Family time...
Off late, I've been enjoying small sessions of drawing room discussions with my family members. And it's turning out into such a soft, soothing and pampering experience -- something totally novel and magnetic -- that we all automatically gravitate towards the drawing room at the slightest pretext. If I'm half-asleep in my room and I sense folks on the sofa...sorry, bye-bye sleep. Second sister would've finished her work upstairs and come down. Mom will be reading some book or newspaper. If Dad's around, he quietly arrives and occupies a chair. Archana struts in and out of the kitchen -- kinda breaking the rythm of the 'mahoul' but also keeping it dynamic. A kid or two here and there. And if elder sister has come down from chennai, it's icing on the cake.
Now what do we discuss? Everything and nothing. Maybe a hot political debate. Some event in the layout. An illness of a relative. Some meaty gossip in between. An important decision to be taken. A small blame game. Review of a decision gone wrong. What next? kind of topics. Events from the past. Plans for the future.....honestly, anything under the Sun. Many times, just enjoying the presence of each other in silence as hot tea gets served around to the background music of lashing rains.
The magical, other-worldly feeling I experience in the cosy comfort of my family's presence in that small drawing room....I wouldn't trade it for anything. We continue to sit, extending the time by a few more minutes. Nobody wants to get up. Loud laughters, tears at times. Hearts open up slowly. Gentle healing of long past emotions. There's magic in the air.
Family is such a precious thing, yet we take it for granted (I have). Kids grow up fast and fly to distant shores, pursuing education and employment. Bigger units slowly fritter into far-flung nuclear families. People move on. It's a gift and blessing to come together and enjoy the shared history and future in these rare moments. And I'm absolutely loving this growing bonding with my family.
Now what do we discuss? Everything and nothing. Maybe a hot political debate. Some event in the layout. An illness of a relative. Some meaty gossip in between. An important decision to be taken. A small blame game. Review of a decision gone wrong. What next? kind of topics. Events from the past. Plans for the future.....honestly, anything under the Sun. Many times, just enjoying the presence of each other in silence as hot tea gets served around to the background music of lashing rains.
The magical, other-worldly feeling I experience in the cosy comfort of my family's presence in that small drawing room....I wouldn't trade it for anything. We continue to sit, extending the time by a few more minutes. Nobody wants to get up. Loud laughters, tears at times. Hearts open up slowly. Gentle healing of long past emotions. There's magic in the air.
Family is such a precious thing, yet we take it for granted (I have). Kids grow up fast and fly to distant shores, pursuing education and employment. Bigger units slowly fritter into far-flung nuclear families. People move on. It's a gift and blessing to come together and enjoy the shared history and future in these rare moments. And I'm absolutely loving this growing bonding with my family.
