Keep Echoing

Its been more than 10 years now, that I lived with my parents continuously for 3 months. If I am right, lastly when I was studying 12th standard I was at home. After that I could be at home only during my college holidays which is not more than 2 months. Later once i started working it was even ,ore less, like some weeks.
It was now possible to stay with them for 3 months continuously because of our sweet little Barathraam. I could still vividly remember the initial days when they arrived. We showed them the washing and other places in our colony, my college, my office etc. How Appa got accustomed to this cold winter climate still surprises me.
I dint have the slightest thought that he could go for supermarkets alone even during snow and on temperatures like -20 degree Celsius.  Though he was hesitant initially, he did it for he wanted to shoulder Sriram's shopping activities. As Amma kept praying, she dint face any major health problems during these 3 months, though she had few minor ones now & then. I was sure that she would like this cold climate and she also liked it. As always, she gave me advices softly and took great care of us. I would say both of them are instrumental in bringing Barathraam to set into a rhythm, like timely activities. We are a bit disappointed that we could not take them to any place, but we can't help it as we had our little Barathraam. Good at least we could take them to the frozen lake.

Now though they are back to India, their voices are keep echoing for me in each & every activity like Appa's dialogue when he keep him விபுதி (sacred powder)"தாயுமான சுவாமி குழந்தை காப்பாத்து. குழந்தை சமத்தா பால் குடிக்கணும்" (Lord Thayumana Swamy take care of baby, he has to drink milk well) and Amma's "ஜோ ஜோ ஜா ஜா ஜி ஜி" (rhyming tunes) mimicking all songs, like Bagyada Lakshmi Baramma and "ஏழை சொல் அம்பலம் ஏறாது" (Poor man's words are not heeded in an assembly). I have to say her that, "ஏழை சொல் அம்பலம் ஏறாது ஆனால் அம்பலம் ஏறும்போது ஏழை நினைகப்படுவான்".

We do miss them and by recollecting their voices and dialogues, I feel they are still with us. I sincerely wish to stay with them longer. I believe they enjoyed their stay in Finland.

Our sweet little Barathraam

On an auspicious day, we are blessed with our cute little baby Barathraam. I was wondering earlier before delivery  how I would take care of a small little baby for I din't even have courage to hold a small baby. However as everyone says, things change when it comes to own individuals. Yes, I could now say that one will acquire all needed skills to take care of a baby naturally and will become motherly.

One of the most important things about babies are that they are very good in observation and acquires inferential knowledge. So it is very important for the parents to watch out their activities. I have learned many good habits from my parents and grandma, and imbibed many good activities from them. To name a few, I imbibed श्रद्धा (shraddha - performing work with trust and faith), hardwork, dedication from my father, being tolerant, inquisitive, creative from my mother, and being perfect (including keeping things from where its taken), systematic from my grandma. When anyone says that Vidhya is good at this, I  attribute all those praises to my parents and grandma, for its because of the way they brought us.

Similarly, I believe Barathraam will find some good habits from us. So it is very important for us to follow some of our good habits consistently and at the same time acquire new good habits.

As the saying goes சொல்லி கொடுத்த வார்த்தையும், கட்டி கொடுத்த சோறும் எத்தனை நாளைக்கு ? - as, "How many days will the preached words and prepared lunch will stand?" meaning those advices which are kept told will have effect only few days. Only when an individual realise it by himself, he will do it lifelong. Children will not heed to our mere words or instructions. So for our words to be effective, we have to live those words by ourself.

I pass on this message to all those ought to be mothers - You will acquire motherly skills naturally, but you have to watch out your habits for your baby learns from you and not from your words.