I had dedicated my novel titled 'Just Not Meant For Marriage!' to my dear Anna. Here's the tribute...
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| Myself with the two Rs in my life! |
A tribute to my beloved father (Anna)
For a Very Special Person!
I dedicate this book to my evergreen Dad, Ramesh Sharma. Fondly called Anna by us, he is the person who taught us to be brave and confident, while struggling against all odds. His unstinting support was behind the success of my mother as a Principal. An old adage goes, “Behind every successful man, there is a woman.” My father turned this adage on its head! “Behind every successful woman, there is a man!”
He was like ‘The Rock of Gibraltar’ for her, always helping her out with the chores, guiding us in our home-work, availing leave for our Board Exams to ferry us to and from our respective exam centres and attending to his work at his office. He ensured that we didn't only study, but had hobbies and other recreation too.
I’ll especially never forget how he spent several sleepless nights when I had severe jaundice, as a young girl. He would be always at my bedside, at the hospital and later, at home, administering my medicines on time, buying and giving me the appropriate diet as prescribed by the physician and encouraging me with kind, loving words and lots of Chandamama books!
Later in life, when I insisted on having an arranged, but registered marriage, without matching horoscopes; and with a list of attributes to be possessed by my would-be groom, my father ran around meeting prospective grooms, apprising them of my ‘demand’ for a simple, no-frills, registered marriage ceremony, braved being rejected by them; till he finally discovered one such ‘gem’ for me! A perfect match - my husband Ramesh! What a beautiful coincidence it was, to have my husband sharing my beloved father’s name! Of course, I soon discovered that they share several endearing traits too! In fact, I often joke that they could pass off as father and son!
He is also a great multi-tasker and shows us how life must be lived and enjoyed. He is great pals with our friends too and they envy us for having such an easy-going and friendly father. We are never scared of him and always look up to him for any advice, and he has never ever failed us. He is a living example of how a person can be a constant source of joy for everyone around him! He is very helpful, dependable and doesn't thrive on any ego. He takes equal pride in my mother's and our achievements. He never boasts about his accomplishments, which are quite a few!
He’s blessed with a photographic memory as he remembers people and places, even after meeting and visiting them just once, no matter how long ago! He’s a good singer, a great artist and an excellent palmist. His exhibition of water-paintings and fabric paintings was very well-received by one and all! He’s fond of listening to good music and watching movies. He dotes on his grand-daughter and constantly teaches her new things. Apart from our family, his friends at the Senior Citizens’ Association are his other lifeline. He enjoys spending his time with them and often goes for picnics and other programs, with them. They miss his lively and cheerful company when he is not around. His enthusiasm is highly infectious!
He appreciates the wonders of Mother Nature and has inculcated the same perspective in us too. He has always encouraged us to be forthright and fearless, honest and just, in our dealings and interactions with others.
Thanks to these two great teachers, my mother and father, we siblings have become well-balanced individuals and always strive to make them proud of us. For them, we are three little gems and for us they are our heart and soul! We owe everything to them. Dear Amma, we miss you a lot!
Thank you Anna, for always being there for us!
The copyright of this book is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.
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For the past few weeks, I had been posting my travelogue on Ahmedabad, on LinkedIn, so that people could experience the beauty of this magnificent and lively city.
Now I feel very saddened by the loss of lives there. So many dreams, hopes, aspirations dashed to the ground.... The loss of lives is irreparable. The grief of their near and dear ones is profound.
May the souls of the deceased ones rest in eternal peace. My heartfelt condolences to their near and dear ones. May God give them strength and courage to bear this irreplaceable loss.
My heart also goes out to the airline, its staff, the workers clearing the debris at the crash site, the health workers and all allied forces, picking up the pieces of life as it were!
So let's remember to cherish and truly live each moment of our lives, spend enough time with our beloved ones; because "Kal ho na ho!"
The song with these wordings from the movie with the same title, keep playing in a loop, in my mind.