and communicate in English.
Since we were more interested in cricket. We developed this habit of collecting newspaper stories about cricketers and compiling them as a booklet. It all started during the 2003 cricket world cup. Match reports, pictures and scorecards of matches, we compiled all of it. Even if we miss out on a particular match or if we had to go to school, my grandmother would step in and she would ensure that the booklet is complete covering each and every match. I still have that booklet with me. Ashok has a book exclusively for Sachin and I have a one exclusively that covers Team India under Ganguly. In addition to Cricket we also collected articles and pictures on Tennis as well. For nearly 2 years we collected newspaper stories of all the cricket matches India played back then. Here are a few pictures of the booklet.
Both myself and Ashok were just above average students and we were always expected to score more. On every result day, when we reach home, Grandparents would treat us as if we topped the class. They would give us chocolates, talk proudly of us. They made us feel very happy. These little things motivated us. Time flew and the care and love scaled greater heights every passing year. We were in class 10 and we went for mathematics tuition at a place nearby. Grandparents used to go for walking daily. After we joined the tuition they changed their walking route and they would come for a walk nearby the tuition center just to see us. Mostly they would come around the time the tuition got over so that the four of us can go home together. Be it 10th or 12th they stood by our side though we didn't score much. They would take our side saying we tried our best and they would put the blame on the evaluators for being very strict.
We got into a college 40 kms away from where we reside. We didn't opt for the college bus so the transportation was not available doorstep. The bus stop was a KM away. In mornings Dad would drop us at the bus stop and in the evenings Dad wouldn't available so we had to walk. Considering the fact that we would be exhausted after a tiring day at the college, My grandparents would bring a bicycle alongside them to the bus stop. They would handover the bicycle to us and then would ask us to go home and they would go for a walk and will return back home walking. Being old, they could have just opted to just stay back home but instead they chose the harder one. I swear if I was them I would have definitely not done that on a regular basis.
For 22 years we were with them together as one big family. In 2014, I had to relocate to Chennai for a living. It was a very difficult decision to leave elders home. Ashok had 1 year of college left when I moved to Chennai. So I was happy that atleast Ashok was there with them. I moved to Chennai and I stayed at my cousins place. After a year it was Ashok's turn to move to Chennai and it was more difficult for them because both of us relocated to Chennai. Mom had to move to Chennai alongside Ashok to take care of both of us and it was left to my Dad alone to take care of grandparents back home. So we were split up into two families, one back home in Trichy and the other in Chennai. Though my grandparents had Dad, Aunt and Sister in law for company they felt lonely without us and we were able to realize it. How we wish all of us got jobs at our respective cities so that each of us can get to be with our families.
In 2015, We celebrated Grandfather's 80th birthday in Chennai in a very grand manner. Each and every one in the family took part in it and it was a memorable occasion. Back in 2002 during my grandmother's retirement felicitation function we cousins ( 6 of us ) took a group picture with grandparents and we decided that the same 6 of us would take a similar picture during the big birthday celebration. This is a picture that is very close to our heart and we have even framed it.
My Dad who was taking care of my grandparents had to relocate to Tirunelveli. More than anyone in the family he was very disappointed with the fact that he is leaving them alone. Around that time I was working in night shifts and I was not able to go home very frequently. The Chennai floods came along and it made life very difficult for them as they were not able to reach out to us. Later they were relieved to know that we were safe and at the same time they wanted us to relocate back to Trichy like the good old days. We were just figuring out a way to visit them more and to spend more time with them.
In Feb 2016, My Grandparents 50th Wedding Anniversary was round the corner so we were looking out for something very special and unique to gift them. I have a very good friend in Hyderabad who came up with a wonderful suggestion to present them with a Tab. We were thrilled with the idea. My grandparents never had any prior experience of using a gadget. In fact whenever i see people in my family talk of Whatsapp and Facebook, I can see the eagerness to learn on their faces. So it turned out to be a great surprise. They loved it. Trust me, their world has completely changed now and they have become so addicted to it. The first comment or a feedback I receive every time i put up a picture on Whatsapp is from my Grandmother. My grandfather uses Cricbuzz to keep track of all updates in the cricketing world. He even uses IRCTC to check train and ticket availability. I often talk to them on a video call nowadays. An APP called IMO is their hot favorite now. Very delighted to see them use gadgets with ease.
