Tuesday, May 22, 2007

It is my Grandfather’s birthday today. He would have been a hundred and seven.
He dreamt big. He pushed his sons hard. He changed the life story, the scale, for all of us. Breaking free of the village. A fighting chance. A chance. Any chance, go!
Can still see the old man, all ebony and toothless grin, sitting on his swing in that tiny dark living room plus kitchen plus everything, beaming at yet another accomplishment from a grandchild.
A debt I will not repay, not in a million years.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

So, you were a part of that shopping?? Great.. and how is my friend?? the seth?? so now "Taro "becomes "amaro"

Anonymous said...

.well done...and if you were to look back, india is much of what it is today because of that generation....which got us our country...and now this generation is getting us the world

austere said...

Nah. I only made the write-up. Your friend the seth, aka my immediate boss has been working till four in the morning for weeks. Nice way you have of putting it.
I like the tone of " this generation is getting us the world"

mystic rose said...

brings to mind mine strongly.
taught his kids to aim very high and work for it.
actually I value the ideals of that generation.. the patriotism, the hard working lives, all of that. not that we are any less now, but we seem to attach more value to materialism than to principles.

:)

Anonymous said...

He sounds like the kind of person I like to meet. I hope my ancestors are proud of my meager yet thoughtful contributions to this life.

-P

austere said...

mystic- true. because ppl persist in what is valued, and this is valued more now? overall if you look at it?

proxima- for his grandkids he was super, v loving and proud, supportive. For his kids though, he was a bit of a terror, purposely, I think.

AmitL said...

Granddads aise hi hote hain.:)Though,I do wonder whether we'll be as agile as he was,even when reach 60.

Billy said...

I miss my grandfather as well. He has been gone for seven years now. I miss him so much. He had a wonderful hand at gardening, flowers and vegetables. He also had a wonderful hand at cooking.

austere said...

amit- well people who are trim and walk on for hours at end, will certainly be :) ahem ahem.

abbagirl- cooking. flowers, vegetables.. in you he lives on, isnt it?:) his soul must be feelng rich to see you miss him.

soleil said...

:)