May 02, 2004 11:36 PM
1616 Views
(Updated Dec 01, 2005 09:06 PM)
THIS IS DEDICATED TO GOD'S BEST GIFT TO MANKIND - ALL MOTHERS OF THIS WORLD
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At the outset let me inform all readers that I am the only son of my parents.( I have two most adorable sisters though!) I always have had this predicament of trying to ascertain what? Gift? to buy for my relatives & friends. I admit I have no finesse, no appreciation of occasions, no sense of timing & worst I just might end up buying, in the absence of any idea, a bottle of hair removing lotion for my best friend, a hairy bloke at that, who might have complained of overgrowth of his beard & how he hated to shave in cold wintry mornings. Conversely I was hugely embarrassed when one female friend of mine politely returned an after shave lotion( I discovered it later) which I mistook for a perfume which I seriously thought would suit her.
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What gift can I buy for a person who herself is God's gift to me is the question! I admit there is nothing material that you can give back to your parents which can net off all the affection, love & care they have showered on you. Nothing which can match the supreme sacrifices which our parents have undergone to ensure that our lives are comfortable .
Simply Nothingwhich can empower us to say' We are quits as of today!'
Nothing seems to interest my mom!
God knows how many times I have stood before her and made the cardinal mistake of asking what she wants as a gift . No prizes for guessing the answers. Well I will give them to you anyway old and hackneyed as they might sound the 2 standard answers, with that most disarming smile, were & still is .
? I don't need anything as of now whenever I need anything I will ask you. Who else will I go to??
? Gift? My children are my gifts My family is my gift I don't need anything more?
No amount of coaxing and cajoling would help then. Exasperated I would quit, at times annoyed, at times feeling hurt that she wouldn't respect my sentiments, my emotions & at times wondering at the selfless nature of this wonderful, the most lovable, adorable & respectable relative -my mom!
I realized then that its pointless asking her & it also dawned upon me that if I were to buy something & gave it to her, its highly unlikely that she will not accept it, if not for anything, out of sheer affection.
I won?t start by saying that when I received my first salary( a princely sum of Rs 3500/-) I gave the entire amount to my mom .( Well most of us do that?don?t we?)
I still remember her expressions. Emotion was written all over her face. The wet eyelashes didn?t escape my notice. She was at once feeling proud of her son, who stepped into manhood. And also overwhelmed with emotion that perhaps her son is now a little distanced from her on stepping into the rut and routine of this fast paced world.
The 2 things for my mom readily accepted, were:
Flowers: She would accept them with a smile & promptly keep them on the flower vase in the living room . For her it would actually be a gift for the entire household.( I am sure she would rationalize it that way)
Books: Ever since I lost my father, my mother became a voracious reader. I understand, it was to fight her loneliness. She preferred books on Philosophy, Religion & Adventure. She would never decline any books that I bought for her. She knew they were treasures in their own rights. Something she could leave behind for her children & grandchildren.
But to my mind, of all the gifts one can think about, the most precious gift that I can actually give to my mother & something which she rightfully deserves( and more) is Love.
Nothing material, however expensive that might be, can substitute that!
