This one is going to be little personal; that corner of my heart, which has a softer, kinder and warmer touch in my life. Though I am always little jittery about writing things personal, being an introvert. But this kindred bond in my life with that faint, frosty beautiful bluish radiance of calmness and love like a moonlight holds my attention today, to let it out and share. Share what I always wanted to and be glad for what I have or am blessed with.
“Blessed be the ties that bind generations.”
She is the moonlight of my life and will always be, as I mentioned she is that antique little girl, with whom I share a doting bond and an affectionate link. She is my Grandmother, my Dad’s Mother.
Now she stays far away from me around thousand kilometres away. It’s not that I talk to her everyday but once in a full moon. But then when life becomes too demanding, even talking over a phone once a month surely seems suitable some of the time. But she is always there in my prayers. In my that self-made inner circle which consists of few of the precious ones in my life, she stays intact in there, always.
Why it is that I share such an exclusive tie with her? One of my very first early childhood memories, when she was not that old but a middle aged lady in her late forties may be, I remember distinctively how she used to make homemade kajal(modern day kohl) for me and my sister with great attention and care; kind of a traditional secret recipe mixed with pure charm. I grew up applying those on my eyes. That burnt castor oil traces still lingers in my sub conscious and I miss them dearly while applying my neatly packaged smudge free Maybelline colossal today.
As a saying goes in my homeland that applying kajal makes one’s eye appear beautiful. So I thank her today for filling my eyes with beauty; of beauty that encompasses pureness and richness of unconditional love. That beauty which surpasses physicality and reaches eyes of the soul and never smudges.
I always felt myself to be beautiful, though aware I am an average looking person. Somewhere this confidence in me was instilled by the loved ones all through out my growing up. Especially my Grandmother played a major role in this. She has always made me feel that beautiful. She made me believe that I am worth more than what life can offer, through her kind words. Today as a Mom, when I think deeper about it, I know What boost it did offer me being a child, having a belief on myself. So my earnest thankfulness to her to make me face those not so perfect days with the gift of tenacity through this faith that I can do it no matter what. I am always that twinkle in her eyes which shines brightly.
A Grandmother is a Mother with extra frosting.
And those days when I used to return back from my college classes, she will pull me to kitchen and put a succulent syrupy piece of sweetmeat; a mouthful of joy dripping all down my face, quite stealthily avoiding the prying eyes. As it was a big joint family and she didn’t wanted me to be devoid of these delectable relish before it’s been consumed by others. A sign of love which saw no boundary and is all pervasive and all powerful.
Thank you Grandma for imbibing in me the values of what love means which I can pass on as an inheritance; a lesson that you do whatever it takes to ensure that your kids are being loved and nourished.
And her innumerable tales with that warmth in her voice, which lavished my innocent tender years of growing up sprinkled with stardust. So how can I thank you for that priceless archives of imagination and a life beyond worldly that you planted on the seed of my mind in that impressionable years of mine!
Sleeping on your lap under the summer night stars or inside the winter blankets and listening to those inane yet virtuous fables will be treasured in safe haven of my heart ever, forever. And there were times when you fell short of a new story, even repeating the same ones still felt meaningful as if some zest added afresh or newness I found which I might have missed unintentionally.
And my gratitude for the innumberable times you stood for me, for against anyone even your own blood if they tried to hurt me in some way or other. Unconditional positive regard is rarely given by anyone except a very few and that’s what you offered me by trusting me effortlessly.
A grandmother’s love knows no distance.
And that special day of my life I was getting married to the man of my dream and you crossed 400 miles to be with me even if warned not to, for your deteriorated health conditions. I still remember what you said,
” How can I be not with my princess in this blissful day?, if I miss this then I will not forgive myself ever.”
And as I am penning these lines down, my eye are moist with tears but they don’t fall for the sheer strength of perseverance that you fostered in me through out the years with instances of grit like this.
And there are one and many more instances like these where you made an imprint on my heart with your loving, compassionate and affable selfless spirit. And I know I am your precious little thing that you will not bargain for anything or with anybody. And if in one line I can presume of what you assimilated on me, then that would be:
‘Never give up on Love’.
And I truly live with this surmise each and every day of my existence.
