‘All of us have moments in our childhood where we come alive for the first time. And we go back to those moments and think, This is when I became myself.’ This post is about some of those moments of my childhood, some of the purest moments,moments with a lady who was and still is one of the best influences in my life!
Think of childhood and pat come so many memories overflowing from the well of innocence! The hide and seek excitements, the hops scotch giggles, the exam fevers, the stomach aches to miss school and the vacations after exams! How wonderful were those days! If I could build a time machine, I would crawl back there; never to come back again! But that’s another story altogether!
There was a time in my life when I would look forward eagerly to Winter Vacations. It was while I was growing up. It was the time when I would spend with my Grandma, my dearest Dida. I am sure everyone has wonderful memories of their childhood with their grandparents and so do I.
My school would have vacations for around two to three months in the winter as I lived in Shillong, a hill station. Every year with the onset of Christmas I would be off with my entire family to my Dida’s place, to Silchar. Now as I look back I realize how much I miss those days, how much I miss Dida! I was her favourite among all her grandchildren. I really don’t know why but I just loved the feeling. Even before I would reach Silchar, Dida would be ready with all kinds of sweets especially ladoos just for me. But that’s not what I want to write about in here. What was special was something else altogether!
Often Dida and I would spend time together at home, just the two of us. I always preferred staying at home with her rather than going out with my cousins. I can never forget the rendezvous with Dida. She would be sit on a piri in the kitchen making ladoos with me nest to her and while I thought I was actually learning how to make ladoos for my dolls,Dida would be teaching me valuable lessons of life. All that just in the form of play! She would narrate to me one story each day, each having a moral which basically was a building block for my character.
One day she narrated a story to me which meant I should never boast or be proud of any material possession in life. The only thing I could and should pride on is my character which I needed to build each day of my life. To this day I hold that lesson close to my heart. It has been one of the pillars that I base my life on. She also taught me that every human being is equal and I should never hold any prejudice in my heart; be it for religion, caste or creed. Strange isn’t it, considering she belonged to a generation which hardly compromised on these aspects? But that’s her, she always believed in high thinking. Today I detest any demarcations based on these silly dogmas to a very large extent because of her. Dida was my Lady with the Light. She was one of the strongest women I have ever come across. She instilled morals in me for which I will forever be indebted to her. People say what you learn during childhood stays with you throughout. How true is that! Dida did that for me.
One day she narrated a story to me which meant I should never boast or be proud of any material possession in life. The only thing I could and should pride on is my character which I needed to build each day of my life. To this day I hold that lesson close to my heart. It has been one of the pillars that I base my life on. She also taught me that every human being is equal and I should never hold any prejudice in my heart; be it for religion, caste or creed. Strange isn’t it, considering she belonged to a generation which hardly compromised on these aspects? But that’s her, she always believed in high thinking. Today I detest any demarcations based on these silly dogmas to a very large extent because of her. Dida was my Lady with the Light. She was one of the strongest women I have ever come across. She instilled morals in me for which I will forever be indebted to her. People say what you learn during childhood stays with you throughout. How true is that! Dida did that for me.
Dida wherever you are today, perhaps sitting there with God and teaching him a lesson or two while making ladoos ! let me tell you this that your little Bubli remembers all that you taught her. She loves you and still follows each of your lessons in her life.
‘For in every adult there dwells the child that was, and in every child there lies the adult that will be.’
Dida you have given me the path on which I can lead my life. For me Dida, those were among the best and purest moments of my childhood.Shall do that again once I complete my journey here and come back to you !
‘For in every adult there dwells the child that was, and in every child there lies the adult that will be.’
Dida you have given me the path on which I can lead my life. For me Dida, those were among the best and purest moments of my childhood.Shall do that again once I complete my journey here and come back to you !
'One day she narrated a story to me which
meant I should never boast or be proud of
any material possession in life. The only
thing I could and should pride on is my
character which I needed to build each day
of my life' – Lovely to have such a dida. Kopal bhalo aapnar.
Thanks.. It was indeed lovely to have her in my life !