Monday, May 23, 2011

Four

My dear Puttachi,

Happy Birthday!

I write this letter not to the 4-year-old Puttachi of now, but to the Puttachi of the future who is reading this, whether you are 10, 25, 40....

I wonder what you are now - a sportswoman, a dancer, a musician?  An artist, dramatist, a rocket scientist?  A mother, a teacher, a writer?

I don't know what you are going to be, but I do know that your 4-year-old self has a couple of key qualities (among many more commendable ones) that are essential for a wonderful life ahead, whatever path you choose to take - and I want you to retain them.

One - your curiosity, your inquisitiveness.  You want to know about everything, right from the banal (Where does everything go after we flush the toilet?)  to the practical (how do they make the contact lens bottle, and what do they put in the contact lens solution?)  and right down to the more thoughtful (Is it possible to think about two things at the same time?)

When I confess I don't know something, you say, "Switch on your laptop and see, you'll find everything online."  I hope you know where to find answers even now, Puttachi.  I hope you still WANT to know the answers to everything.  Don't ever lose your curiosity.  One more thing - I also hope you have developed the passion and the interest, and have the means - to go after the answers to those questions to which nobody knows the answers.

Two - your happiness, your joy, your ability to find humour in everything, and the willingness to love and be loved.  Because, that, Puttachi, is the key to contentment.

We love you, and will always do.

Amma.

18 comments:

Slogan Murugan said...

We should all write a letter like this to ourselves too.

austere said...

happy birthday.

Lovely letter. yes, a letter to oneself would be a great idea.

Brinda said...

We too wish that Puttachi retains all these wonderful qualities she has shown so far!

Wishing the very best in life, Putani!
With heaps and heaps of love,
yours,
ajji, thatha

charu said...

happy birthday, Puttachi. I hope to see you in the near future!
love,
Charu

snippetsnscribbles said...

Happy happy birthday to the sunshine girl :) God bless :)

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Dear :)
-- Radhika

Kavs said...

happy birthday Puttachi!

parijata said...

Happy birthday to the little one!
Beautiful letter.

Anonymous said...

may you have many many more happy healthy ones.

Jayashree

starry eyed said...

Happy birthday Puttachi! Wish I'd come today to school and wished you myself!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday to dear, darling Puttachi -- she's a doll!

And what an absolutely lovely letter!

ano

Suraj said...

Happy Bday to the little one. She is a lucky one to have these thoughts left for her in the virtual world to access when she is older. I would love to know what my folks were thinking 10/20/30 years ago....

praneshachar said...

in recent past somehow was not able to read my beloved blogs reason u call busy lazy or whatever u feel but today thought will go thro some of them yah missed a lot of your posts shurthi and will certainly read all of them.
way you have written there is not other thing you can present to her when she reads this particular one ur are just marvellous and looks puttachi will be overtaking you yah generation gap geans etc.,etc., hope will see her writing or painting or whatever she likes after couple of year when hopefully I am spending me tme leisurely!!!!11 happy birthdays to compliment this post to puttachi

Yesh said...

Belated Happy Birthday Puttachi. A wonderful letter on the right day, wish puttachi will read this when she grows older.

Chitra said...

Happy birthday to PuTTachi! I know that she would have a wonderful day :-)!

Aarthi said...

beautiful

Shruthi said...

Thank you all!

Sanjay M said...

"It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education." said Einstein, and I definitely believe in Puttachi the miracle! :)

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