To friends and family…

I’ve been in India for a little more than a week now. This is my once-a-year trip back home and, as is usual, it is packed with meeting lots of people in the short time that I’ll be here – family, relatives, school friends, college friends…something I feel deserves contemplation.

Family & Relatives

Being the one ‘away’ from home has its ups and downs. The fact that you can see family only for a few days once a year is compensated for by all the love and attention that you receive in the short time you are home. Favourite foods are made, favourite places are revisited, favourite people are met…it’s all so nice. Of course, it comes at the price of knowing that the fun-packed days will only last so long.

Nevertheless, it helps to be reminded that you belong somewhere and no one else can do it better than family. The value of having a loving family is immeasurable and often it’s something that gets taken for granted. (In a way, I am writing this now to remind myself to not do exactly that.)

Friends

Amongst the many reasons, I prefer coming home in December because it’s also the time when most of my friends are at home including those working in other cities in India and those coming from abroad. This gives me the perfect excuse to plan a reunion with my high school friends and, whatever the turnout, it has been happening consistently for the past many years.

Over the years the way we communicate as friends has changed not just because we’ve grown older but also because of the growing presence of social networks in our lives. We know a lot more about who’s where and is doing what but that is no replacement for catching up with friends over a drink (alcoholic or not).

Amongst those with whom I met this time, I was glad to realise that there still exists a good comfort level. Switching topics wasn’t hard, there was no awkward silence, teasing each other was taken with the right spirit… it all seemed good.

If you are a regular reader, you may realise that my blog posts always have a point to make (however trivial!). But, somehow, this post did not have one – till now.

I feel that I am taking this opportunity to do two things. Firstly, to appreciate the value of the people in my life. I feel that I can never do enough to repay the debt I owe to them. Secondly, to remind myself of the fortunate position I find myself in everyday. In the daily grind of life, we forget it too often but it’s these people who make our lives worth living.