Glorious Sixty Year Olds

All of us have our own definitions of what define us as grandparents - but here is one from the viewpoint of 8 year olds - amusing, touching and very true. Where do we get the patience to do all this - and where was this patience when our own children were growing up? WHAT IS A GRANDPARENT? (Taken from papers written by a class of 8-year-old American kids) Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of their own. They like other people's. A grandfather is a man, & a grandmother is a lady! Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come to see them. They are so old they shouldn't play hard or run. It is good if they drive us to the shops and give us money. When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars. They show us and talk to us about the colors of the flowers and also why we shouldn't step on 'cracks.' They don't say, 'Hurry up.' Usually grandmot...

Why did this happen ? Why is it that we cannot teach people how not to hate so much, how not to kill innocent bystanders, how not to go around shooting people just because they happened to be in a certain place at a certain time. I have no answers, I only have questions. I am seeking some words which will make me understand the carnage. I have watched the videos of the dead people at the station, their only fault - they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Surely life cannot be measured by the bullets of a young man in Versace T-shirt, who does not even bother to hide his face as he goes around with an AK-47 - or whatever it was. I asked a friend of mine as to why and how do people develop so much hatred for others this is what she said : People who can kill like those who did so in Mumbai lack empathy for those not "in my family/tribe". Dehumanize people who are outside your group enough, and get permission from an authority (Bush, scripture, Guru, Imam etc) and belie...

After watching the film " Bucket List " with two great actors - Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman in it - I figured it was time I built a 'bucket list' for myself. It is unlikely that I am going to achieve even 10% of what I am writing - but it is good to get it down on paper.It is good to have something to look at and say - maybe I should do this - or maybe I should help someone to do this - or maybe Pran and myself should really try to do this. Most of these will just end up being words on paper, but then as in the BeeGees song - "words are all I have" 1. Open a school for children of construction workers. Most of them just play by the wayside while their parents work at the sites. They are not there for very long and the logistics involved in this are way too many. But maybe someday when I have enough money, I may be able to do this or maybe I can help someone who already does this. 2. Cut my hair short and let it go grey. Too much effort is involved to d...

As you get older, memories become an inherent part of your life. Everything that happens around you seems to have a connection with something that happened years and years ago. A lot of sentences seem to begin with - when I was young; or with sometime back. Every experience seems to be compared with another one that took place years earlier. No wonder our children begin to roll their eyes heavenwards when we only mention the words - when we were young. What are memories made of ? A weird question - but I have started thinking about what is it that we remember. I can recollect the name of my teacher in Class IV but I cannot remember what I paid for a certain vegetable today. Let me do some correlations of memories and how I react to things today : I remember spending a lot of summer holidays writing essays. This was considered by my mother to be the best way in which to improve our English writing skills. When I became an English teacher, I would never ask my students to write essays - ...

As I tried to swim with my grandchildren this evening, I realised that it was really not so easy to do that. The strokes came more slowly, and the desire was to just stand around and watch the children play. Suddenly there was a sense of having got older - I know, I know, we are older, but somehow age seems to have kept itself at abeyance for some years. So it was like a blast from the past - or from the sky - whichever metaphor we may prefer - hey, you are older !! So what are the symptoms or symbols of being over sixty - here are some of mine : 1. The shoes are comfortable - they may not be smart, but they are definitely comfortable !! Forget the high heels - those have been delegated to the interiors of the shoe cupboard. The first sign of aching bodies and tired legs - look at the shoes !! 2. Hair Dyes - what would we do without them. One of these days I am going to stop dyeing my hair - for a few months I am going to look like the reverse of a Zebra - half white hair and half bl...

Hi, Just thought I would write down some thoughts on becoming a grandparent again. We have two grandchildren ages 5 and 2 and a half. Our third grandchild was born on December 18th, a gorgeous little baby boy. I spoke earlier about why is it different being a grandparent? Is it because we are only part time parents or is it because we are wiser and older ? Are they special because they are our children's children or is it also the realisation that time is fleeting and we have learnt to enjoy the children without being stressed about how they are being reared. These are questions that I ask because I do not have the answers for them. All I do know is that they are our best stress busters, and just a hug or a flying kiss from them seems to be the greatest gift we have ever been given. Do you remember the hugs that your children gave you? Or the first time they turned round and said "I love you"? The grandchildren say it easily and artlessly and you respond in the same manne...

You cannot get any younger - but you can feel young and less careworn and down . Here is some good advice - even if you do not follow it - enjoy reading it !! Throw out nonessential numbers - this includes age, weight, and height. Let the doctors worry about them.. That is why you pay them. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. (Keep this in mind if you are one of those grouches!) Keep learning: Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain get idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's! Enjoy the simple things Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with him or her! The tears happen: Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourself. LIVE while you are alive. Surround yourself with what you love: Whether it's family, pets, ...