REMEMBRANCE AMMAJI

Copyright@shravancharitymission

36th  DEATH ANNIVERSARY

    Moms are special. They are never too old for their children. They continue to bless. Even more special are their memories, when they are gone. That keeps rocking you, all your life. Look after her as long as she’s alive. As beyond that it is only sad remembrance. Few lines in her honour.

MOTHER

Years don’t distort,

Time doesn’t warp,

Lifetime doesn’t blot,

Mother’s priceless memories,

 Always remains atop.

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Even when I know you’re not there,

Yet there is always something,

 That tells me,

You’re somewhere here and there,

Along my life and for my care.

*

In the measure of time,

You carried me up to nine,

Then cradled me with all the rhymes,

You fed me to grind,

And taught me to shine.

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My maiden friend,

The first to comprehend,

My lifelong mentor,

And evergreen centre.

*

In the shackles of time

You were always mine,

But when shackles unshackled,

God took you away in no time.

*

And since you’ve gone

Life is bereft of umpteen charms,

But the soul connect is still alive,

That revives the vibes

And that’s how life thrives.

*

Of all you taught me,

Each virtue is still refreshed,

I May have forgotten school,

But you’re still afresh.

*

As time passes,

More of it comes along,

Just as your loving memories,

That keeps coming on and on.

*

Ma you’ll never fade,

You’ll always shine like the jade,

As long as I live,

And even beyond my days.

*****

Copyright@shravancharitymission

By Kamlesh Tripathi

BREAKING RELATIONSHIP—LIKE A SUDDEN DEATH

    In our lives we all are born to a family. Where, we have our parents and our siblings. And as we grow slightly old we discover we have relatives. Where, some are close and some are distant. Over a period of time when we grow up, we even make acquaintances and friends. Gradually, some acquaintances turn out to be lifetime friends, and some remain as acquaintances.

    As a proclivity, in this arduous and long journey of life, every now and then we keep making friends and colleagues. Who, remain with us for a period of time. And then we lose them because, we all have a well defined journey, where destinations are different and paths are therefore varied.

    And in this ever changing scenario we often are out of touch with our old contacts while we form new associations. But we never really feel as if we have lost the old ones for forever. Because, heart-to-heart we know they are just round the corner, in some different company or a country or a city or a profession where we can just pick up the phone and talk to them whenever we want.

    But such is not the case when any of your close relative, friend, colleague or even an acquaintance severs his or her relationship with you or if it’s a vice versa. For, then, it’ll be like a sudden death of a relationship. And death is a point of no return. So don’t head towards the death of a relationship and even if you’re walking out leave a point of return.

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HOUSE WIFE OR A CAREER WIFE

Copyright@shravancharitymission

By Kamlesh Tripathi

    Savita looked a little restless when her husband, who was new in a job, introduced her as a ‘housewife’ after three of his junior colleagues introduced their wives as ‘career-wives’ in the office gathering that was partying around the annual target achievement ball. Savita later tried to dilute her introduction by talking more about her academic career than her career as a homemaker. But it got me thinking while I was standing in a corner. What is the future of and Indian housewife?

    Oxford dictionary defines a housewife as a married woman, whose main occupation is caring for her family, managing household affairs and doing housework: the traditional division of labour between the husband as breadwinner and wife as housewife.     Chambers on the other hand defines housewife as a woman who looks after the house, her husband or partner, and the family, and who often does not have a paid job outside the home. Merriam Webster describes a housewife as a married woman who is in charge of her household. But in urban India we generally refer, a housewife as gharwali, a person who manages the house but doesn’t have a career. And in converse a husband is called a gharwala, but he bloody well has to go out and make a career.

    But, tables have turned in India now where things have really opened up for women especially in the urban areas. Be it education, skill development, entrepreneurship and the works. Traditionally, Indian women were tied to their homes and families as part of family tradition and also because there weren’t too many opportunities. But India has moved on since then and there exists ample opportunities now for them to create their own identity in the Indian workforce of 500 million strong, and where 60% of Indian population is below 35 years of age and each ear 10 million jobs are required to keep the young Indian population afloat . So then the big question is will the 21^st century woman in all her vanity and egomania love being called a housewife or a career wife?

