Tuesday 8 October 2013

T-O-U-C-H Thursdays - Prompt 1 : A Friend Always and Forever !

Ms Preeti Shenoy, the author of 4 bestsellers ( 'The Secret Wishlist' being the fourth), who is also an avid blogger ( she blogs here), is hosting TOUCH Thursdays, where every thursday, she's giving out funny, quirky prompts for us to blog about. (TOUCH is what her new book is : The One YoU Cannot Have ).

The first prompt in this series is If I could have anyone I choose as my 'forever friend'/ 'life partner' , I would choose...............................................

Well, a very nice topic, to start with.

If I were to choose one of the two, I would choose a 'forever friend'.

And my choice might sound strange to you. I would choose my maternal grandma as a friend I could have forever.

Before anyone concludes that I say this because I'm deeply attached to her and because I want to show off my love for her, let me explain.

We all need a friend in life, don't we ? And we expect that friend to be understanding, caring, loving, sympathetic, empathetic, patient, supportive....all good qualities are associated with him or her.
All this is important, and most of us possess these qualities, though in varying measures.
Most of the time, we bond with those who are similar to us in many ways, don't we ?

But, for me, a friend needs to be more of an inspiration. She should give me the impetus to move forward in life.

And my memories of my grandma, do that to me.

My picture of my grandma is that of a lady clad in immaculate white. She was widowed at an early age, and ever since ,she dressed  up in white, without any ornaments adorning her. She managed to hold on to life with the small job she had and raised her children in the best possible way. I've heard from my mother, the difficulties that grandma had to face in her long struggle for peaceful existence, and every time I've found myself weeping at the thought of it. Just the imagination of that sends shivers down my spine, and I wonder how her frail frame stood the agony then.
But I always saw her as a bold woman, ready to take on the world. She earned for herself, and even when she passed away five years back, she had kept aside a certain amount of money meant for her funeral ! This may not sound a great thing to anyone else, but for me as a person, this was inspiring, because it told me how meticulous she was with her life.
I've never seen her cry. Once or twice, on a sudden impulse of indiscretion, I tried asking her about how she faced the trials in life. She brushed aside the topic with indifference, she didn't want to dwell there !

She always gave me the best advice, be it on any matter, when I sought her guidance. All drawn from her own experience !

Now, when I face a difficult situation in life, I imagine I'm conversing with her. I get an answer out of it, nine out of ten times. It might be construed as talking to my own self, but in my own head, it's grandma answering me with her wisdom.

And the realisation, that nothing can be more difficult than what she had to face in life, gives me courage instantly.

I still feel she's guiding over me.

So if I could have a forever friend, I would want to have her as my friend, now, here.

It is a ' if I could have' wish.....because I know I cannot have her here, in the physical sense.

In the spiritual sense, yes. She's always here. Always.

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I'm sharing below, the TOUCH banner of Preeti's New book, The One You Cannot Have....



10 comments:

  1. A moving post of your grandma.Her indomitable will and courage to stand on her own despite the tragedy early in her life,her kindly and warm nature and her practical wisdom all make for a friend,philosopher and guide for you when she was alive.
    Your choice is apt.

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    1. Thanks a lot, KP :) Yes, in fact I feel her longevity was fuelled only by her will to live !

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  2. Glad that you had the support, guidance, encouragement of your granny and that she had such a profound impression on you!

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  3. Sreeja ,grand mothers truly love their grand children. The impact that they leave on you is everlasting.

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    1. Yes, Usha Ma'm :) and you can say that with certainty, because you are a grandmother yourself :) Thanks a lot !

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  4. Even I would have chosen a similar one for myself. My maternal grandmother or nani was always a friend when she was alive. In fact the art of story telling I learnt primarily from her...

    Richa

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    1. That's great ! So happy to find someone who thinks the same way ! Grandmoms rock ! :)

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  5. Replies
    1. Thanks, Seema...and Hurray to you on your victory !

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