All of 25 (ok a little more than that!) and I know that many people my age talk of the MANY milestones that have been splendid events in their lives or those of their loved ones. It was probably a 1 year and 1 month anniversary of the first most brilliant tart you ate or the 2 year anniversary of joining the new job or a 30th birthday of a sister's fiance's sister... And it's great to celebrate every small wonder that fills our lives I am sure.
What do you make of a number like 100 then? 100 days since a baby was born maybe, your 100th public appearance, 100 people you convinced to buy lemonade, 100 thousand in your bank account for 100 days (if that was ever possible;)), 100 notebooks that you filled while in school, 100 pieces of collectibles lying hidden in the bottom draw of your cupboard that you admire everyday of your life, the 100 rs your housemaid gave you as a gift at your wedding, 100 to-do things that you wrote down in a small notebook and can't find it now, 100 people in your life (do we even keep in touch with more than 20?), 100 smiles that you can't forget, 100 all-time favorite songs.. and one could go on.
There is one person who would have celebrated a brilliant century in a few days from now. He celebrated not just 100 days after we were born but everyday that he got to meet us from the day we were born. We made him push our prams more than a 100 times to the park. He did not make loud public appearances but I know that at every wedding, puja, homam that he attended, the senior-most of vadiyars made sure not to skip a single mantram for fear of being caught by him. Lemonade or not, he convinced each one of us to finish our vegetables at every single meal. He brown-paper-wrapped every one of my school notebooks with special home-made glue. He made more than a 100 lovely notebooks from old paper every summer vacation for my tamil coaching and kolam classes with paati. He probably filled in more than a 100 books with his extremely disciplined routine of maintaining records. Look into his cupboard and you will find photographs that would easily be 100 years old and worth a million (not just 100) smiles. I know that some of us still have somewhere in our wallets a 10-rupee note he gave us when we got that letter from school saying we had successfully passed our exams and had moved to the next grade. I have personally carried his blessings in many a 100-rupee note to a distant relative's wedding if he didn't attend it himself. Were there a 100 people in his life- more like he raised almost 100 kids! He did not leave a 100 to-do things hanging in space. They were done before the day ended. 10-day old Sahana gurgled over the phone and the 98-year old giggled here like a 1-year old! Can any of us count the number of times we played the mridangam on his shiny bald head (he hated it but never once did he tell any of us not to)... and I could go on with a 100 more!
He never encouraged extravagance, but November 11, 2011 would have been a 100 years of splendid living. There may be no party this year but it should be a time of celebration. There will be no champagne flowing but tons of memories to guzzle down. There will be no cake, but ask anyone who knew him and they will tell you there is enough food for thought that he left behind. The birthday baby may not attend the celebrations, but will you ever forget that naughty smile of his.
Happy Birthday Thatha! That glint in your eye says a 100 lovely things to us every day of our lives!
What do you make of a number like 100 then? 100 days since a baby was born maybe, your 100th public appearance, 100 people you convinced to buy lemonade, 100 thousand in your bank account for 100 days (if that was ever possible;)), 100 notebooks that you filled while in school, 100 pieces of collectibles lying hidden in the bottom draw of your cupboard that you admire everyday of your life, the 100 rs your housemaid gave you as a gift at your wedding, 100 to-do things that you wrote down in a small notebook and can't find it now, 100 people in your life (do we even keep in touch with more than 20?), 100 smiles that you can't forget, 100 all-time favorite songs.. and one could go on.
There is one person who would have celebrated a brilliant century in a few days from now. He celebrated not just 100 days after we were born but everyday that he got to meet us from the day we were born. We made him push our prams more than a 100 times to the park. He did not make loud public appearances but I know that at every wedding, puja, homam that he attended, the senior-most of vadiyars made sure not to skip a single mantram for fear of being caught by him. Lemonade or not, he convinced each one of us to finish our vegetables at every single meal. He brown-paper-wrapped every one of my school notebooks with special home-made glue. He made more than a 100 lovely notebooks from old paper every summer vacation for my tamil coaching and kolam classes with paati. He probably filled in more than a 100 books with his extremely disciplined routine of maintaining records. Look into his cupboard and you will find photographs that would easily be 100 years old and worth a million (not just 100) smiles. I know that some of us still have somewhere in our wallets a 10-rupee note he gave us when we got that letter from school saying we had successfully passed our exams and had moved to the next grade. I have personally carried his blessings in many a 100-rupee note to a distant relative's wedding if he didn't attend it himself. Were there a 100 people in his life- more like he raised almost 100 kids! He did not leave a 100 to-do things hanging in space. They were done before the day ended. 10-day old Sahana gurgled over the phone and the 98-year old giggled here like a 1-year old! Can any of us count the number of times we played the mridangam on his shiny bald head (he hated it but never once did he tell any of us not to)... and I could go on with a 100 more!
He never encouraged extravagance, but November 11, 2011 would have been a 100 years of splendid living. There may be no party this year but it should be a time of celebration. There will be no champagne flowing but tons of memories to guzzle down. There will be no cake, but ask anyone who knew him and they will tell you there is enough food for thought that he left behind. The birthday baby may not attend the celebrations, but will you ever forget that naughty smile of his.
Happy Birthday Thatha! That glint in your eye says a 100 lovely things to us every day of our lives!
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