Designs of the Heart

‘A woman of substance’- is it applicable for the modern woman only? When we use the above phrase, I would like to bring into the picture a lady who did not live to see the 21^st century.

Beautiful in looks, agile in her movements, that is how I remember her today. Old age bent her body like a bow but apart from that she had trim figures, which even the most modern slimming techniques fail to achieve and fair smooth skin without using any of the beauty treatments available to us today. Her high cheekbones and her pointed chin have invited the envy of all her granddaughters.

As my grandfather’s young bride she joined our household and mingled delicately among the already existing crowd. Being a teenager, not much was expected of the new bride. Once she ventured into the kitchen and ended up spoiling the broth. She played safe by not trespassing into that territory which was firmly rooted in age-old practices and traditions. She found solace in joining the cleaning brigade and performed that to perfection. Commenting on her acumen, her husband once said that she was always ready to pounce upon the grass the moment it peeped out of the ground. The result was a spic and span house and clean surroundings. Those she begot turned out to be beautiful women and handsome men. The rural environ somehow limited their flights to success. Yet, each one headed towards different destinations and made their mark in life.

I never paid any serious attention to my lineage or to the qualities I inherited from my ancestors until a tête-à-tête with my paternal aunt revealed the silver lining. This vacation was special because my aunt opened the loving cauldron and we, the younger generation sniffed in the aroma of all those beautiful qualities and memorable incidents. It is normally believed that the present age is the most modern and people who lived in yesteryears never possessed the niceties of this age.

It was a great revelation for me to learn that many of the qualities that I royally flaunt today are those that were passed down to me from my granny. The younger lot these days believe in aping their counterparts in the West be it their sense of dressing, way of living, expression of thought, social behaviour, matters regarding faith and belief. There is also a tendency among the younger folk to idolize the sportspersons, actors, actresses etc. Every family is gifted with a uniqueness of its own. All of us are aware of the fact that no two families are alike, then why indulge in imitation regarding other matters. Let the original in us come out and for this we need to be in constant touch with our elders. It’s a reminder for all the young ones that our parents, grandparents and great grandparents are precious.

They may seem outdated in the ultra modern world but there is so much in them that we can imbibe to shine and stand out in a crowd with a uniqueness that’s just our own. It was a memorable experience to walk down the memory lane with my aunt and to know more about a person who is no more with us. Today I regret for not having spent quality time with my grandmother.