Different shades of gratitude

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Pinky shares her blessing

I thank my mother in law for being my pillar of strength. I owe my gratitude foremost to her.  I didn’t know ABC of cooking. It was she who groomed me as a good cook and that too without once taunting me for not knowing cooking. When I wanted to do post graduation, it was again she who stood by me, convinced all at home and even bore the financial responsibility of my education. She would manage house hold chores so silently, seamlessly that I would be left totally free to do my studies. Not once did she make a show of it. Later when it came to job, it was she encouraging me to choose a career close to my heart. I still remember how she would keep even my saree for interview ready in the morning, complete all house-hold chores and even accompany me to various exams and interviews. I was dead frightened of going alone and facing exams and interviews and she accompanying me addressed that issue so beautifully. She would sit outside till I completed my exam/interview and then without grilling me about how I fared would simply take me to the nearest coffee shop to treat me to a strong coffee. This information of nearest good coffee shop she would gather while I was writing exam or facing interview. How a woman can become other woman’s best friend I learnt from my mother-in-law. She would listen to every neighbour’s woes and be their strength whenever they needed her. I asked her once “ma, what’s the purpose of just listening to other’s woes when you can’t solve them”. Very lovingly she replied “agreed I can’t give solutions but humans just want to be heard many times. Most can live with their problems, but what they can’t digest is the fact that they don’t have someone with whom they can share their complaints pain or suffering. I am just filling that void.

She taught me that “just to be” with someone is a big gift you can give to the other”.  Saying this she took a “thank-you card (TYC) and addressed to her m-i-l.

“So true. My neighbor just fills this void in my life” added Priya and addressed a thank-you card in her neighbour’s name.

“I always turn to my mother at such times. I call her at al odd times to dump my mental trash onto her ears. I always felt cathartic after talking to her” added Rahul.

“My wife fills that void” said Aziz writing TYC to his wife.

Almost everyone wrote a couple of TYC to someone or the other. This took more than an hour as everyone explained that person’s role in their life.

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