Day 99 and counting!

Day 99...‪#‎100daysofhappiness‬ ‪#‎100happydays‬
Long post alert - do read till the end! A thank you!

Oprah Winfrey once said “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more in life there is to celebrate”. As most of you know the girl’s birthdays were celebrated together with our theme galas in January and in May we do something more meaningful yet memorable, that will always make them understand that celebrations are of many variants.

As Tamara turned 8 yesterday, we saw the day unfold in so many ways that we could not help being thrilled and blessed. As a family we did the morning routines of cake, balloons, hand made cards, small gifts, new clothes and more blessings. Thereafter, I was pleasantly surprised seeing the initiative of Tamara’s 5 best buddies in the apartment, who had planned to the last T- a creative and fun surprise party for her by the pool side…In case you are wondering what are the ingredients to a fun surprise birthday party, we can learn a few pointers from these 7 to 10 year old’s – blind folding the birthday girl, setting up a picnic spot with handmade crafty decorative, hand made cards, home made cake decorated and designed, chocolates, water to sip, tissues for the tidy up and keepsake novelty hand made gifts all energized by the roaring and enthusiastic surprise scream as the birthday girl arrived at the spot. She definitely did not expect it and had her heart melting. There was simplicity yet magic and a moment of feeling blessed.

Mother Teresa once said, “We cannot all do great things but we can do small things with great love and together we can do something wonderful”. While all this cheer had our hearts dancing, we were getting ready to celebrate and hope to do a small thing with great love. In all honesty, I was nervous and perhaps an overly concerned mother. While I had planned for the girls to celebrate this occasion in an orphanage, I honestly hoped to find a place that would leave a happy taste for both the T’s as this was their first experience and I wanted to ensure they found reason enough to want to go back for more such interactions. With this thought, my concern as a citizen aiming to do social good does not justify but as a mother I think it does. Thankfully with a after various recommendations, we opted for Home of Faith (Thank you Revathy Krishna Kumar) in Kothanur. Its home to 40 kids (both girls and boys) from 4 years to 18 years. It’s a registered trust but not a home which places the kids up for adoption. They are not the kinds who receive funds from all over the world or any missionaries. They thrive on themselves or close well wishers. It’s not a large establishment. It’s a house that facilitates responsibility and humanity, a large family bonding, love, and joys in small things. It’s a happy place that makes you want to come back for more! So here’s the grandest part. It’s run by a couple (he was a chemistry/ biology teacher in a reputed school previously), who bring up all the kids along with their own 3 and seem to just not differentiate. They are all educated, taken care of, loved and shown greater values. While education is one aspect, they also strive to give them more meaning and reason to aspire for greater things. Hobbies, instruments, summer school, special schooling for slow learners are all inclusions that each child gets exposure to here reminding us that no one is less privileged. The education institution gives this couple a marginal deduction to the fees of each child, but still seems like an expensive proposition in my eyes. The power of language with ‘the right English’ has not been left behind here, with each child speaking accurately, an area that both T’s initially thought would be a hindrance for them to interact owing to their limitations with kannada. There is just talent and hard work, channelising the effort is upto us!

We were welcomed with such openness, balloons of festivity, smiles and warm hello’s. The cakes were cut, cheered by the birthday song. As the kids all parted their responsibilities and shared the cake with everyone, I sensed an odd feeling of being treated as ‘VIP guests’. Clearly, I did not want my kids to get an isolated experience feeling more privileged there. Realizing that we just needed an ice breaker, I decided to conduct games with all the kids… games that made noise, had madness and loud laughter. Sure enough, before I knew it, the kids had blended in, there was excitement and they did not want to leave. Delicious lunch was served and all kids sat together and ate. It was time to leave and we definitely want to go back again, but what made it more convincing were the words of a young girl Divya. “Do visit us again”, is what she says that rings in my heart. With an experience this positive, I am now ready to introduce them to many other areas that probably will require more compassion from both my girls, but in time I know they will build that too!

As army kids, we have grown up learning our P’s and Q’s, wishing all our elders, acknowledging passing aunts and uncles’ and more. So much is missing in this generation, that in-spite of promising schools that soak more fees than worthy, or repeated reminders by parents, so many aspects are just not considered important to most kids these days. On the same note, the kids from slums who come for education support to our apartment or these children at the orphanages show more decorum and manners. It’s a small thing, but large enough to make well rounded individuals. Tomorrow the uber cool ‘highly educated’ kids will probably be successful in their careers but not so much as ‘human beings’ as compared to the others who have understood these life lessons in close proximity and value relationships more! This is something, we as parents need to understand a lot more and not pass it off as a ‘parental challenge joke’, cause when the time comes, and we will not be laughing!

After a fruitful celebration, we had an impromptu ‘cake in the park’ time with all the park kids and some parents singing as we cut and shared a cake. Even with a cake over dose, the day was lined with people who cared with all their heart and that made it special. Abraham Lincoln quoted “Its not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years”. With days like this, we are definitely seeing only life in our years. Tamara and Tanaaya had a truly memorable day and we thank you all for making it special with all your blessings and wishes. I am glad we have established this new family tradition of 2 part celebrations (in January and May). Mom and Arya have supported this tradition with so much gratitude and now the kids are excited to embrace it too! So here’s to new beginnings, milestones that matter, making a difference and appreciating lives beyond our hectic schedules!

With the big 100 round the corner, I want to thank the people who have given me all the reason to embark on this journey of relationships, moments and everything happy in my 100 days. Thank you Nimmi Belliappa for being the 'perfect mum and best friend, making this journey of 100 days with me at every step, sometimes showing me the impossible and most times teaching me all the way. I have learnt being unconditional, strong and independent from her, and that has been my biggest life lesson. In so many ways we are similar and different, but she is the force that keeps me together. Thank you Arya Ganapathy for making every day of 10 years count and as we look forward to many decades ahead. We can drive each other nuts yet hold each other like no one else can. We have a life to build and time is always going to be an issue, but am happy, we know what matters to both of us! Lastly my two T's who are everything my world is about, who make me look good on my worst days and love me no matter how horrifying I might get. They teach me innocence and true value every day!

Thank you all the folks, who have been part of my 100 days, either featured or as readers, who have not opposed my thought of acknowledging people who matter to me on a social platform and for describing my observations on them. As readers, you all have been very supportive and encouraging without whom I would not have been able to come this far. Thank you! The big 100 will be up soon and thereafter I have to gather a new literary journey! Until the next post!

So here's to people who can make a difference, just the way they have made in mine!