My darling jhia,
Today you turn 8 years old.
Your excitement for your birthday continues unabated and it is a lovely thing to have. I hope for you to continue having this excitement all your life long.
For your 7th birthday, since the COVID-19 pandemic was not well in control, we decided to do an outdoor birthday again. Remember, the 6h one was at the beach! We zeroed in on Tree Park, the one right beside TAPMI. The usual suspects were invited, your dear friend Tingia turned up from Bangalore, food was ordered to be delivered right at the park, and the theme of the birthday was the one thing you were obsessed with at that time - Elsa (of the Frozen fame). You had an Elsa dress to wear (with a cape and all), the decoration stuff were of that theme, and yes, your mother, continuing the tradition of baking your birthday cakes herself, made one with the Elsa theme. It was a good outing. You kids played a little bit post the celebration.
The year saw you going to school regularly as the shadow of Covid slowly dissipated. While academically you have been doing very good, a matter of deep concern was about your lunch. The slightly picky eater that you are (and I plead guilty on that count), your mother took on this task of catering to your demands and preparing wide variety of snacks and lunch. By the end of the year you started adapting to 'hot lunch' at school. Time shall tell how long that trend will continue.
We went to Odisha in April, braving the summer in Talcher. You fell ill with viral enteritis and it was a tough time. Later we watched a play (your first in fact), Ahe Nila Shaila in Bhubaneswar and you enjoyed the experience. We again went to Odisha in July, though just for three days, because your friend Tingia was getting married and no way we could miss it. Some relations, that we build ourselves, must be valued; and relationships take work to be maintained.
There was a lot of uncertainty going on about the fate of MMMC, where we work, and that occupied our thoughts for a large part of the year. But amidst all that we embarked on what would turn out as the highlight of 2022 - the Europe trip. We were very unsure, how it would go with you, for we had never travelled that long and that far earlier. The planning and preparation, which you witnessed closely, went on for months. We did it all by ourselves and with all the aspirations and aspersions undertook the journey on August 28.
We visited Stockholm where our family members live and had a great time there. We went to the gorgeous Amsterdam, to the beautiful Ghent & Bruges, then the tourist haven of Paris. You were super cooperative and walked on and on while we enjoyed these lovely European cities. You must be commended for that for in a day we used to hit more than 15k steps. You adjusted to the food too. It was a unique experience and to cherish it we have made an album of the photos and memorabilia collected. I hope you will remember the Louvre (which was a dream for me when I read the book by Dan Brown) and the Mona Lisa in it. I hope you will remember the thousands of cyclists and the beautiful canals in Amsterdam. I hope you will remember the city tour and metros of Stockholm and above all the good time spent with family.
Your 'nani' came back from Stockholm with us and you have enjoyed the pampering of a grandparent of late. I can see that it has instilled in you the art of being demanding, but it is all fun. You started learning Karate this year and after a few sessions grew bored with it. You have started going to music classes recently. You want to join dance classes too. It is all good to try new things. Some things will stick others won't, but remember nothing will come easy. Play also needs a dedication like work for it to transform into a habit.
A lot happened in the world. Russia and Ukraine went into war and which disrupted many things. Lives were lost, economic downturn came about, geopolitical crisis continues as I write this. Wars are never good you see. Queen Elizabeth died, when we were in Stockholm. Football World Cup was won by Argentina and the g.o.a.t (not the animal) Messi got his due (though we didn't watch the WC). Countries like Iran saw women asking for their rights, and the protests continued for months. China saw protests as well and by the end of the year the Covid situation there worsened. The World started plating Wordle. Artificial Intelligence took an interesting turn with ChatGPT (I wonder how you kids will write assignments 8-10 years from now). The James Webb Space Telescope sent pictures back and we learnt so much about space and stars and galaxies.
After a break of two years, the last time when you danced to "Bhumro bhumro" and was also am emcee for the program, your school had the Annual Day in November. Endless practice (rolls eyes) for the dance-drama 'Punyakoti' ensued and you were pretty excited to be a cow. You were equally disappointed when you were replaced as an emcee this time. Showed how much you cared for it. Good thing. Perhaps will motivate you to try harder for things that matter to you.
The end of the year also brought an end to the long run we have had with the car! The car that was of your 'Nanu' and got passed on to your Ma. The car in which you came home from hospital after your month-and-a-half stint in NICU. The car in which we went to places we could - those tens of visits to beaches, restaurants, school-of-course. Material things do become a part of our life for they are associated with the memories we make. But material things are material things at the end of the day. We finally, and on the new year day, brought home a new car. I hope we get to create memories and much better ones in this one too.
As I write this letter, this year we are planning to have your birthday at home this time. The usual suspects have been invited. You have become tad bit greedy with wanting large number of gifts.
You are growing fast and growing tall! You are exhibiting a sense of humor which is a nice thing (I am bad at that anyway). Some teenagy behavior is also being observed which is, at least not yet, giving us sleepless nights. Your compassion and understanding of things continues to surprise us sometimes. Hope you keep that up. It is essential to be a good person, everything else comes next or rather follows.
Always remember, we love you the most.
Papa
