Skip to main content

"Parents are Love"

A few days of color, love and pampering, that's what October 2009 has been for me. In this city where dreams die and lose color, my parents brought all of it back. Seeing life through their eyes brings joy because they are so full of love and wisdom. All their life, they have believed in the goodness of people and that feeling of God and goodness have come more powerfully into my life again. Sometimes, you need those very solid ties to remind you of your dreams and focus again on making them come true. We hardly value the time we had with our parents or the sacrifices they have made for us when we live with them. At that time, we are so keen to break the rules and rebel or just lead our life to the brink of adventure, danger or rebellion, that power to say 'No' but now when we become independent, all we want to do is go back and be with them.




I had a wonderful time with my parents. We had endless conversations about everything under the sun. We ate at home and went outdoors too. The colorful pic below was taken at Raj Dhani, a very well known restaurant that is famous for traditional Gujarati dishes. Located in the very busy, happening mall called the Great India Place, Noida, this is the fantastic spread we helped ourselves to.





People say, "God is Love" and I agree. I just want to add to that by saying, "Parents are LOVE."

Those of you who love their parents, do visit Mrs.A and share a word of solace and strength with her. As a daughter who feels torn by her mother's condition, Mrs. A needs our prayers and good thoughts to make her feel better. 

Today is a good day to do something compassionate for not just our parents but all parents in the world who've made their mark of love stand out through their children. We could offer something as simple yet invaluable like a word of love, a kind thought and much more. What matters is to carry forward what our parents have always given us from their lives: LOVE

Comments

DreamTNM said…
Very warm post ;) Made me smile and think of all the special people in my life right now. ;)
Lavanya Sriram said…
Oh, Yes. We would not be where we are right now without our parents, right? I, for one, have always acknowledged that and am thankful that I have conveyed the same to them as well many times before and after my marriage. The recent one was a hard copy letter (original copy) copied and present in the following link

http://ipaytributeto.blogspot.com/2009/08/to-my-parents.html
Shady West Side said…
I had read Mrs A's posts a few days back, I admire her...and yes we are mere fruits of a huge tree of which our parents are the roots
Gautam Anand said…
I cudn't have agreed more.. thr is a shlok in hindi which says parents are above God.. n it's very true..

new to ur blog.. found some really interesting reads.. and I haven't completed yet..

u r invited too.. to give insights into my poems .. !
prerna said…
Hi Swapna,
What a wonderful way to spend the festival of lights.. lighting up your parents' life:-)
BK Chowla, said…
Superb.Very well written and expressed.
There always is a special place for the parents in one's life.
What a lovely, heart-warming post - your love for your parents and their's for you shone through. If only we were all so lucky to have such close, loving families.
Pramoda Meduri said…
hi swapna,

well, parents are always the loving strength that one can have ..

their love is always soothing ..and its nice to know that u have enjoyed it alot..:)

and yummyy yummyy plate..wanna eat all items ..:( ...:)

Thanks for posting that pic..
Sojo Varughese said…
Swapna,

There is nothing I would do not to agree with you!

Right, we get to know how valuable parents are only once we grow up and they don't tell us what and what not to do! Wish some magic could bring the childhood back. Miss my mom's pinches and dad' whack on the back of my head!
Abhilash said…
hope you enjoyed with your parents. Nice to see the thali again.

I am also planning to be with my family in november... :)
Rohit said…
true..Yet most times the people who we take for granted are our parents and our family members... a very warm post indeed
Smita said…
Thats a nice post and most of us would agree with it!!! and thanks to our culture we have a solid a family as back up though it is in our hands to maintain the relationships and to not to take it for granted!!

That Thali looks awesome!!!
When I wrote the post about parents, I had no clue I would get so many wise thoughts and emotions crackling from you all. It just shows how deeply we value our relationships and I feel so thankful to know that. Thank you all.

My thoughts:

@Tania: Thanks! I am happy that the post reminded you of all the special people in your life.

@Prerna, Tina, Shahid & Storyteller: Thanks, would have loved to know your thoughts.

@Lavanya: Thats so sweet of you to share. Your parents must have been so proud to get that.

@Gautam Anand: Great to hear your thoughts. I love poems so I'll definitely drop in to visit you.

@Petty: Thanks.

@BK Chowla: Thanks. Good to hear you liked it.

@Pramoda: Totally agree with your thoughts.

@Sojo: I really loved your words: "Wish some magic could bring the childhood back. Miss my mom's pinches and dad' whack on the back of my head!"

@Abhilash: I really hope you have a very happy time with your family in November.

@Rohit: Thanks, glad you liked it.

@Smita: Yes, thats true.It also has a lot to do with the Indian culture.
Harini said…
I completely agree :)
oh sweet post and good food
Sandhya Sriram said…
nice one. parents are always special. they are those people for whom you mean the whole world
Thanks for the warm thoughts, Harini, Sandhya and Chow and Chatter!
Diane said…
Sounds like a wonderful visit with your family. You're right, God is love and He definitely teaches us as parnets how to love too. :O)
Parents should be love! Yours seem wonderful indeed. Can I be adopted?
Sure, Corine, I'm sure my parents would be thrilled:)
prerna said…
Hi Swapna, have given you an award :-) Please accept it at http://themomwrites.blogspot.com/2009/10/being-writer-awards-and-appreciation.html
Blessings!
kitchen queen said…
lovely blog with a beautiful tribute to parents. nice posts.you can visit my blog and give ur comments.
Susan Berlien said…
Yes..I agree onward with the love :)
Being a parent adds a whole new dimension to the word love.

And that spread of food looked totally tasty! Yum!
@Prerna: Thanks a million for the award.