Please teach your grandparents to use gadgets, their world will change and they will enjoy the new experience. Whenever I visit them I feel very bad that I have left them alone. That is what sparked me to write this. I want the world to know how great my grandparents are and how you should be when you become one. They are a role model. Grandparents are gods gift to us and we should Visit, Love, celebrate and cherish them when they are around rather than feeling bad and regretting for things that you failed to do when they were around. I am sure that my Grandparents will read this blog and I take this platform to apologize to them for not being able to come and meet them very often and I assure that I will come and meet them often henceforth.
Love you Thatha & Paati
My cousin got married last month and around that time a few incidents made me realize that life is not only about spending time with friends, hanging out with them and passing time watching movies. It is also about spending quality time with your grandparents which can give you unmatched satisfaction and joy. Whatever I am in life today, I owe it to them. I come from a big joint family. I have always been showered with unprecedented love and affection. I have a twin brother Ashok. They treat both of us in a manner that literally makes us yearn for their love.
We fondly address our Grandfather as "Bike Thatha" because he used to ride a TVS bike when we were young and thereby we started calling him that. We fondly call our grandmother "Pattu Paati" because she addresses us as "Pattu" which means "My Dear" in English and so we started calling her that. We got addicted to cricket at a very young age like every other boy in the country. My grandfather is a huge cricket fanatic, so he used to give us all insights and updates on the game and that's how the love for the game began. Back home when i was 10, we had this habit of playing cricket around 4'o clock in the evening on weekends. My grandfather wakes up around 4 after a short nap and the first thing he does after he comes downstairs is to look for us. He comes and he bowls under arm to both us. He was quick and it was difficult to tackle his under arm bowling. It gradually became a regular practice to play cricket with him. On the other hand my grandmother was officially our care taker when playing cricket. She used to feed us with snacks and soft drinks. She also used to carry a towel with her and whenever she found us sweating, she came running to help us out. People talk about how great Mother Teresa was. About her patience, the kind of affection and love she showered on people. I see it all in my grandma, I swear. Myself and Ashok, We lose temper at times and we shout at her ( For no fault of hers ), she will come back to us with a smiling face the very next moment. As I write this I am feeling very emotional about how badly I regret not big able to spend much time with them nowadays.
My grandfather is a retired government officer and my grandmother is a retired defence personnel. Right from my childhood they made sure we watched more English news channels as compared to the regional ones. Thank you Bike and Pattu, If not for you both I won't be here writing this blog in English. I am not showing off here tying to glorify my writing or communication skills. I am not sure where i would have been if not for their sincere effort to push us at a very young age to learn and communicate in English.
Since we were more interested in cricket. We developed this habit of collecting newspaper stories about cricketers and compiling them as a booklet. It all started during the 2003 cricket world cup. Match reports, pictures and scorecards of matches, we compiled all of it. Even if we miss out on a particular match or if we had to go to school, my grandmother would step in and she would ensure that the booklet is complete covering each and every match. I still have that booklet with me. Ashok has a book exclusively for Sachin and I have a one exclusively that covers Team India under Ganguly. In addition to Cricket we also collected articles and pictures on Tennis as well. For nearly 2 years we collected newspaper stories of all the cricket matches India played back then. Here are a few pictures of the booklet.
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| Fond Memories |
Both myself and Ashok were just above average students and we were always expected to score more. On every result day, when we reach home, Grandparents would treat us as if we topped the class. They would give us chocolates, talk proudly of us. They made us feel very happy. These little things motivated us. Time flew and the care and love scaled greater heights every passing year. We were in class 10 and we went for mathematics tuition at a place nearby. Grandparents used to go for walking daily. After we joined the tuition they changed their walking route and they would come for a walk nearby the tuition center just to see us. Mostly they would come around the time the tuition got over so that the four of us can go home together. Be it 10th or 12th they stood by our side though we didn't score much. They would take our side saying we tried our best and they would put the blame on the evaluators for being very strict.
