Diaries, Lobsters, Forevers and other clichés.

Dear Ma and Dada,

I know you're totally confused about the title right now. I assure you, you'll understand soon enough. I wanted to write a poem for your anniversary but my tired brain isn't of any use right now except sifting through random thoughts, and then getting all excited and weird about them.

These thoughts of course started with images of both of your smiling faces in my mind; 'ma in her beautiful bluish purplish colorful sari, and dad in the reddish maroonish shirt from the photos you sent me last evening. Beautiful colors which together made me think about love birds with their vivid colors, their chirping and their everlasting love; kind of like you guys, huh? Love birds. That's what I'd thought would be the title of my poem, which in the end I couldn't write. Love birds. They made me think of lobsters. I told you I get weird sometimes. I'll explain.

You know I used to watch that show called 'Friends' like crazy, right? The one you thought was stupid, Dad :D Well anyway, in one episode, one of the totally awesome characters, Phoebe says something like this:

"It's a known fact that lobsters fall in love and mate for life. You know what? You can actually see old lobster couples walkin' around their tank, you know, holding claws."

This kinda stuck with me. It's silly and sweet at the same time. I did some fact checking, and this isn't technically true but even then, the idea of mating for life and growing old together, and knowing only one love all your life is a wonderful thought which gets a small satisfied/wishful sigh out of me. So, I think about you both and then I think about lobsters and say, "Wow! Dada is 'ma's lobster and vice versa!" Not so stupid now, huh?! :P Thinking about you two is synonymous to thinking about "forevers", "fairy tales", "magic", "romance" and other such mythical things normal human beings like me are in awe of. Extraordinary, that's the word. Awe is another. And whenever I think about things to be in awe of, my mind inevitably takes me to the world of books and words, and people who write these words. Which made me think of diaries.

Diaries. Such strange things. Our relationship with them starts out platonic and detached. We bore them with excruciating details of the day to day activities of our mundane lives. Slowly, we form a bond. We start sharing feelings: anger, resentment, grudges at first; happiness, humor, sadness follow soon; elation, pain, fear, excitement after some time. Our relationship grows as we become friends who gossip and share secrets about crushes and then about life, and eventually we go onto become friends who would take these secrets to the grave. The most powerful feelings of love, trust and faith seal this relationship and change it into something rare, something beautiful, something that lasts forever. So, I hope you see how diaries remind me of you two. Platonic. Friends. Best Friends. Love. Forever. Sound familiar? Apart from this, there is that other thing that 'ma always used to say. 'ma, remember how you told me that you stopped writing in your old diary because dad became your diary, the one you'd write in forever? Well, things like that make a romantic like me swoon!

So, the point of this rambling was just to give you a few examples to show you how both of you manage to beat the odds. Cynics will just hate you guys for proving them wrong. I have watched you from afar and observed you from up close, I have lived with you and grown up in the family that you started, so I think that is enough for me to be an apt judge on love and life, for now :) And the judge has ruled that you both make the most ridiculous and soppy of clichés worth believing in, because looking at you, I know and I believe that dreams and reality can be one, and that forevers are possible. And that is something most people can't even dream of having. 

This is where I end this odd write up. I guess this was my way of saying that I'm glad I ended up being this crazy kid with crazier dreams, and I want to thank you both because I'm me because of you. Because of how you raised me, and because of how you love each other.

I love you. And I love your love for each other. I'm so proud to be your daughter.

Happy 30th anniversary! 30 beautiful, amazing, extraordinary years...and here's raising a toast to millions of similar years that I know are ahead.

Kisses,

Sweety

P.S. I'm too weird, I know. You don't have to tell me.

P.P.S. Thank you for giving me Appu.

What I Have To Say...

Okay, so anybody reading this post, please read the two below this first...because you have to read them to understand what I say here...

THEIR LOVE STORY...

I love Erich Segal's 'Love Story', but he had it all wrong,
To Jenny and Oliver does the greatest love story not belong.
I've been watching the greatest love story of all times, unfold in front of  my eyes for so long,
It belongs to my parents - Sudha and John.

Whenever I look at them, I always wonder,
And the looks they give each other is enough for me to surrender
That love must be as beautiful as they make it seem,
It's enough to make me wish for it, it's enough to make me dream.

They fell in love, they were so young
Each new path that was together discovered, each new song that was sung
Was done with a passion, for each, the other came first,
They started their beautiful journey, full of dreams and trust.

They were blessed with a babe, as their love grew,
They showered all their love on the little one, they couldn't believe another dream had come true.
It held a family now, the little home they had built together,
After all, he was was father now, and she was a mother.