@Kitchen Queen: Thanks, sure, I would love to visit your blog too!

@Susan: Thanks!

@Stephanie: Yes, you've said it so well and I can connect to that thought: Being a parent adds a whole new dimension to the word love. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and hope you visit again.
abby jenkins said…
What a delightful post and thought. I wish my parents were still around so I could spoil them rotten and write down all my mom's recipes I miss so much!
Hi Swapna
Thanks for visiting my blog and for your sweet comments.
I liked your blog very much, going to follow you in the future.
Keep visiting me,
Rahul said…
I miss Onam with my parents! It's been a while since I got the chance to do that. It is so much more fun spending holidays, especially festivals, with them :)
Anonymous said…
Those thoughts brought tears back to my eyes..How much do I miss them.....My parents visited me coupla months back ... I am so ready to go see them again..
Much better if I can go see them everyday...:((
@Aby: Mom's recipes, the very thought feels so good.

@Nivedita: Thanks so much for the thoughtful comments.

@Rahul: Festivals are the time when we really long to be kids to our parents again.

@Iddy: I feel the same too!

Most Popular Posts

The Ugly Truth about Caste in Kerala

Many years ago, when I wrote this post on Kerala's caste system, I had not considered that people would start sending in abusive comments about one caste over the other. It baffles me that this is how Indians, all of us, continue to judge each other on account of caste differences.  [ READ: Guru Kripa: Powerful Lessons at the Lotus Feet ] My question is - why do you ABUSE any caste or community? I suggest that you read about the lives of great Masters and their stories - none of them judged anyone on the basis of caste.  You can read the life stories of Sri Adi Shankara Bhagawadpada, Tulsidas, Jnaneshwar, Namadev, Sri Aurobindo, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, Shirdi Sai Baba, and many more Gurus in Sanathana Dharma. NONE of them endorse these caste hierarchies in Bhakti Marga. Assuming that Guru Sampradaya does not appeal to your sensibilities, do read this  new book 'Ants among Elephants' written by Sujatha Gidla, who writes about herself as being born

Book Review: Nan Umrigar's Sounds of Silence, A Bridge Across Two Worlds

The year 1978 was a glorious one for Karl Umrigar – a young man who won many prestigious horse races, including the Indian 2000 Guineas and the Indian Oakes. Finally, Karl Umrigar fulfilled his dream – every jockey’s dream   – to win the Indian Derby. His name remains in the Indian Derby scroll of honour. [READ: Aarti Raheja: Where One is Not a Number and But just at exactly the moment Karl won, he fell from the horse.  A fall that finally saw the country mourn for him when the headlines of the Indian Express read, “The King is Dead.” Karl Umrigar, the young champion and loved by many, was laid to rest on May 3, 1979. Karl Umrigar’s Death: Bridge between Two Worlds You can imagine what Karl’s death did to his family, particularly his mother – Nan Umrigar. She says, “ Nothing could have prepared us for the darkness that descended upon us – nothing! ” While her family tried to pull on with daily routine, Nan Umrigar found herself in such a state of agony and trauma th

What is the story of Shivaji? The great son of a great mother called Jijabai

Chhatrapati Shivaji, the great Maratha warrior whose guerrilla warfare tactics are fleetingly mentioned in Indian history textbooks, is increasingly relevant today. A Hindi movie 'Tanhaji' starring Ajay Devgn and Kajol got many of us curious to know more about this warrior. Sadly, we don't seem to have much information in our history textbooks!   [ READ: Significance of Surya Argya  and How do you Light Deepam? ] Source: Anjali Natarajan on Twitter  Shivaji Maharaj: The Great Son of a Great Mother Jijabai The more I read about Shivaji Maharaj,   the more fascinated I am.   I wondered why we have learned so little about this great warrior and his great mother Jijabai, and why public memory has been totally erased from most history books! As a mother, I have always been fascinated by how some of India's greatest and most revered men and women are individuals who were deeply influenced at an early age by their mothers. Bharat is a country that belongs to great mothers who

How do you light Deepam at home?

How do you light deepam at home? As a child, I loved watching the ritual of my grandmother lighting the deepam or the traditional lamp at home in the evenings. A sense of serenity accompanied her frail figure as she would carefully straighten every wick, dip it into the tiny puddle of oil and light the lamp. As my grandmother would read out the scriptures and chant the prayers, the fragrance of incense sticks and flowers added depth to the experience. In many Hindu homes nowadays, the lighting of the lamp (or the nilavilakku, as Malayalis refer to the traditional lamp in their homes) is not a regular practice. A lot of people have many questions around how to light deepam at home and which oil to use and so on. An important point to keep in mind - Maintain physical cleanliness and hygiene while lighting the lamp. Wear clean clothes while lighting the lamp. Frequently Asked Questions About Lighting Deepam at Home Collating most queries related to how to light the deepam at home, I'v

Movie Review: Fahad Fazil & Amala Paul Sizzle Together in Oru Indian Pranayakatha

It was a pleasure to watch Sathyan Anthikad's latest film "Oru Indian Pranayakadha" which marked the veteran director's clear departure from his signature style films.  [ Confession: I never miss a Fahadh Fazil movie. I am a HUGE fan of his right from Chappa Kurishu. ]  Of course, there are several other actors who play their part very well in this film but you should go watch the movie to enjoy it better. I don't want to spill the entire story here. Right from the first scene, brace yourself to be bowled over by Aimanam Siddharthan, a young upcoming politician who leaves no stone unturned in his path to become an MLA. He charts out his every move to win the hearts of the people, gain visibility with the 'High Command' and extract political mileage out of every public appearance he makes. You get the feeling that he likes to have every move charted out in advance and planned in a way that reaps political dividends for his growth as a politic