Reflecting on my parents'gifts so I can march Forth

Marching forth necessarily requires reflecting back. I have been thinking about what it is about the past which has kept me still standing. My parents are no more. Before passing on, they have instilled in me a sense of independence, gratitude and a sense of proportion. They made us cook and clean and learn all the basic work for which we had help int he form of maids and drivers etc. Only when Iwas transplanted to the Land of riches (at least erstwhile..) the U.S of A that I appreciated that upbringing.

My father sold his flat in Mumbai and retired to Chennai because it gave him enough money to buy another flat and have a good financial back -up. He refused to buy a car and instead had a reliable Cab service which he would use once or twice a week. When we visited, A cab in very good condition and a driver were at our service. That driver knew the entire city like the back of his hand. It felt far more luxurious than owning a car.

My parents had simple needs of a basic kind. Cofee, vegetarian food , and a few good weatherproof friends . That has been soaked up by me and that was perhaps the reason we look at the functionality of our possessions much more than the prestige attached to owning it. We do like to have PCs and laptops with the latest software and unlimited RAM . The areas where we have such aspirations are limited.

From my childhood, I have always thought of this particular date as the one when I think of moving forward. For the past few years I had forgotten that. This year I need all the tools I can get to cope with the forces which are working to make me feel downcast. Fortunately they are right now restricted only to the economy. I too am happy with tea, food and friends and I don't see being without them ever. And I am grateful to my parents for this wonderful cushion they have helped me build. This post is being written on 4th March (Indian Standard time...). The date will probably show as March 3 . Just goes to show that Indians are generally marching ahead of competition.