FAMILY

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I'd finger-paint more, and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging and less tugging.
~Diane Loomans, from "If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again"

What you all are going to read now, isn’t anything really great but it’s the most important thing for me. So, let me try to make it interesting for you too.

My dad, something more than the world’s most caring dad, I can undoubtedly say that he does not need to go through this verse of Mr. Diane Loomans, as it says “If I has my child to raise over again”, but I am proud to say that my dad has already done that. He has been everything to me, but my greatest limitation now has become that I can rarely show my affection and care for my parents. Anyways, I am trying a lot to improve on that front. My dad has never restricted me from doing all that I love to do and encouraged a lot for that. Whenever I present a new idea to him, he just makes me aware about all the limitations or dangers that the idea can pose. And those are always the ones about which I would have never thought upon if he wasn’t there to alert me. I love him a lot for that. I hope I would be someday able to live upto his expectations and express my love and care for him.

What's done to children, they will do to society. ~Karl Menninger

My mom, I can firmly say that, has kept this in mind always, unaware about the quote from Mr. Karl. She has always loved me a lot and many a times, I am able to show my love and care for her, the way she does. I love her suspicious nature too, and she is always there with me whenever I have had a small spat with my dad, to support me and then finally, when I would calm down, she would caress my hair and make me understand everything. She is the best example for those who say that a mother can never see her child getting hurt and she would be the first one to shed tears of happiness on some achievement of his child.

I happened to go to Japan last November, and my mom, packed a bag full of snacks, while my dad made a list of all the things to carry and got them and packed them personally. My mom was the only one to shed tears on my departure for just 17 days, while my dad was the only one to tell me spend and enjoy as much as you can, you might not get such chance again within a few years. When I was first admitted in Baroda for studies, during the initial days, my mom used to call me up every 2 hours and cry silently and pass the phone to dad when she would not be able to talk further.

Mom and Dad, I am really sorry that I cannot express myself openly about how much I love you, I wish someday I could. But I promise I will stand by your expectations and thanks for always being with me, understanding me, helping me, caring for me even though I do not many a times, letting me do what I love to do, etc, etc, etc, etc. (The list is actually endless. I think I shouldn’t have started this list, which I cannot complete).

My big brother is a hell of a brother. Irritating many a times, gets angry on small things and fights with me over petite issues, but cares a lot, always guides me and encourages me over something, gives his best when I ask for some help. His problem is just that he can never express his care for his near ones. Hats off to him when it comes to studies, getting 5-6 degrees aint any piece of cake.

My family, apart from these blood relations, consists of many more, about whom I think I should better mention in some other blog.