My journey called Ammachi

It all started when she became the first family member to carry the new born. Almost the entire first two years of the infant's life depended so much on his grand mother whom he so fondly began to call "Ammachi"

She was a typical Tamilian house wife, caring and very protective of her children and grandchildren. Keeping little for herself and taking care of every need of her wards. She is the most selfless woman that I have ever met, though she was not the smartest.

Often, she was such that, she valued immediate needs and happiness of her loved ones. In so doing she often misjudged the effects it would have on the long term goals and well being, so often she has repented these selfless actions in her life.

Kind in nature, soft spoken and pure in heart she was devoted to her businessman husband, a man who understood her fully only very late in life. The couple was happiest during their retired lives when both of them enjoyed the other's company and lived in harmony and very very happy.

In my formative years "Ammachi" was a love angel whom I met up with twice a year during my holidays (when we vacationed in Bangalore) and during my high school and higher secondary when we were together in Pollachi, she was my refuge whenever I was in confusion or sorrow, in pain or in loneliness. "Ammachi" was always omnipresent, my darling Panacea.

I watched her wither and become weak, but still she was very strong in heart, till the time my grandpa passed away three years back. But she almost took it in her stride and trudged along. The only thing she was upset about was her children, how little some of her fledglings had settled in life and how miserable they were at times.

She lived to see her grandchildren settle in jobs, make good investments (something she wanted her husband to do since the heydays, but sadly it fell in deaf ears). She watched couple of her grandchildren get married and even dreamed of cuddling her great grand ones.

Her everything was weak, years of steroid treatment for bad bouts of asthma has weakened her body like a tree losing everything in fall, but her spirit lived on. It all ends like it begins. Everything good in life has a ending and so did my cherished spirit. It slowly came to a grinding halt at 11:30 PM on April 2008.

This is my journey called "Ammachi"...