Notes to my twin Sons

My Sons, as I hold you in my arms there are thoughts traversing through my heart, it has been 9 months of waiting from that day at the Gynecologist….It took some time for the news to sink in then. and I would be honest it is taking me time to come to terms with this reality of you guys in my arms now…..No amount of preparation, Parenting Books and well-meaning advise has prepared me to this one moment in time….sometime back the nurses have placed you in my arms…..and least I can say is I am overwhelmed.

As I stand staring in your twinkling eyes I am also thinking about your doggy sisters our first kids from another species who gave us our first lessons on parenting. You will meet them and will learn to call them Angel & Mischief. As I hold you, I wonder what your grandparents must have thought when they held me like this or their parents when they had their moments of truth.

By some stroke of fate “Sachin Tendulkar” has retired yesterday from “Cricket” after 24 long years, in time you will come to know about both…In fact its providence that his entire career encompassed the journey of your parents from kids to Parenthood.

So here I am lost, not knowing what to do or how to react and what to tell you guys….The gibberish that I am puking out is non-comprehensible. hence, I am jotting down these notes hoping that someday both of you will read it. Outside the Mother’s womb life is different, it has its ups and downs, I and your Mamma had ours, as you will have yours.Studies will be hard, Friends will come some will stay while others will leave. Love will happen or it may lead to heartbreaks. You will dream, and while some will be realized others may be shattered, you may love your job or it may be an absolute bore. You will go through your own battles, while as parents we would always be there for both of you; in time you will learn that you cannot win all of them but once you accept this then you will relish the rest of it.

Find what's in your heart - the things you are most passionate about, never think you are not good enough, not because you would be, but because nobody ever is. All throughout your life, opportunities will come at you like everything's there, waiting only for you to take them. Take them! If ever you fall down, pick yourself up…..dust yourself off and look challenges in the eye and say “I am ready for you.”

We all start walking with our wobbly legs, blindly in the darkness, not knowing what we will bump into, or what crossroads we will come to next. But that's the beauty of life. You just never know. Life would be boring if we knew everything. The little discoveries that we make along the way are too special to overlook. So stop and smell the roses, no matter how cliché that sounds. You will find out sometime that clichés are there for a reason: more often than not, they are true.

When you're done smelling the flowers, go run and dance and scream your heart out. Collect all the energy that life gives you and spend it. You will run out of steam sometime, but soon you'll find out it's never enough anyway. And you will find that it will keep coming back to drive you to do everything you can ever imagine. Never let yourself believe that you can't. You can, and you will. We will be there to keep telling you that, and we will keep making sure that you believe that.

I and your Mamma want you to see all the challenges that life has to offer, and I want you to take it all in while it unfolds before you, and enable each of you to do whatever you want with it. Remember, that it doesn’t matter whether you win or you lose. When it’s all said and done make sure that you did your best and are able to hold your head high.

While you would be chasing your BIG dreams, fighting your BIG battles and making a heap of your accomplishments remember that life is not about the big stuff only but it is the smaller things in life which adds up to it. Ours has been the generation that saw the “By-Scope”, Kite Flying and Sunday morning Doordarshan’s Programmes (I wonder if you will ask me what is it)….and gradually grew to FBs, YouTube and Smart devices as I am sure yours would be even more technologically advanced…but remember as I say this ….Respect for elders, Love for all God’s creation and compassion for less fortunate never goes out of fashion.

Be respectful to ladies and open the Car door for them, Give your seat to that elderly gentleman while travelling on local transport and stand up for what is right than what is easy. I repeat what Rudyard Kipling said “If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,” both of you will make fine men. You will be distinguished by your talent but remembered for how you treated people.

Never forget to tell your Mom that how much both of you love her remember you are still attached to her by an invisible umbilical cord, and call her everyday once you have grown and left her nest. Always pay your debts. While it’s great to avoid debt altogether, if you do owe money – pay it. Never take what is not rightfully yours. If the books in your shelf take up more space than your movie collection or your games Blu Rays (Hope it is still Blu Ray) – I think you will be doing just fine.

It is all right to be scared, what is important is to face your fears that’s when you will conquer them, it’s ok to say “I am sorry” ,Do a good deed every day, Have a firm grip when you shake hands and look the person in the eye when you talk to someone. Say your prayers and ask for forgiveness.

Follow the law of the land and give generously. But as I dispense my advice, I want both of you to know that we want you to live your life like it's yours to live. Really live. And when you do, we will be the happiest person in the world. God bless you…They have wheeled your Mamma out of the OT, let’s go... and say “Hi” to her…