We got into a college 40 kms away from where we reside. We didn't opt for the college bus so the transportation was not available doorstep. The bus stop was a KM away. In mornings Dad would drop us at the bus stop and in the evenings Dad wouldn't available so we had to walk. Considering the fact that we would be exhausted after a tiring day at the college, My grandparents would bring a bicycle alongside them to the bus stop. They would handover the bicycle to us and then would ask us to go home and they would go for a walk and will return back home walking. Being old, they could have just opted to just stay back home but instead they chose the harder one. I swear if I was them I would have definitely not done that on a regular basis.
For 22 years we were with them together as one big family. In 2014, I had to relocate to Chennai for a living. It was a very difficult decision to leave elders home. Ashok had 1 year of college left when I moved to Chennai. So I was happy that atleast Ashok was there with them. I moved to Chennai and I stayed at my cousins place. After a year it was Ashok's turn to move to Chennai and it was more difficult for them because both of us relocated to Chennai. Mom had to move to Chennai alongside Ashok to take care of both of us and it was left to my Dad alone to take care of grandparents back home. So we were split up into two families, one back home in Trichy and the other in Chennai. Though my grandparents had Dad, Aunt and Sister in law for company they felt lonely without us and we were able to realize it. How we wish all of us got jobs at our respective cities so that each of us can get to be with our families.
In 2015, We celebrated Grandfather's 80th birthday in Chennai in a very grand manner. Each and every one in the family took part in it and it was a memorable occasion. Back in 2002 during my grandmother's retirement felicitation function we cousins ( 6 of us ) took a group picture with grandparents and we decided that the same 6 of us would take a similar picture during the big birthday celebration. This is a picture that is very close to our heart and we have even framed it.
 |
| A Picture that we will cherish forever |
My Dad who was taking care of my grandparents had to relocate to Tirunelveli. More than anyone in the family he was very disappointed with the fact that he is leaving them alone. Around that time I was working in night shifts and I was not able to go home very frequently. The Chennai floods came along and it made life very difficult for them as they were not able to reach out to us. Later they were relieved to know that we were safe and at the same time they wanted us to relocate back to Trichy like the good old days. We were just figuring out a way to visit them more and to spend more time with them.
In Feb 2016, My Grandparents 50th Wedding Anniversary was round the corner so we were looking out for something very special and unique to gift them. I have a very good friend in Hyderabad who came up with a wonderful suggestion to present them with a Tab. We were thrilled with the idea. My grandparents never had any prior experience of using a gadget. In fact whenever i see people in my family talk of Whatsapp and Facebook, I can see the eagerness to learn on their faces. So it turned out to be a great surprise. They loved it. Trust me, their world has completely changed now and they have become so addicted to it. The first comment or a feedback I receive every time i put up a picture on Whatsapp is from my Grandmother. My grandfather uses Cricbuzz to keep track of all updates in the cricketing world. He even uses IRCTC to check train and ticket availability. I often talk to them on a video call nowadays. An APP called IMO is their hot favorite now. Very delighted to see them use gadgets with ease.
 |
| Their New World |
Please teach your grandparents to use gadgets, their world will change and they will enjoy the new experience. Whenever I visit them I feel very bad that I have left them alone. That is what sparked me to write this. I want the world to know how great my grandparents are and how you should be when you become one. They are a role model. Grandparents are gods gift to us and we should Visit, Love, celebrate and cherish them when they are around rather than feeling bad and regretting for things that you failed to do when they were around. I am sure that my Grandparents will read this blog and I take this platform to apologize to them for not being able to come and meet them very often and I assure that I will come and meet them often henceforth.
Love you Thatha & Paati
