My lovely sojourn

Just got back from a wonderfully relaxing and rejuvenating two-week sojourn at one of the most beautiful islands I have seen so far. Well, no matter how beautiful the place or how tranquil the surroundings, home is home. And to me, there ain’t ever a place like home. So am glad to be back to my physical home as well as my online home (IL)!

Among many beautiful things that I experienced during my vacation, there is one most beautiful thing that I witnessed and that forever is going to be etched in my mind, memory and heart. It is this -

On my return journey there were a few troops on my plane returning from Iraq. As we got off the plane at Atlanta and started to proceed towards baggage claim, I heard furious footsteps coming towards us as if someone was running for their life. Before I could grasp what was happening, I saw a young lady running towards us and within no time she had climbed onto the solider walking in front of me and had held him in a tight embrace! Her face stuck between his neck and shoulders. He in turn held her around the waist. They froze like that for more than 10 mins!

I could not help but freeze there too! Sorry, I know it wasn’t particularly nice of me to stand there and glare but I was so deeply touched by their emotions that I did not realize I was supposed to keep walking. They stood silently hugging each other. Not a word spoken, not a word exchanged. There ecstatic happiness on being together again could be felt so strongly that I stood there totally speechless and misty-eyed thinking about what it would be to see and feel your loved one after constantly living under the fear that you may not see them ever again. I think that joy and that feeling of supreme luck shining on you must simply be unparalleled.

I walked up to them gave the lady a tight hug and congratulated both of them for re-uniting and wished them luck to stay re-united.

Then, I turned back and ran towards my husband who was busy collecting our bags and did an exact retake of what I had just witnessed! J Of course, the sudden shower of affection and public display of love for no apparent reason took hubby aback! I almost choked him, not with emotions but with my tight embrace around his neck! J

I once read these beautiful lines somewhere –
“To meet and part is the way of life, but to part and meet is the hope of life”
And this morning I saw hope in abundance.

I could not have asked for a better way to close my wonderful vacation.

Were you a witness to such a display of love or affection or any warm emtotion that has remained etched in your memory forever? Share them here and let us all drown our hearts in love and hope and emotions – the things that are so needed to keep us afloat in life..

SS

 

You won't believe it Devika, but I thought about you when I stood there all misty-eyed with no company to share my gross embarrassment at the public display of my emotions on something that wasn't even related to me! And I thought about how you'd probably be misty-eyed as well if you had witnessed this with me!

I remember the horrible flooding in Mumbai. I believe it was July 26 three years ago. I can only imagine your Mom's relief to finally see you and your sister. Mom's can be so weak and yet so strong, all at the same time. We grow so much more closer to our parents (and they to us) after we get married. I think I am getting more and more dependent on my parents than I was ever before. And I thought growing up was about becoming independent. How wrong I was!

BTW, I don't know if it is true for most of you, but I am not at all demonstrative when it comes to expressing my emotions towards Mom and Dad. I just go silent. No hugs and no words. Then of course, sometimes there will be a few tears. I know they still know and feel the strong bond I have with them. But sometimes I wish I could tell them in so many words, just for my own satisfaction. But nope, I can't.

My way with them is to call them up weekly (or whenever I feel like no matter what time of day it is) and talk to them about all things under the sun. I guess they know that these phone calls mean that I love them beyond words can ever convey.

BTW, I read some of the beautiful poems you have been penning while I was out. Wonderful! Will leave my comments there.

Love,
SS

 

My dearest dear Chithra,

Let me admit one thing first, the fact that my absence was even noticed was enough to make me much happy. But your mention that you missed me while I was out is surely a cause of celebration for me! You surely know how to make me float on cloud 9 which I have been all day today since reading your full of warmth FB! You sure made me feel so wanted and welcome here! Well, after reading your wonderful blog on being candid, I just could not help but candidly (and shamelessly!) admit my happiness on being missed by you! J

You are totally correct Chithra that such public display of affection can only happen comfortably outside of India. I think in India I would not feel comfortable doing it even now when I am so called America returned. Then again, I don’t know. May be I would surprise myself. Well, even here it took Indians like me (and hubby) several years before sort of feeling comfortable with a doing a small gesture like a hug in public.

I have noted one thing though. For some reason, I seem to be getting bolder than what I was and hubby seems to be getting more conservative than what he has been!

I can visualize Mr. V’s shock to your innocent and loving gesture towards your sister! I know that some of us just don’t feel comfortable or “normal” in expressing our feelings openly. In fact, we try to hide them with all our might. Silence we think should say everything for us. It is left up to the other person to decipher the silence and interpret it the way they like.

Knowing your bubbly and super affectionate nature, don’t be surprised if one day Mr. V decides to surprise himself and thoroughly surprise you by breaking his own rules!

Well, when I visit Chennai one day you can be rest assured that I will be doing a retake of my airport incident to you, not once, but many times over! J

SS

 

Dear Jay,

How are you? How has the move back home been? How has your little girl taken to all the changes? I hope things are going more or less as you had expected them to be.

Your narration of the visit to your friend’s house took me down memory lane! I have one such very close friend whose home I always visit no matter what and I feel the same emotions that you have so beautifully narrated. My friend now lives here in the US but her parents still live in my home town Mumbai.

I can totally identify what you must have felt to meet your friend’s mom and be in the house where you spent so many of your growing up hours and dreamt beautiful dreams about your future. Isn’t it such a huge security blanket for us to be in a place and to be among people who know us so well?

I am glad for you that you have such warmth and closeness to fall back upon. Really, nothing can ever substitute the feeling of wellness and cheer we experience in such company and nothing can ever fill the void when this ceases to exist. Well, let me not go in the dark ally here but just be happy and thank our stars that we have such people around us to lean on.

Love,
SS