Dear Mum and Dad,
30th
November 1982. Do you know how these numbers have created history in itself? A
day that decided my fate? It’s a day when the two most significant lives that
make my world go round united in marriage.
It’s been 34 years since then and here I am cherishing every single day
of my life by the grace of the Divine. Today marks the 34th wedding
anniversary of you two – the two most wonderful souls that have touched my
life. Though unlike the last time, I won’t get to raise a toast with you this
year in person, I thought of putting down a few words that I have reserved for
your special day.
When it comes to
you both, I have never gone by a rule book to address anything to you guys.
That’s probably because you both have always believed in going that extra mile
and expanded the horizons for me. That is because you both have consistently
yet effortlessly extended your friendship to me going beyond the periphery of
parenthood. For every child, their parents are the best examples in terms of
contributing to them socially, economically, morally and intellectually. But
there are very few who can look deep into the little ones’ eyes for a soul
search and find something infinite. I am fortunate enough to have been born to
two such individuals, whose life principles are navigated by one magic word – TRUST.
Trust that is quintessential to every successful relationship on the face of
this earth – trust that is probably the utmost ingredient to the recipe of a
prosperous marriage and raising a child. Because you trusted, you could also grant me
the liberty to set myself free from all shackles of fear and dilemma, and thus
helped me reach out to you both every time I needed you. Because you
trusted, I could gather the courage to live life on my own terms and carve out an
identity that’s solely my own and not imposed upon by conventional stereotypes
of the society or the clichés that are common with a generation up in years. Most
importantly, thank you for every bit of the “TRUST” held good and unswerving
between you two. TRUST me, this is what keeps me going and feeds my love for
life. :)
Do you know what
has planted the seeds of these thirty two years of amazing life journey? It is
the love between you both. Besides the shelter above my head, the food on my
plate and the love to keep me warm, there is something else that has kept my
heart throbbing. It is the gift of your love, companionship and respect for
each other that I treasure and take immense pride in. Your relationship has
been a magnificent instance of faith, understanding, compassion, steadfastness,
romance, compromise, integrity, devotion, respect, submission, commitment and
friendship. When the classroom lectures seemed drab or complex, I tried picking
up a couple of lessons from these gems that held your bond tight and firm. When
someone said something like “Relationships are complicated” or “Marriage is a
huge responsibility – a difficult one - the end of friendship” and hinted on
the rising divorce rate across the world, one of these above mentioned components
MUST have been missing in the bunch – I thought to myself.
Dad, there would
be times when I won’t see you for months and mum would take care of my academics
staying away from you. There would be times I would go keen to know when is the
next time you are going to help me do the critical analysis of a Bengali poem. But
for that, you had to travel all the way to our home state and see us. Then I
would go on to ask myself – “Why isn’t he staying with us?” – “Why aren’t mum
and dad putting me into some other school so that they can live together?”
After a lot of ‘Why’, ‘How’ and ‘When’ it was sometime around the sixth
standard that I could decipher the true meaning of “sacrifice”. Growing up I
inculcated a lot of values that fortifies the backbone of this family, but one
thing that would blow my mind with every passing year was the growing love
between you two. Your physical absence got mum more and more involved into the
budgeting, maintenance and running of the household. On the other hand, I
started identifying you with the qualities of a brave soldier, a provider and a
giver who doesn’t budge from his duties towards his family, even at the cost of
isolating himself at a faraway land day after day. What left me flabbergasted were
mum’s resilience and self-command at the end of all those never failing phone
calls that closed with a wait and a dozen of hopes for you to come home. We
looked forward to seeing you, so did you from miles away! Mum looked after
every minute detail of my report card, health care and co-curricular aptitude,
and that way you would always love each other from distance.
The sense of
security and blessedness can’t be explained that came from knowing that YOU
both will always choose to honor your vows over any and every adversity of
life. I truly and sincerely can’t thank you enough for the prized possession of
your marriage and making it a priority. I have certainly and vastly benefited
from it and am still trying to incorporate some of the major couple goals that
can possibly make my conjugal life as awesome as yours. :)
What makes yours
such an inspirational love story is how after all these years and a lot of
peaks and valleys, your FONDNESS, COMMITMENT, COMPASSION and ADMIRATION for
each other still triumphs over everything else in the world. Through the initial days
as newlyweds to the sleepless nights of the most doting parents, through
hospital stays to healing and rejuvenation, through family tragedies ad losses
to the joys of success and celebration – 34 years of making it work, still
going strong and winning the hearts of thousands who come in contact with you
both – you have definitely unleashed the mystery of the nuptial stars for me and
how some of them are indeed premeditated in heaven. :)
Mum, you have
done a great job in taking the initiative to plan and execute on your trip to
us in the Unites States recently, which I believe was a much needed break for
you guys. I surely feel it was a welcome change for you two to put your feet up
for few days and rediscover yourselves in tranquility. I’m glad that it was
possible. Uddalok and I – we both got to see you in a renewed way. You both
looked fresh and enthusiastic to the core; being far from the madding crowd has
enlivened your togetherness in a terrific way! Through every road trip to every
photo session, through every movie outing to every dinner date – my mature
vision of who you are in a mundane life has altered and nothing could put a smile on my face as a
wide as this – to see two 50-somethings truly and madly in love with each
other, 34 years down the line. :) :)
On this milestone
of your marital bliss, I pray to Almighty – that He bestows me with the
blessings to see you both together till eternity. May your love that is more
powerful than the evil eyes, that is more vibrant than youth, which is pricier
than any material asset keep blossoming and amplify in the times to come. I SALUTE your love, that is way
above perfection, that can still give you both giggles to see each other decked
out on your special days, that can bring back a sea of memories recalling
inside jokes decades old, and just sitting side by side as content as can be
over a glass of Wine. :)
Today, despite
being able to be present only in spirits, I would want you both to make me a
promise. A promise - that you would continue to safeguard and hold on to that
covenant you made 34 years ago today. I wish you
would ceaselessly grow in love for each other so that another 34 years down the
road; we can stand in awe of an even greater love the two of you share than
today.
Last but not the
least; I want to thank you both for making my life beautiful in every aspect
and not giving up on each other, ever. It’s an ecstasy to see your love coming
alive every day. Many happy returns of the day mum and dad! Happy 34th
and many more to come. I love you to the moon and back.
Yours truly,
Mithi
