ஓர் சொல்லில் ஓர் உலகம்..

I know a face

A Lovely face...

Glad that my first post is about my Mom. Just like every creature on this earth, I love my amma. The reasons are many. If there is one court that can forgive all my sins, it should be my Mom's heart. There is a popular saying "A tree is known by its fruit". The vice-versa is 100% true as well. Most of the good habits we possess, come from our parents. I still remember how I learnt Tamil language during my KGs, how i struggled to write tamil and english letters. My mom still says to me "I will write தோங்காய் , if someone asks me to write தேங்காய் ". Memorizing mathmatics tables was one other thing where I struggled a lot. After some consider amount of beatings, all those skills that were like scatterred stones, bricks and sands, turned out to be strong foundation. Oh yes, my mom is Firewall's chief architect.

I remember a few days of my KG's when my mom dropped me at school. I hardly listen to the class. I used to peep through the window all the time to check whether my mom has gone home. There were occassions when i shouted through the window "Amma .. paarthu ponga.. maadu varudhu". Somedays, I simply sat and kept on thinking that she was still waiting at the enterance. She helped me in my studies till my 5th Standard. Though not a first rank holder, i was above average in studies. I had a decent hand writing and some short term memory to retain certain things temporarily. Even now, everytime when some of my friends say "I have a good memory", i remember my mom winning first prize in Memory Contest held in our Colony Association.

All through my school days, i only had the old books used by my brother. Being one year elder to me, he enjoyed new books every year and the next year all i would get was a new cover for those books. :). Mom used to say "Be happy with what you have". There are millions of people who dont even have money to buy second hand books. I was a bit fortunate to get new books during my 12th standard. Thanks to Tamil Nadu Government, they changed the Syllabus. :)

Till 5th Standard, i was kind of swimming in a safe well. From 6th to 12th, it was kind of an ocean. The great ERHSS, Trichy!!. It's still one of the very few schools which has huge strength for each section. My class strength was around 120 during 6th and it was 161 during my 12th standard. No wonder...an average student who hardly listens could easily get lost in the crowd. So did I. I got good marks that are good enough to get a pass mark in most of the subjects and in a few I failed. I had to find lot of excuses for such low marks. Mom told, "It's a healthy competition out there. You have to fight for success and everytime you fail, it's where you have to show your efficiency".

During 12th standard, mom used to say I should join any of the Government colleges and money was one of the reasons. I had interests in computers but for the mark i got, it wasnt possible to get Computer Science in any of the DOTE 1 colleges. I somehow managed to get Civil Engineering in REC, Trichy. The place I would call heaven. :). Right from grocery shop keeper to Cable TV operator, everybody asked why I chose Civil engineering when the entire world was going behind computers and electronics and that worried me a lot. My mom would proudly say, "So What? He is doing in REC. He would have a good job when he completes his course" :)

Mom was a staff-nurse before marriage. I would rarely go to hospitals for any treatments. I had typhoid during my college and that was the time i realized how much sacrifice every parent does for their children. She didnt cook the regular food just because i was sick and she also had fasting most of the days. During those days, i was allowed to drink only Milk and orange juices. I hate milk and love to drink either Coffee or tea during the morning. Mom told, "If I continue to drink milk, i will start liking it after a few days". I immediately told her, here is the deal. "I will continue to drink Milk each day morning instead of tea or coffee for next one year. Even after one year, if I dont like milk, you have to prepare coffee/tea for me again". For one full year, i had only milk and at the end of the year I went back and said, "Mom... let me have my cup of coffee from tomorrow". It was a bit hard to have milk each morning and when you wake up hungry while the rest of family enjoys tea or coffe. I am happy and proud that I could give up something I like, for my mom.

Respect Others is what i learnt from my mom and Respect Yourself is what i learnt from my father. I respect others only if they are standing in front of me or speaking to me. I respect myself the most and hardly give respect to others,if they are not around. There are only a few people who deserve my respect all the time. If there is one person in this world, who I have never disrespected, it is my Mom.

"தாயின் காலடியே உலகம் முடியும் இடம்"

Thank you. Have a nice time!!