Meet me.
I am Mithu, the youngest of the Mahapatras. My two most favourite people in the whole wide world are Baba and Ravi. I love talking and cuddling with them. When they are busy I tolerate mom, Jyoti and Suraj. I like Jeff better than them. Summer is wonderful because they are all home more often. I can see them outside in the evenings, enjoying themselves. If I make enough noise they take me out with them. In the picture I am listening to Baba make soft cooing sounds at me. That is how he tells me he loves me.
I am Mithu, the youngest of the Mahapatras. My two most favourite people in the whole wide world are Baba and Ravi. I love talking and cuddling with them. When they are busy I tolerate mom, Jyoti and Suraj. I like Jeff better than them. Summer is wonderful because they are all home more often. I can see them outside in the evenings, enjoying themselves. If I make enough noise they take me out with them. In the picture I am listening to Baba make soft cooing sounds at me. That is how he tells me he loves me. Baba has been home all the time lately. This week however I have seen him take his truck out a few times. He looked happy when he left and even happier when he came back. I think he likes driving. He brought home some things in the bags but nothing for me. He gives Suraj and me banana and sliced apple. He seems to notice our needs quite keenly these days.
When at home he spends time sitting on the family room sofa watching TV. In between he dozes off and misses some of the news. Of course the same thing is repeated so many times he catches it all ultimately. Is'nt life just like that too!!
I see him take his food through the tube. Very strange. He is trying small amounts of soup and rice but not enough to replace the tube feed. His favourite though is Starbucks coffee and that he somehow manages to sip by mouth. My favourite foods are pizza crust, Cashew nuts (slow roasted), naan, Mango, cauliflower, chessman cookies, potatoe chips, carrots, french fries....ok . ok.. I'll stop now. Sorry.
May 31st is mom's birthday. Don't forget to wish her. She is easy to please. All you have to do is remember it. I steal her heart every day by wishing her good morning and kissing her good night. Baba knows these tricks too. She loves having Baba home. She better get over it though for Baba has started dreaming about work.
A big Amazonian kiss from me to all of you.....Mithu.
In case you are wondering...I am a girl
7 comments:
Just now as I open up I find Mithu reminding me about your birthday. You too had reminded me the other day but as is my wont I almost forgot what I needed to do for it.Thanks Mithu even though you are none of my friends!
You had asked me for a piece of writing as birthday gift. I thought over it. Certainly you did not mean stereotyped greetings but something differnt and thought provoking. You almost gave me a direction when you wondered how I was taking so much interest in American elections without having a right to vote. I wondered too. As I looked back in a mode of introspection I found that quite early, in my school days, I had read and learnt about George Washington and Abraham lincoln before I learnt about any Indian heroes. Is there some Indian connection with the American peninsula? ONe Chaman Lal has propounded a theory that a branch of Aryans crossing the Bering strait had colonised America just as they did India, mid-east and europe. The people, Columbus found and called indians, were in reality indians, he claimed. But there are many holes in this theroy. The chief one being that aryans were a prolific race. They spread like creepers occupying all vacant niches. They replaced all old races wherever they went and themselves were never replaced. If american indians had been aryans Europeans would have found no place to colonise. There had to be some other reason for my unusual interest in American affairs.
As I ruminate further I discover many similarities between India and America. In fact America appears to be a microcosmic model of India in as much as whatever we did in three thousand years America has done the same in three hundred years. For that matter we may compare India to an elephant with its languid gait and nomadic habit - hence an easy target for poachers.America on the other hand is like a panther jealously gaurding its territory. Barring this temparamental differnce similarities in other respects abound.Just as Aryans displaced Dravidians three thousand years ago The european Aryans did the same to American Indians three hundred years ago. The Indo-aryans alloted a very low position to women. So did the early Americans. A historian has pithily described the lot of their women as follows,"Great were the hardships suffered by the pilgrim fathers. But those suffered by the pilgrim mothers were still greater. Because alongside with all those hardships, they also had to suffer the pilgrim fathers." The Indo-aryans employed old racial groups (Dalits)for menial jobs. The Americans treated negroes the same way. Both nations are making amends for their past transgressions. In my earlier entry to your blog I mentioned two debts owed by America. In fact there were three. One stood redeemed when Americans helped put up 'Crazy horse' to rival - nay surpass the rock images of their own presidents. Of the remaining two debts, one is owed to the women and the other to the blacks. It remains to be seen which debt is paid first depending on who, among Obama and Clinton, survives the gruelling primaries. Similarly India owed three debts. One to Dravidians, other to Dalits and third to women. Dravidians joined the main stream long back.In the last two decades several measures have been taken to uplift Dalits also by making reservations for them in the fields of education, employment and promotions. Women have received only some cosmetic rewards. Their presence in political polity is minimal. During the last ten years a bill to grant 30% reservation to women in the state assemblies and the Loksabha has been debated a number of times but every time it is jettisoned by vested interests. This bill has once more been revived and We'll be awaiting its fate in the coming monsoon session of the parliament. If Obama wins and Clinton loses, America will run parallel to India in the case of women also.
India and America are two biggest democracies of the world. All around us lie the graveyards of democracy in Mayamar,in Bangladesh, in Pakistan. In mideast, far east and China democracy is either non-existent or a sham. Similar, more or less, is the position in Africa and south America. America and India are thus natural democratic allies. Both realise it and are therefore coming close to each other. Further American people like Indians believe in inclusiveness. They join each other's festivities; inter marriages are common. The standoffish English people in their new found land have shed their inhibitions. During my visits, I found that Indian Americans were one of the more prosperous, better qualified and the happiest group. In short they felt at home in America.
