A Stroll down the Memory lane..,

Parents nowadays are so very friendly to the children that I feel like I should be reborn to enjoy the entire experience of growing up afresh. I think mainly our changed family patterns owe much to be praised. The young ones feel comfortable in everything they do whereas nearly 10 yrs ago they need to ask so many people for consent before taking any decision that the spirit would almost dampen of doing something different on their own. Actually we must encourage children to take decisions so that self confidence grows and they become strong individuals. If we take all the major decisions for them how at all they would become confident? I have seen a few parents helping their son or daughters cross the main road while going to school and colleges. Teach them proper ways to cross roads instead. A 9th standard girl can't go to school on her own as she lacks the confidence without her mother to help her. Guide, counsel, advise but do not dominate their minds to the extent of making ...

I have always been fond of pets..how the love started can't tell accurately but I remember one fine morning vividly, when I was just 9 yrs, enjoying the morning cool breeze when suddenly my attention diverted towards a feeble sound and the very next moment a squirrel fell down on our terrace floor. It actually slipped from a crow somehow maybe for me. Though its neck was injured still alive. My joys knew no bounds and in excitement I just came running around without knowing what to do to save that poor squirrel. After some time my excitement reduced and I took it inside to little hot place so as to save from cold and applied turmeric and coconut oil paste gently over the injury. It slept or was unconscious I could not guess. I remember every morning taking it to a sugarcane juice seller and giving drops of juice with a cotton swab. It relished and gradually started taking liquids especially fruit juice and looked well nourished in a few weeks time. We would let it out for some ...

आज लगभग 18  सालों के बाद भी याद आने से आंखें  नम हो जातीं हैं , दुनिया में इंसानियत लगभग ख़त्म हो चुकी है।  मेरे छोटे बेटे के प्रसव के लिए जब घर से अस्पताल निकली तब मुझे ज़रा सी भी उम्मीद नहीं थी लेकिन मेरे कमजोर स्वास्थ्य के बावजूद मैंने 12 घंटों के बाद पूरी तरह स्वस्थ राकेश को जन्म दिया। तीन दिनों के बाद उसकी आंखें थोड़ी पीली दिखने से मैंने डॉक्टर से देखने का अनुरोध किया जिस पर उन्होंने ध्यान ही नहीं दिया लेकिन पांच दिनों के बाद बच्चे को बचा सकने का आश्वासन भी देने में असमर्थता जाहिर की। मेरा डरना स्वाभाविक था लेकिन हिम्मत जुटाकर  मैंने जूझने का फैसला किया और दिन रात जागकर बच्चे पर पूरी नज़र रखी ताकि सचमुच ही मैं मेरे बेटे को न खो बैठूं। थोड़ी सी असावधानी भी मेरे नवजात के लिए जानलेवा साबित हो सकती थी इसलिए रात और दिन बिना सोये रखवाली करना मेरा डर सा बन चुका था। सिवाय डर कुछ भी मन में था ही नहीं। हर नज़र यही पूछती थी कि कब तक ये लड़ाई चलेगी मौत से ? मैं लेकिन सिर्फ भगवान से जान की भीख  मांगती रही और मेरी आशा निराशा में नह...

Even today after almost 24 years I still recall the day with a heavy heart when I had to leave the new born baby wrapped in a blue soft towel in the lawns of the hanging garden in Mumbai, without being able to help despite my willingness. We had gone for a stroll when I saw a small baby and asked my husband to accept and adopt that child, on that my husband retorted, "what would you tell others especially my parents?" I had to drop the thought though with much indignation. He was absolutely right. I always wanted to foster many girls and train them in all the skills so that they never have to feel inferior or take a negative decision in desperation. In any country I don't think any mom would leave her baby like an orphan anywhere else but imagine under how much agony a woman has to take such a drastic decision and how much guilt she will carry lifelong for her mistake? Had seen a movie where the mother of a grown up I.A.S. son feels bad on an occasion for her son...

Woman though strong yet express her agonies, pains to someone whereas on the contrary man considered as stronger have the least thoughts about expressing or should say give vent to their feelings because of their rearing. I met a friend after a long span and was beyond limit surprised to note how lonely a man can feel and how hard try to conceal his feelings to keep himself locked in a cocoon! Self made cocoon to show his manliness or maintain the standards set by our own loved ones! The smile of a person apart from age and sex barriers can be as sweet as a child if the spirit is alive! What efforts do we apply once the children have grown to a certain extent but is a noteworthy thing! I have seen 28 years boys trying hard and then breaking like a small child, often wonder why we are so blind!! The experience made me think WHY do we follow this partiality towards our counterparts? It's deep down mingled in our bloodstream which must be changed. On the slightest pretexts nowadays ...

In most of the families old parents are treated as a burden. Children learn lots of positive qualities from elders without any efforts like adjustment, reverence, politeness, self control and above all patience and sharing which is a rare thing when both the parents are working and family is nuclear. Children tend to take negative decisions in a critical situation very easily these days whereas it was not commonly seen earlier. Slight restrictions also make children upset to the extent of suicide because they lack patience and control. A friend of mine shocked me one day when I was on my way to hospital with lunch for my mother- in-law who suffered a stroke at that time. It was scorching hot and I had to walk almost for half an hour. She met me on the road, asked me, "Why in such a hot climate you are taking so much trouble? Instead you can put them in home for aged people, they take really good care and you know even do the last rites after their death. We need only pay t...