19 Comments
Feb 15, 2023Liked by Reena Kapoor

Your Nani and indeed all our grandparents were made of different mitti! She is inspiring and I cannot even the courage it took.

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Thanks Mona for reading. Indeed! She was an inspiration even today.

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Sep 15, 2022Liked by Reena Kapoor

Thank you so much for introducing us to your nani who is so inspiring. Her resilience against all the tragedies she faced and yet her kindness is a paath we all need to learn in these troubled times. It is simple to remember but challenging to practice, especially for those with whom we disagree. We can spend the rest of our lives based on those two values- courage and kindness because that is all that matters while we live and after we are gone. I love these regular reminders as it is easy to get lost in the mayhem.

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Thank you Shubhra for reading my words and writing to tell me they meant something. It means the world to hear that. She was indeed one of a kind and I try to remember her life lessons which get lost all too easily as you say. You are onto something with your realization. These years are hard and transformative and I am ever so grateful for her light. Wish you all the best in your path.

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I love the fact that paath means lesson. It gives new sense to the fact that it's all about the journey (eg path) rather than the destination... When you die, you can't take your material winnings with you... The one thing you do leave behind is your reputation. And the more it's about helping others, the more likely people will remember you. It strikes me that your grandmother stood OUT because she stood FOR those exceptional values of courage and kindness.

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Speaking of paths, I forgot that I had one so titled: Have you found your path?

https://minter.substack.com/p/have-you-found-your-path

I might have written: Have you learned your paath?

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Wonderful! It’s an interesting play of words and I don’t know the etymology of path but makes me wonder about that connection. Thanks for reading and I’m loving this engaging conversation on these ideas. It’s that stage of life for sure yet also some commonality in our compulsion to find answers through writing… I look forward to many more conversations.

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Sep 9, 2022Liked by Reena Kapoor

Marvelous piece of your writing, truly inspiring.

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Thank you so much for reading and writing to tell me dear Chachaji 🙏❤️

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Sep 9, 2022Liked by Reena Kapoor

So well written Reena!

A true depiction of those times as well as the society we live in now. And how, you so easily get the reader completely engrossed in the story.

Made me remember my nani who had a very similar hugely independent life.

Keep sharing! 💕

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Thank you dear Anuradha! I really appreciate you reading and writing to tell me. Our grandparents often had amazing lives which loom even larger given their circumstances. I loved that this reminded you of yours. 🙏❤️

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Sep 9, 2022Liked by Reena Kapoor

lovely recollection of Nani, Rinaji...a sweet, nuanced realization of how valuable her guiding light has been in your life...I find myself also subtly, and quite organically, seeking such guiding "lights" when they are living and near. I found that bright light in my yoga teacher six months ago so needless to say I am her official groupie now...but your recollection touched my heart as I'm sure it keeps touching yours. much love...Raj

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Thank you so much dear Raj! Like you say guiding lights are precious and we should pay attention to what they have to give us, especially at this stage when our distractions of youth are behind us and we have the luxury of looking deeper. Thank you for reading and for wrong to talk me! 🙏❤️

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Lovely piece, Reena. The humble beginnings our grandparents' generation begat our middle-class parents' generation, who continued the legacy, even though they needed to send us to buy stuff at the corner grocery store in the 4th week of the month and instead of paying in cash, get the amount noted in the shopkeeper's register, to be paid off when the next paycheck arrived at home, but always finding ways to instill the desire in us to go forth and do better, which we have done in some ways, and in others, regressed, but try like hell to catch up, do even better, and keep a bit of that legacy going, leave alone create our own new legacy - something your article makes us think about afresh.

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Your comment made me think of the way so many immigrants have to fight to survive, bring up children whom they do everything for to make them have better lives (not to forget sending money back home)... and then these children may fight for their children, but the cycle somehow dissipates. The 'hunger' seems to wane -- not just because there's now ample food -- but also the ability to tolerate the struggle and the desire to do things for others. We would do well to remember the hard-fought liberties and lives we now have that our forebears gave us. While I'm not an immigrant (although I've changed countries a lot), I certainly wish to remember the sacrifices of my grandparents in WWII and to live in a way that they would possibly find honorable.

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We would indeed do very well to remember what we have and what we attained through hard won victories. Here in the US there’s a real, clear and present danger of throwing the baby out with the bath water. The narrative - both political and cultural- had become about elevating and celebrating victimhood (instead of fortitude and courage of generations past) and a desire to forget what has been accomplished.

Strangely there’s a rather uninformed, ahistoric and selective focus on history fueled by our terrifyingly politicized education system that’s churning out ideologues instead of learned adults. But I digress… :-)

All I think is my grandmother would have no use for those who’d want to celebrate her as a victim!

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Thanks for your careful reading Sanjeev and your own wonderful pondering of what our parents gave us and what we carry forward. Loved reading that.

Thank you for reading and responding - so glad you enjoyed it and it resonated with you. 🙏

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What a glorious tribute. I love this piece. Thank you for sharing and congrats on the publication in Bluebird. Literary magazines do matter, if I may share this with your readers: https://marytabor.substack.com/p/literary-magazines-why-bother-lagniappe xo Mary

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Thanks so much, Mary! Appreciate your kind words and glad you liked it.

Yes I’m thrilled with my recent publication successes - modest as they are - only because I want to learn from the feedback and become a better writer. Long road but a beautiful journey, no doubt.

Thanks for sharing. 🙏

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