By now you have spent a greater
part of your life in America - half in domiciled residency and half in citizenship. Both of you and your children love America. I am glad you chose this great country for living. Wishing you the happiest birthday!
Daddy.
I LOVE this post! It made me laugh since the only side of Mithu I usually see is her talking to you guys as you pass by her. I am going to have to show this to Sydney and Teagan since they talk about Mithu quite often. Whenever we go to the Children's Zoo and they see the Macaws they always yell "Mom that is like Suraj's bird!"
Ambi, I wish you a very Happy Birthday. You truly deserve it, I can see how strong you have been so strong these past months. Let everyone spoil you for a day!
HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!!!
Heather
Dear Sachi bhai & Ambiji,
Namaskar !!!
Ambiji, Wish you a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!!! and pray God to give happiness not just on this special day but every day. Just remembered a quote, “ No problem can withstand the power of sustained creative thought” . You are a true example of it.
It feels so good to see nice pictures of the entire family and Sachi bhai driving, enjoying outside and talking to Mithu. We are very glad that with God’s grace, things are back to normal . Looking forward to seeing you all this Monday.
Asit & Runu
I bow down in reverence and pranam to the beautiful birthday blessings from father to daughter….a gift that was desired by the “new born” and bestowed by the proud father….a piece that might seem small in length but is in fact vast in its coverage and comprehensive in its content…a contribution that has adorned the mood of the Day in twinkling colors of love and affection….
If you want to be remembered by posterity, either write something worth reading or do something worth writing about….. But you, Nuabou, have accomplished both. The quality of your updates has been consistently recording an upward swing in style as well as in content, in eloquence as well as in depth, in beauty as well as in feeling. Transcending the written word, you have silently been doing what very few of us, lesser mortals, could have ever been able to attempt or achieve. Service and sacrifice have taken on a new meaning and scaled an unprecedented height by the lofty extent of your involvement and intensity during the entire process from prognosis to recovery and beyond…..Your relentless spirit of perseverance has elevated every event, small or significant, from the ordinary to the divine… The seeds of sacrifice that you so generously sowed, shall always reap the fruits of love from one and all.
As you emerge from slumber this morning and open the door, you shall see the first rays of the sun at your feet, and in that instant you shall feel the warmth of our hands too as we touch them in pranam. The Golden Day that witnessed your birth has come again, clothed in the brilliance of hope and happiness, beckoning you into the green expanse of nature’s bosom, inviting you to breathe in the freshness of a new year in exhilaration…..
This is the Day that marks not only your entry into our realm of mortals, but it also represents that unique point in time when all nature's phenomena intersected only once this way when you were born, and never again, making your life significant, singular and special...... As each of us is born in our own unique moments....this is your's. A day of remembrance and rejoicing.....a year of cherishing and celebrating… and a Life of thanksgiving and gratitude to God and your parents for having bestowed this marvelous gift on you: The Gift of Life....
Many Happy Returns of the Day.
May God bless you with a long and healthy life of meaning, fulfillment and peace as you walk hand in hand with your partner towards the radiance of a brave and beautiful new tomorrow….
Pranams & Best wishes.
Vicky and Babi
PS. And Mithu, I have not forgotten you! That was an impressive introduction to your integral presence in the Mahapatra family in Lincoln. Your counterpart here, popularly known as Rex the rascal, similarly sits comfortably ensconced in the hearts of all members of the Mahapatra family in Bangkok! Though both of you do not speak our language or share our follies, you spend an entire lifetime in silence and yet your eloquence in love is so palpable that words seem impoverished in their attempt at delineating your devotion and permanence of attachment. If only we of the human so-called ‘superior’ race could learn and live a few of your lessons of loyalty and love, this world would become such a marvelous place to inhabit……
Dear didi,
As you wake up this morning, hope your eyes twinkle in the brightness of the soothing sunlight, your skin is caressed by the extra warmth in the air, your olfactory senses are welcomed by the fragrance of the flowers from your garden kept quietly by the side of your bed at night, your taste buds bathe in the anticipatory juices of your favourite breakfast - may be being prepared by jijaji, Suraj and Ravi!! and your ears are continuously treated with the sweet music of Happy Birthday from all of us sung by MITHU. Does it sound good enough? There is some more. Also wishing you a dream day with yourself and with the whole family together. Here we all have had Kulfi (minus the faluda though)on your behalf and would be having chicken kathi-rolls for dinner.
With lots of love to you all and a birthday hug for you,
Bablee and Biji (mummy told me to write her name also definitely with whatever I write to you as "daddy ne te zaroor nahi likhya hoyega"!)
Ambi,
Happy birthday from all of us. I am sure you Sachi and kids are celebrating it together today. Have fun. Looks like Sachi is slowly getting in to regular routine. It is hard for an active guy like him to sit around and take it easy. In a way it is good that he is getting active as it will help speeding up the recovery process.
You are writing beautiful blog about pind and our family. Brings back lot of my childhood memories. Thanks for refreshing old memories.
Avtar-Gurjeet
Dearest Sachi and Ambi,
I just received your blog from Cyndie Hanson. I heard of your news from Becky Gocke. I was very sad of the news,but after reading your blog, I am very happy for your recovery. Mike and I think of you often. We are glad that you are home. We are still in Norfolk, Mike is out on his own now and I have started part-time marketing for an open MRI and will be doing prn scanning this fall. It is so nice to see the family. I haven't seen them since they were very small. You are such a beautiful family. You will make a great grandpa Sachi:-) I will sign off for now. Please know you are in our thoughts and prayers.
Love
Mike and Jamey Adams
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