You are almost 85 now. As you have reached the autumn of your life and years of survival has wearied you down. These days when I call you and you still soak me with your warm loving words and then weep like a child grumbling and protesting why you should not be alive as being so primitive! That your eyes, knees, breathings and whole other systems are giving up day by day and that each day of existence is effortful and filled with pain at this stage of life. I hear but I pray and I still pray that you stay. That you don’t give up now. I know I am self-centerd in this but I don’t want to loose you ever as your love and affection is irreplaceable for me. We should all have at least that one person in our life who knows how to bless us no matter what and that’s what you are to me.
“They say genes skip generations.
Without my final acknowledgement, this piece of writing will remain unfinished and incomplete. I do remember when during one of your story sessions you revealed that how your Mother was a lady endowed with power of imagination and expression. You told me that she was a woman ahead of her generation. In those days of pre independent India, she was a connoisseur of words and literature and a gifted poet. Little did I knew at that point of time, what the word ‘Poet’ meant until I reached my School days.
But then sometimes when I write a verse or a note, and people ardently appreciate my effort or may be my skill, I wonder did my genetic code played a role in this. Surely, I don’t know the reason or have a clue for what makes me the way I am or aids me in expressing the things the way it is that might touch someone’s sensibility. But my heart do feel intensely grateful for what you passed on to me as a legacy knowingly or unknowingly.
“God Bless you My Moonlight, My Grandmother and Wish you Happy 85th Birthday.”
No words – Bravo!
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Thank you Mihrank
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Hello Chaitali,
This is a real nice post. Actually I feel grandparents are very cool and much more than parents. Happy birthday to your granny 🙂
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Thank you Anoop
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Happy Birthday to grandma ❤❤❤all of my love 🌻🌻🌻
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Thanks a tonne
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Thanks for sharing is all I can say 🙂
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Yes thanks
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A beautiful tribute to your Grandmother, she sounds gorgeous. They do make a big impact on our life, thankyou for sharing your story.
Karen
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I agree…Thanks Karen
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absolutely true ! a grandmother whether nani or dadi is a mother with that extra bit of wisdom which is so invaluable ! wonderful post 🙂
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Thanks Anand
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I have always felt every house should have a grandmom! I miss my nani so so much. Thank you for sharing this, Chaitali.
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You are so welcome
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That is a magnificent tribute to you your grandma, please wish her a happy birthday all the way from England.
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I will Ste for sure and thank you
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Beautiful words to describe such a lovely bond…i wish I had a dadi like yours
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Thanks so much
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A lovely tribute to grandma..grandparents are special 🙂
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So beautiful and heartfelt. Happy Birthday, Grandmother. May you sprinkle your stardust for many years to come.
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Happy Birthday to your Dadiji! May God Bless Her always.
Thanks for sharing this Chaitali! She is such a wonderful lady!
That truly reflects in you too.
God Bless!
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Thank you for your generosity
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The outpouring from that special corner of your heart has the purity and beauty of a mountain stream. It is heart-wrenching to see those once majestic folks being frittered away by the winds of time.
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Thank you for those generous words and yes time and tide waits for none…
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Thank you so much for your wishes
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you reminded me of mine. a beautiful writeup! Loved it! best wishes 🙂
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Thank you
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my grandmom is in her last days..ur touching n excellent write up made me cry…stay blessed both of u..best wishes
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My prayers and warm wishes for you both and thank you for your time
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Heart touching. Reminded me of my grand mom, who’s about the same age and resides in a different city.
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I am glad we could connect
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nicely expressed …a special bond indeed between grandparent and child…
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I so agree
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What an epic piece of writing paying homage to your grand mom. My eyes were damp when I read her reasoning for traveling just to be with “her princess” on your wedding day. I pray for respite from her suffering.
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I have no words for your feedback just heartfelt thankfulness
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Ah, yes. Lovely Grandmas. The forever ‘safe’ person to quell a ‘parent rage’.
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Absolutely
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Wishing happy birthday to her 🙂
Loved reading this 🙂 Sometimes sharing a personal post builds up a connection with your readers. So it’s always good to make it happen on some special occasions.
Thank you for sharing it 🙂
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I guess you are right…thanks for the words of appreciation and the wish
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Lovely tribute to your grandmother. I am sure so many of us can associate with this :).
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Thank you Aseem
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What a beautiful tribute to your grandmother! Well done!
