my aunt and uncle are here from india. seeing them here, just is so, i don't know...surreal. when i think of them, i think of memories made in ernavoor , madras. memories of the ocean, of the fisherpeople not too far away. of trips to tirupathi. memories of time spent with their children and other cousins, aunts and uncles. of weddings, and other events. when i think of them, i think of rickshaws, and fast moving cars, cattle on the busy and heavily crowded streets, flat topped dwellings, and bazaars. all memories in a different land. now they are here, in the US of a and making new memories.



my mom and dad are automatically happy and smiling. having my aunt and uncle here makes them reminisce of times when we, my brothers and i, were small. times that they hold fondly in their heart, as the years went by without many family members nearby. they had to hold these memories for what else did they have? loneliness i think. both of my parents had many family members that they left behind in india. although my dad wanted very much to come here, i think that there always was this huge amount of sadness in his heart and my mom's. i don't know if they thought that we,the kids, didn't know this...but we did. we saw it everytime they came back from a trip to india...and they have been going often these past years, at least once every year and a half. we saw it also in the pictures. they were forever smiling, a thing that they don't do as much here.



anyway, i am so happy to see my aunt and uncle here, and to also hear the stories that they will share with mom and dad. i love to hear of india, and of simple times, when children were younger and more innocent...of their years of growing up. my uncle actually is my mom's brother, and my aunt is my dad's sister...so they have many shared memories. i can't wait to hear the stories!!!!