Diggin’ Life

August 7, 2018 by Usha Pisharody 2 Comments

… I know he is. Where he is, and with the unputdownable, never-say-die attitude that has always been his USP. So, that’s a typical lion for you. My Cub-no-longer-Lion 😀 who’s at another threshold where he’s growing young as ever, though sometimes I do wonder who the parent is, between him and I 🙂 Told ya! There are several psychologists who seem to proclaim that thirty is NOT the new TWENTY, and while all those touching thirty have that urge to reassure themselves that this is just a number, to this one, I have in the family, it just doesn’t matter. 🙂

He’ll always remain who he is, to us, to each of us. Chotu, Kunjunni, Chots…. even to Naina, who calls him Chotu 😛 That’s because parent or no that he is most times, these days, to me, he’ll always be that little, energetic, enthusiastic Kid, to all of us. Of the Fantastic Foursome, (LINK)  he’s the youngest, maybe, by a couple of months to the one just older to him, but we have never let that fool us 😛 He’s an out and out LEO, for goodness’ sake!

When there are two/more Leos in a family, closely connected, sparks fly, tempers are tested, and bit of fur, metaphorically speaking, flies 🙂 That’s how it has been with him and I; strange though, that it has NOT been so, with him and his darling cousin (also a Leo, duh!) – but then you know how it is, exceptions and all that jazz… 😀

Circa 2016, Achu and Kartika’s Kalyanam Purappaad 😛

(Stopped, perforce, on the morning of 3 August, due to power outage, depleted battery of the inverter, travel plans to Ezhimala, rushing from school to railway station, and lack of connectivity via computer at Ez.; also the company of grandotties don’t leave you time with anything other than being totally into play and joy 😛 Chots I know it’s going to be difficult to get that, but then there it is, my sincere apologies, for not being able to post this earlier 😀 Lubbbb ya, the most, you know that no? Pssst, don’t tell Naina 😛 ❤ ❤ ❤ )

Second Part, on 7 August, 2018 (my own pirannaal – പിറന്നാൾ – my ‘star’ birthday, so it is my gift, to me, as well ❤ )

I woke, a tad late, this morning, it being a holiday, to the music of the rain, the endless rain, and Ammini purring away by my side, gently digging her claws in, to remind me I’m late, with her breakfast 😀 Then my mother calls – Happy Perannaal, she says 😛 Felt good, that 🙂 Only she would remember, I thought 🙂 That’s what moms are all about, na? 

Like this one, who didn’t forget, though her time management skills are all awry, and she simply got late with it! She needs to revise hthe lessons her younger DIL gave her on incentivizing 😀 That loverrrly lass, who’s this Lion’s Keeper, pun entirely intended, gives the best lessons there are!

Back to this one 🙂 The one whose mane is glorious, especially when he needs a haircut, whose sensibilities and sensitivities are sharp, who’s as goofy and idiotic, as he’s mature and proactive 😀 Who knows how it is, with each person he meets, but knows too, how to go about using what he knows, when, and where 😀 That’s a lot of people skills, no? From a shy, overwhelmingly shy baby to one who is so comfortable with any and every kind of people, that is frikking huge, for me, as his rather once-upon-a-time-anxious mom 😀 The anxiety still remains, as it always will for us Indian Moms, but I know it has been tempered with the knowledge that he’s in a good place, and is diggin’ life, like literally and figuratively 😛 That is a private joke, between, Neeti and Chots and I 😀

Across the seas, and lands and latitudes that separate us into different hemispheres, I find we’re even closer than ever, not just because of technology at our fingertips, but because we’ve both grown each other up! I know he’ll always worry about me, as I do, about him and N., but then that’s a given, when you have a heart full of love, for someone, no? And so, this day, my pirannaal – പിറന്നാൾ, and this blog for his birthday/pirannaal – പിറന്നാൾ (interestingly for him, both the days came together on 3 August, his birthday! ) – let me just tell you once more, my wee cub, Chots, just how precious you are ….

We second borns are rather insecure, na? I share that too, with you 🙂 – but you are, Oh, you so are, all of my heart and some ❤ While you may now argue that it cannot be possible, considering the N sisters, 😀 , let me also tell you that hearts grow exponentially when there are more people to love, and love is never taken away from one loved one and given to another, instead, there is more love, all around 🙂 Yeah yeah yeah…  I can go on, I know, and we’ll still giggle when you say, ennaalum, you like Arjun more 😛 No comebacks this time, because I know, how it is, and you do too… ❤

Time and time again, you inspire me, do you know that? I talk of you so much, with so much pride, especially when I have to deal with parents who are lost, as far as their beloved kids are concerned. I speak of how you did almost everything by yourself; of how when you do step out of your comfort zone, and are given the support of loved ones, as you have been, nothing is impossible ❤

You motivate; you make me laugh like no one else can; you make me cry too, like no one else can 😛 (remember the WRV story, early this year? You and N really did move me!) ; and most of all, you make me want to be better, to do my own thing, to go out and just live… you show me, each new day, that it can be done!

Happy birthday, Chots! (no belated and all, it’s still 3 August, till the blog is published 😛 ) Thank you, for you – for the aplomb with which you do things, the badass you are, the chunkzz bro, the daredevil, the eggscelent son, the fun person, the gorgeous hunk, invigorating conversationalist you are, jealous sometimes, yes, but even, Kool Kat as well, Loveable Hobbes (you’re CAT today 😛 ), ‘Mazing Natty Osum Person, Questing, Raring to Storm hitherto strong bastions of ne’er Tried Impossibilities, Undulating never, but steady of purpose, Verrryyyy Wallabbbyyyy baby cuteness overloaded, Xtremely Youthful and Zany…. ever! The alphabets, as you can see have worn themselves out, for you, wishing you the very best! Nearly 1400 words of fun, I hope this has been!

I know your year is going to be the best yet! Stay awed by life and love, my darling Chots! I love you.

 

With his mostest favourite person, I know ❤ N. Ammai ❤

 

Circa 1991, my fav. pic of them brothers 🙂

Circa 1993? The mischief grows!!

Achante Kunjunni, Circa 1988, Delhi

Cute-Gwumpiness Overload, Circa 1988

That Fantastic Foursome!

Nehru Park, that regular visit, with Chitta – My fav. pic of the fantastic foursome!

Brothers, in all the ways there are.

 

Birthday Tradition Blog for the Second Born, Ashwin, for 3 August, 2018, is up, LATE, for the First Time. The Only Time, is my promise to myself. However, at the same time, I must say that some things just are so, for this, now is my gift to myself, and for him too ❤ That’s just how it is, sometimes ❤

2 August, 3 August, 7 August, 2018, for 3 August, 2018 😛

A few footnotes:

This one from here in 2012, and damn, that is what, 6 years back?! Woah. I am rather proud of myself, and will not hesitate to say it, today, for me 😛

Right, before I go ga ga all over again, over my Lion Cub, I do want to share those “traditions” :D. It started in 2009, with“The Right Age”, the went on to “For My Little One” (incidentally he’s a few millimetres short of being 6 ft tall 😀 😀 ), to when he flew the coop, in “When Nestlings Fly”, and Metamorphosis and settled in with “Pride”  in 2010 and 2011, last year. And here is where he tells me it’s no fun doing something unless your mom says NO. So it is 3 August again, and, as my kids in school say, “his happy birthday”! 😆

Earlier (and later )Blog Tradition blogs for Ashwin, each year, are here 🙂

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017