He who grows old, also shines...
A few years back, we came together for a close family function… and as a ritual, went through the phenomenon called ‘family pictures’… a few days after the function, while scanning through the pictures, came up that one photo which caught my attention… a happy family picture it was, with contented parents sitting in the middle, their worthy son-daughter and spouses standing behind and surrounded by lovely grandchildren… a complete family… yet my eyes opened wide, tears almost rolled down, sending shudder through my spine… the man of that family, once a tall, fair, handsome man, looked no more the same.. he had unusual wrinkles on his face, his eyes seemed to have lost their sparkle, his jaws seemed to have dropped, his veneer seemed to have faded away… he, my Baba, looked old the first time to me, in that picture…
That picture is etched vividly in my memory… while I love putting family photos on a wall at home, have not had the heart to put up that particular pic… since that day till today, have been seeing Baba going through his ageing… He may have his own hesitations, apprehensions, insecurities as also satisfaction, contentment, gratification… a set of mixed feelings as he is growing old… I will never be privy to his changing state of mind because he will never open up his feelings with me… but I can see, can feel the change in him…
Today, all I wish is that Baba’s enduring spirit to live and his expansive approach to life continue to add that zest and zing to his ageing… Because there is nothing exceptional about ageing I know… Everyone does grow old, all one needs to do is live long enough and shine all along…
1 comments
gud one gauri ..
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