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Thanks Linda as always
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I almost had tears in my eyes…moonlights are so important in our lives they are our only solace in the dark sometimes. I never had many memories of both of my grand mothers as I grew outside. But I miss their pampering and love and food (they both are no more) Genes skip a generation my Dad said that…he said I am so much like his father…poignant and your post will leave a mark in my heart
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Thank you so much Datta for sharing your thoughts
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Reading your post, touched my heart. Grand parents love and care is so special, you feel top of the world in their presence. Hats off Chaitali for such good post and taking us back in memory lane. Birthday wishes to your Grandma.
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Thank you so much Meenal
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You are very lucky Chaitali to have such a dotting grandma . I never did get the chance and your post somehow brought me to the verge of tears . Lovely 🙂
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Somewhere love connects us all…thanks
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This was such a loving post about your love for grandma. May you have her with you for a long time to come. Best wishes to her and to her whole clan 🙂
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Thank you so much Beloo
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Grandmother…. Yes she is special!! That’s what my sons say to me bout her and I told my mother!!
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Thanks for the read
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Grandparents .. best people in the world .. I have been blessed it seems to have them and your post reminded me of all those times spent with them , how i was pampered ..
Many many happy returns of the day to Grandma.. please do extend my regards ..
Happy birthday to her
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Thank you for your wish Bikramji
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It’s a lovely description of that eternal bond. I wasn’t that lucky in my childhood. My grandmother has passed before my birth and my mother too followed her after a few years of my birth. I’m deprived of any memories of the two most beautiful women in my life……. but…..that’s life…..it never stops for anyone…
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I am actually sorry to hear that and after hearing this I do admire your positive spirit
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Such a marvelous, exquisite and emotionally-compelling tribute to your dear grandmother. You connect us readers to your words with such apparent ease that its hard not to feel affection for the lady who inspired this post. A very Happy Birthday to your beloved grandmother.
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Thanks for the wishes Priyanshi
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Wish I had written something nice while I still had a chance. Bravo:)
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Wish I had written something nice when I still had a chance. Bravo and Thanks:)
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Thank you for these nice words
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What a lovely, loving tribute…and so real and immediate. Does your grandmother read your blog?
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Unfortunately no..But I have sent an original copy of write up through mail to my Uncle who can read it to her…
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It’s something she will cherish…
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Yes indeed thank you
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A lovely tribute.
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Thank you
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This was a wonderful post ! A fitting tribute to such a lovely person in your life. You are truly lucky to have been brought up by such a loving person in your life. God bless your grandma.
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Thank You Ash as always
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This is so beautiful. What a precious tribute to someone so special in your life. Does she know you wrote this for her?
🙂
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Yes indeed
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So we have one thing in common, my granny too made kajal for us. It’s such a heart warming read. Loved the title.
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I am glad to hear that
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The sweetness in this post if your heart out flowing is precious! I wanted to comment to tell you I reblogged the next post! I love your writing and the sweetness of your soul! Have a blessed day!
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Thank you Michelle for this generosity…spread it across…
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You welcome sweet one! Your writing is beautiful as are you! Inside and out! 😀 Blessings to you!
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Thank you for your beautiful words here 🙂 Keep up the amazing work!!
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Thank you Zac
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A very sweet post. The making of kajal reminded me of my grandmother with whom I had spend considerable time during my formative years.
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Glad to hear that
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Very beautifully written! I enjoyed reading this. Grandmothers are precious. Lovely piece!
Regards,
Amreen
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Beautiful post
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I am sure every grandchild like you will have a corner of his or her heart reserved exclusively for grandparents – kudos to you for penning the outpourings so beautifully that I could feel my eyes moist , and of course will never let it fall!
These memories are priceless and treasured and we can feel them at every point in our journey of life.
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Thanks so much….
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Love is all our parents , grand parents have for us. And in return they just need our time. I miss my grandmother who is no more with me now. But often when I am in problem, I just look up in the sky and say ” Amma please mera ye kaam kardo na”
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Yes heart touching indeed. Thank you
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Very true..and a beautiful ode to a grandmother ! 🙂 I just remembered my late grandma reading this…
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Thank you I just lost her 15 days back. The loss is irreplaceable but that’s what life is transient and I have no choice then to accept.
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Oh i am so sorry..
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Beautifully, beautifully said. 🙂
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Thank you Phoebe and welcome to my space.
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