A Rejuvenating Summer

It's been a lot of travelling of late, first the long haul from Delhi to New York and then on to Pittsburgh to attend my daughter's graduation (or commencement as they call in the States) ceremony.

Proud Parents

Have now come down to stay with my son who is working here in White Plains, New York. The weather has been wonderfully pleasant, and when it does get warm ... before you know, it rains and soon cools down.

A view from the apartment 

After a long time the whole family is together and are truly enjoying a lazy vacation - with no particular agenda - days are filled with sleeping long, roaming around in the markets picking up something here and there on sheer impulse. The only things that we planned and shopped for - a queen bed, curtains and an air conditioner. It's a great feeling for me ... being with my son  and helping him out to do  up his place (this thing of 'doing it up' is also a misnomer, today's kids live life on the move and unlike yesteryear when setting up home was a long drawn exercise stretching over a few years (for various reasons,either one did not have enough money to do up your house in a day or two or one had to wait endlessly to get the things one was exactly looking for as there were hardly enough choices available in the market). Nowadays,( and perhaps more so in the West) you can virtually set up your home in a weekend  ... rent an apartment in the morning, move the furniture in the afternoon, buy all the kitchen stuff online and decorative for the living room in the evening - buy a car the next day ... and by Jove you are all set. How things have changed in this jet set world!

After a very long time - each one of us are not just there.... but really together physically and emotionally, no stress about anything ... the son has no lectures to attend, no projects to submit, daughter is just done with her exams (she would start with her Master’s program only in Fall), the hubby has no mails to look into, no long office hours - and I too, have no compulsions of meeting customer commitments or looking after the household -  the family is spending the much touted and clichéd  'quality time' - if you will. Honestly, I don't buy this typical sleep deprived corporate slave coined  terminology -  'quality time' - for one should spend as much time as possible with family ... and be around them and share and savor every day moments.  This is what we all did - played poker, watched 'House of Cards', together, discussed friends and family, talked about small and why even the most inconsequential things - taught my son how to iron a shirt, learnt from my daughter how to make an absolutely finger-licking pasta, wandered (mostly aimlessly) in the super markets and shopped with them, watched movies (we saw 'Godzilla' yesterday ... pretty ordinary though it has got rave reviews here in the US), cooked meals together and then did the dishes as well, ate out and tried new restaurants, (the Cheesecake Factory ...it has some great tasting pastas, pizza and of course Cheesecake)

The famous franchise in White Plains

went to AMF and tried our hand at bowling,  checked out all possible ice cream flavors, went on hikes ... and just spent time together, as a family. All this is not just spending quality time but spending as much time as possible with family.

One would be amazed how much you learn about your family's likes, dislikes, their worries, interests, what moves them, what bothers them, what they care about - how they see their life - today and tomorrow when you just laze around and yap. You share so much with them and they with you and while we may not exactly agree on about everything, yet we all learn about each other and more importantly nurture the love and care we feel for each other. Family time is indeed your very own confession time - for whatever you may have done they would listen to you like no one else, understand where you are coming from and not judge you - being with them is cathartic and at the same time an eye opener - family loves you for what you are for they have nothing but your very best at heart.

Life is not just about achievements and accomplishments made in professional or work life - it is equally or perhaps more importantly about loving, caring and laughing with your loved ones.