    India loves following the west. So let’s take the American workforce per se. It comprises of 47% female workers and 53% male workers (a close race) and therefore Supermom is not a myth after all, and Super Dad is beginning to become a realty in India (Vodafone campaign).

    Last but not the least will the existing housewives (now mothers) of India prefer their daughters being addressed as a housewife or a career wife and what about the husband—a housewife or a career-wife and what about the wife—a house-husband or a career-husband?

*****

        

#story: Priorities of life vs priorities of a lifetime

Copyright@shravancharitymission

By Kamlesh Tripathi

    There was once an old person who used to stay in a remote city with his wife. He was not very well off. But apparently, he was very sincere both towards his family and even his extended family. By nature he was not very diplomatic and conniving, rather he was curt and straight forward, yet he wished everyone well. But his straight forward nature had painted a negative picture of him in the entire family.

    One day he realised that his clan had grown both in size and diversity with people settling all across the country and even abroad, and had not come together for many years. Over the years many marriages had taken place, where many daughter-in-laws and son-in-laws had entered the family and many grandchildren were born and many of them had not even met each other. This required a complete churning of the family; for the clan is as closely knit as its last meeting, he thought so.

    One day he got a brainwave. He thought of arranging for a family get-together where the entire clan could come under one umbrella just for a couple of days during a holiday or even a weekend. He visualised this could be a forerunner and could set a domino effect of family gatherings amongst family members which in turn will generate fondness and belongingness in the family even after he is gone. He discussed the idea with his wife who too welcomed it.

    He then communicated to all the family members about his idea. Some family members responded warmly, some in a lukewarm fashion, some were indifferent and some didn’t even consider the idea worth replying, nevertheless he took the indifference in his stride.

    But in spite of the minor disrespect that he suffered at the hands of some members of the family, he decided to go ahead and take initiative as he thought it was a watershed idea to bring together the entire clan. In consultation with members of the family a three day programme was fixed. The dates were finally decided keeping everyone’s convenience in mind; which was during the festival period and that too over a weekend so that leave was not an issue.

    The first day was all about receiving people from the airport and the railway station followed by some free time to laze and mingle as most of them would have met after a long gap and some for the first time, followed by a gala dinner in the ambience of some soothing gazals in the club. The second day was all about local sightseeing for which he had booked a van, which was more for the children and the young crowd that not seen the city. For the third day a family puja was planned in the morning followed by shopping during the day and a bout of indoor games in the evening followed by dinner and with that the programme would have come to an end. 

    While keeping the get-together in mind, he had also started some minor renovations and facelift of his house for the comfort of the guests, considering so many family members were arriving after a long gap and the atmosphere at home had begun to be upbeat. Until one day when less than a month was left he and his wife started getting calls from several family members that they are unable to make it.

    For some, important business meetings had sprung up on those very dates falling over the weekend, for some others pressing engagements, and few had an afterthought and didn’t want to come home—that is to their roots for just two or three days, and wanted to come for a longer duration as they considered a short trip as waste of money and an unhealthy return on investment; even when they hadn’t come home for more than a decade. And, under the dubious circumstances the watershed idea of the person was under gradual strangulation and soon it died a painful death.

    But destiny at times is inconveniently cruel. Even when the get-together was called off, just a couple of days after the proposed dates of the get-together the person kicked the bucket. The sad news reached one and all. The entire clan was in grief and had little choice now, but to cancel their pressing engagements and meetings, which they couldn’t have done for a family get together. Their viewpoints about return on investment went for a toss as they rushed to have a last glimpse of the person leaving behind all pressing commitments. The same travel agent whose vehicle was booked for sightseeing earlier was now ferrying everyone from the airport as most of them had arrived by flights on account of short notice; but tragically this time it was not for any family get together or sightseeing, but to finally bid adieu to the person.   

    In our lifetime we all feel as if we have a lot of time to catch up with things in life even when we see death all around us each day.  Whereas, we show urgency and immediacy when it comes to earnings and career, we fail to show the same urgency when it comes to reaching out to our clan or to our inner self and even God. The prudent precept of life therefore is: don’t allow such rare heavenly opportunities to go by in your busy life, for you don’t know when the other person will drop dead or you will make an exit. And don't allow opportunities of life to overtake opportunities of a lifetime.

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