Day 3 - Letter 3 - The Parents

Dearest Mom and Dad,

Funnily enough or actually not oddly enough, I have never had a reason to write a letter to you! I mean I did live with you guys for most part of life! :) The first time I left home was after I got married and one realizes the challenges your parents must have faced most often only when one has had their own kids!

Don't get me wrong! I have always respected you guys, but lets just say having my bacchas just took it to another level! :D

I can now very well imagine Mom's chagrin to see us not finish our dabbas that she had painstakingly prepared in the morning or Dad getting upset at our arguments! :p

I have so much to be thankful for having you guys as my parents that I don't know where to start! :)

Thank you for a good life. A happy childhood filled with good things - holidays, restaurants, books and most importantly your time!

Thank you for making me independent and confident by telling me often how good I was at things I was good at without harping on too much about stuff I wasn't very good at. Like academics!

Thank you for being warm people who loved having people over. For making 'No TV when guests are at home" rule which I still follow at my home as well!

Thank you for introducing small pleasures in little ways making those simple things special. Like getting chai only on Sunday mornings with dose of Rangoli! :) Cub gets his coffee on weekends now!

Thank you for letting us have access to chocolates - one piece a day - making sure we never really were desperate for any ever!

Thank you for almost never telling me what to wear or whom to make friends with. Despite living in a conservative society, you guys were incredibly open minded and I can never be more glad about it!

Thank you for the most amazing birthday parties! Amazing home cooked food when Rasna and cake were the norm at most birthdays!

Thank you for teaching us the importance of quality over quantity. We bought clothes thrice a year, but they were reallly good clothes! :)

Thank you for not trying too hard to convince me that it was OK to wear Abhyankar chappals with jeans! :p

Thank you for encouraging me to go for all my school picnics and later outings with friends! My friends always found you very cool! :)

Thank you for taking my shaadi decision much better than I would have expected you to! :) It must not have been easy, but you were extremely gentle and balanced throughout! Rest they say is history! :)

Thank you for a beautiful wedding!

Thank you for also showing me what a good marriage is. It helped. Immensely!

Thank you for showing me 'Family First!'

Thank you for being kind and generous people who believe in goodness of people.

Actually, just thank you for a fabulously normal, yet different enough life! :) I find happiness comes to me easily and a large part of it has to do with how you guys brought me up!

Thank you for the roots and the wings. And the unconditional love. And an unending supply of support and hope.

I love you!

Abha