Years flew by, the babe was now a mischievous little boy,
He was the apple of their eyes and filled their hearts with joy.
When they looked at him, they knew they couldn't have asked for more,
Little did they know of the plan God had for them in store.

Seven happy years down the road, she found out another child she was to bear,
And so astonished was she, all she could do was stare.
And then she found out, complications there might be,
And her soon to be born baby, she might never even see.
She was shocked and she was scared,
For she knew, for the baby inside her, she already cared.
She cried and with God she made deals,
"Keep my baby safe", were her repeated appeals.

She told her husband about the baby, anxious of what he'd say,
But she needn't have worried 'cause he picked her right up in his arms and up the stairs, they made their way.
She told him of her fears,
But he wiped away her tears.
Together they told God that they'd fill the baby's life with love and do everything in their might,
To keep its future shining and bright.

God listened to their prayers,
He knew the love in their hearts, with the child they'd share.
And then came the day when into their lives a fallen star strayed,
Their happiness knew no bounds as now they had everything they had ever craved.

He fell in love for the third time, when he held in his arms his baby girl,
She was a gem to him now, She was his pearl.
He sang to her every night, roaming in the hall with her in his arms,
She seemed as fascinated by him as her mother, and fell for his charms.

Now, let's not forget the little boy, who'd always wanted a brother with whom football he'd play.
And even though now he had a kid sister, when he looked at her, any the regrets he might have had just flew away.
When he picked her up, she tried to pull out his teeth and explored his face with a tiny hand,
And he thought of the things that he'd teach her one day, smiling as he planned.

All three of them, Man, Woman an Child,
Taught the little girl the values of life and onto her, their love they piled.
As they looked at their babies together,
Each felt blessed they'd had the chance to have this with the other.

And now, thirty years have passed since the day they first met,
They admit, they had rights as well as wrongs, but trust in each other they always kept.
He says now that he loves her more than ever,
She says, her love for him will end never.

Their children, one, twenty seven now, the other twenty,
Know that they have reasons to be proud of them plenty.
They know their parents and see them as one,
They know of no one else, who do things for each other that they have done.

And as they celebrate their twenty eighth anniversary today, we look at them and wonder if love so true we'll ever know,
All we wish now is that happiness follow them wherever they go.
As hand in hand, each step they take,
Other beautiful memories for their love story, they make.

So, I hope this little effort of mine,
Gave this special day, a little more shine.
I love you both, more than the vastness of space,
And hope love, warmth and laughter fill all your days.

Cathy
27/08/2011

Happy Anniversary, have a great day guys :)
I love you :* 

For anyone's whose still wondering, the two poems below were written by my parents, starting with the first by my mom, followed by the one written by my dad (you can see them in the pic :p). Anyway, this is like the first time I'm going public with my silly poetry and I'm nervous as anything so please spare me all the harsh criticism that I know is on its way...;)

But this post is dedicated to my parents...so I just hope they like it :)
Good night every one...have a very important exam in the morning, loads left to study so i'll be on my way...

Let's Hear What They Have To Say First...

SHE WRITES...

TO MY BEST FRIEND...

I was sitting here thinking,
Of the words I want to say.
But they just wouldn't come out right,
So I found a different way.

I got a piece of paper,
And wrote this poem for you.
But there's no way to thank you,
For every thing you do.

For always being nice to me,
And staying by my side.
For helping me fix my problems,
And never leaving me behind.

For accepting my thoughts and feelings,
Even those you don't understand.
For never giving up on me,
And being my best friend.

For making me laugh,
And letting me cry.
And saying you'd miss me,
If I were to die.

Everything you mean to me,
You could never know.
In all the ways you've changed my life,
I could never show.

The way you take care of me,
You're my shining star.
And though it's so incredible,
That's just the way you are.

Before I get too mushy,
It's time for me to go.
But before I leave this ink-filled page,
There's one thing you should know.

As long as we are living,
If you need me, just call and I'll be there.

I'll climb a thousand mountains,
And swim a thousand seas.
Anything to be there,
'Cause you've been there for me.

Sudha
26/11/2011

Let's Hear What They Have To Say First...

AND THEN HE SAYS...

AND  DREAMS  COME TRUE………

THIS IS A LOVE STORY, IT STARTED 30 YEARS AGO………..

THEN I WAS YOUNG, I WAS LONELY.

BUT I WAS A DREAMER,

I DREAMED OF LOVE

& SOMEONE WHO’LL LOVE ME & ME ONLY.

