When it feel truly awesome!

If I am to compare my childhood to Evan's childhood I would definitely feel that mine was much better in many ways. As parents we are giving him all that we can like any parents would. But with all this globalization and "It's such a small world!" kind of attitude we have recently developed, things have changed hugely for every one of us. I remember growing up around my big family. My relatives living in the same city and very close by, my family consisting of my parents, my brother and my grandparents. Our house always filled with relatives or friends or cousins. The kitchen always aromatic with tea and yummy food. Doors of each house open and a very soothing kind of atmosphere with familiar noises which were never unwanted. There was always someone at home. There was always sharing of food. Lunch was so much fun with all of us sitting on the floor and eating a surreal meal of poli, bhaji, koshimbir, loncha, chatni, papad, bhat, varan and aamti. I remember I would everyday insist Dada ( my grandfather ) to mix my varan bhat. I still have it carved in my head how he did it in his own special way. He would add a little water and lemon juice. That meal is simply incomparable to any of the meals I have had in ages. Then in the summer season, aamras puri was the most relished and common lunch cooked in all homes. Dada or Baba would lovingly soften the mangoes after washing them. The aamras of god knows how many mangoes would vanish in no time! And after such a heavy meal we would still be ready for a desert which would be again, a mango! What summers they were with mangoes stacked in wooden boxes with hay. The fragrance of the ripe mangoes freshening the whole house. Now we stay away from our family...not all but most us do! With working parents, no grandparents. No matter how much we do we cannot give them what we earned when we were kids. I always feel the need to give Evan what we experienced and I ll strive to do that whenever I can. When I went to Ahemdabad to stay with my parents with Evan it was an expereince in itself. My aaji, and Evan's aaji ajoba were there to pamper us and give us all that we miss when we stay away most of the time. Evan would wake early and go out every morning with Baba to buy milk and come back so happy! Then he woud play with aai, listen to songs sung by aaji. When Baba returned from work he would be energized only by looking at Evan and play with him. When my mother in law came to stay with us in KL, the bond she formed with Evan was also so special. She taught him so many things and he responded so cleverly to everything.The bond that Evan shares with his both aajis and ajoba is so special. I will never let it fade away. Though we cannot stay with them all year long I will make the most of it.Thats a promise I make myself every day. I was lucky to have got the treasure by doing nothing, my parents did that for me. My grandparents are such a huge influence on my life. My passion for writing comes to me from both my aajis. Dada is someone who can give me strength even though he is no more. It really felt AWESOME when I was a child surrounded by my family. I want Evan to feel the same way! :)