Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Season's Greetings and Best Wishes for a Happy and Prosperous New Year!!

These were the words that were printed on the majority of the cards that came to my father at around this time of the year. I spent long hours hanging them one after the other on strings tied to a window or across a doorway. The pictures on top ranged from birds and flowers to the staid army shield symbols. I loved them all. I preserved some of the ones that were strikingly beautiful or funny. The Mr is an expert in buying cards but hopelessly inefficient at sending them. So we have a set of beautiful Christmas cards sitting on top of our small TV set in the bedroom which will be sent only next year (hopefully). There are all manner of cards stashed away in the various nooks and cranies of our house which never got sent!! My father is worse than the Mr, not only does he not send any cards, he does not even bother to buy any!! Even in his hay days he used to buy only a few cards and sent it to a select group of his friends. This time I was in Calcutta during the new year and I found that his friends are still sending Baba new year cards (regardless of his inability to reply to them). The first card to arrive always used to be that of Bony uncle, for as long as I can remember, so it was even this time. Baba and uncle are don't meet very often now a days but he still thinks of Baba. It is so heart warming to see this kind of friendship.
On my visit to Calcutta this time I met a few of my old school and college friends some after many many years and it was a wonderful treat!! We talked and talked and talked. We watched our kids play together, we relived all the moments we had spent together...it was miraculous...Nita, Prakriti, Anjana, Urbashi...thank you dear friends for making my trip so special this time!!

8 comments:

Usha said...

Wish you and your family a glorious year ahead.
It must have been wonderful to go back to the place you grew up in and meet friends you grew up with. Although I visit chennai every year, I hardly recognize the same place I lived in 30 years ago and dont get to meet any of my school friends.Wonder how a place can change so much.

diya said...

Usha, I guess I am lucky because although there have been changes in Calcutta, my school and my friends and the familiar alleys and streets have not changed a bit!! My daughter and I were born in the same nursing home which is the birth place of nearly all my friends and their children who were born in Calcutta....can you believe that????

Alapana said...

Diya, happy new year to you and your family. have a wonderful year ahead.

diya said...

Thanks Alapana and the very same to you!

Indian in NZ said...

Happy New Year to you too Diya !! Nice to know that you had such a good time in Calcutta.

Koko said...

Whats up? Why are you not writing your blogs anymore? Keep nourishing that rare talent of yours. Lots of love-Koko

Usha said...

Hi diya, I tagged you to participate in the International women's day contest conducted by Indusladies. Details over at my blog. Please participate. Thanks.

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