I HAD GOOD FRIENDS, BUT A VERY FEW,

I LOVED GOOD BOOKS, MUSIC & MOVIES TOO.

THEN ONE DAY FROM OUT OF THE BLUE,

I MET THIS BEAUTIFUL GIRL

WHOM IT SEEMED I ALWAYS KNEW.

SHE STEPPED STRAIGHT IN TO MY HEART,

AS IF SHE KNEW RIGHT FROM THE START.

IT WAS THE PLACE,

FOR WHICH, ONLY SHE HELD THE KEY.

I KNEW FROM THAT MOMENT,

LOVE HAD HAPPENED TO ME.

SHE BECAME MY SOUL MATE, MY BEST FRIEND

WE SHARED OUR VIEWS ON AUTHORS, BOOKS,

MOVIES ….THE TOPICS NEVER SEEMED TO END.

I TOLD HER, “A FRIEND IS A PRESENT YOU GIVE TO YOURSELF”

SHE WAS & WILL BE THE ONE, WITH WHOM I DON’T HAVE TO PRETEND.

DAYS WERE LIKE A DREAM, WITH HER NEAR & AROUND ME

EVENINGS WERE THE TIME TO PART,

LEAVING ME WITH A HEAVY HEART,

NIGHTS WERE MAGIC, WHERE HER

SWEET MEMORIES WOULD ALWAYS SURROUND ME.

OH, HOW CAN I EXPLAIN THE FEELING OF LOVE?

IT’S SOMETHING MAGICAL? DIVINE?  IT COMES FROM ABOVE?

ONE CAN’T FIND THE WORDS TO EXPRESS IT,

BUT WHEN TRUE LOVE COMES TO YOU, IT COMES ON

THE WINGS OF A DOVE.

SHE WAS THE ONE WHO CHANGED MY LIFE,

IT WAS NOT VERY LONG BEFORE WE BOTH SAID,

“I LOVE YOU ”

SOON WE WALKED DOWN THE AISLE TO SAY,

“I DO”

AND WE BECAME MAN & WIFE.

BUT BEFORE THIS, THERE WAS TROUBLE FROM PARENTS AND FRIENDS.

THE WHOLE WORLD WAS TRYING TO TELL US IT’S WRONG,

BUT WE KNEW THIS WOULD PASS IF WE JUST STOOD STRONG.

THOSE WERE JUST THE TRIALS AND TESTS OF OUR LOVE,

BUT WE KNEW THAT TRUE LOVE ALWAYS WINS IN THE END.

  

I MUST CONFESS, THERE HAVE BEEN ROUGH TIMES,

HEARTACHES & HEARTBREAKS, ALONG WITH THE GOOD TIMES.

BUT EVEN THROUGH THOSE DARK DAYS OF GLOOM,

OUR LOVE STILL PREVAILS, OUR LOVE ALWAYS SHINES.

AND WE STARTED A FAMILY

AS TIME PASSED BY, WE BUILT ‘FANTASIA’, OUR HOME,

WHERE IT FEELS A LITTLE BIT LIKE HEAVEN, WE CALL IT OUR OWN.

IT’S STILL THE PLACE WHERE LOVE & HAPPNESS, CARING & SHARING 

HAVE GROWN LIKE A GREAT OAK TREE.

SHE GAVE ME ALL THE HAPPINESS, I REALLY NEVER KNEW,

I COULD ALWAYS SEE HER LOVE, IN EVRY THING SHE’D DO.

SHE GAVE ME ALL HER LOVE, HER TRUST

WITH ALL THE UNERSTANDING AND CARE,

TWO WONDERFUL GIFTS WHOM WE LOVE & CHERISH, EVERY DAY.

EVERY THING SEEMS COMPLETE IN THIS WONDERFUL WORLD WE SHARE.

IT’S 28 YEARS, SINCE THAT DAY WE BOTH SAID, ‘I DO’

AND I STILL LOVE HER LIKE CRAZY, AND I KNOW SHE DOES TOO.

THIS IS ALL I CAN THINK OF, OR I WANT TO SAY

SHE’S MY DREAM COME TRUE, SHE’S MY LIFE

SHE’S IN MY LIFE, FOREVER TO STAY.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO YOU, SUE,

THIS IS OUR LOVE STORY, SO SIMPLE BUT TRUE,

I WANT YOU TO KNOW, I’LL ALWAYS LOVE YOU

YOU ARE THE REASON ALL MY DREAMS HAVE COME TRUE,

AND YOU MUST BE KNOWING THAT I STILL ADORE YOU.

JOHN

29.11.2011