I won Second Place

hello chithra

a story with a message
of a woman
who at first had the heart
of a flower
with the parting
of a loved one
she became steel
to guide her daughters by...
life's ups and downs...
nee ezhuthuvaay enru theriyum
ippa thaan
theriyum
kathayum
viduvaay enru...

sathya

Hi AC,

A very moving story.....

for your style of narration...kept me hooked till the end..

Usually a women is made strong when she faces the toughest situation.....

Regarding parents, in my case, it was my appa who was strong after my mom's death..I was in final yr of my post graduation and my brother just into college...
and my akka had delivered a baby few months before.

Though he was completely shattered at the unexpected passing away of mom, he remained strong for us and saw to it that we too remain brave in that situation.

It must have been mentally too tough for him..but he never wanted to show us that..

I am not sure, if my mom could have handled it as he did.......

Thanks for the story...
bye

Hi AC
Wonderful story and so touchy one............
When something happens God always helps you to face the life more bravely, this can be understood by those who go through it.
A beautiful story

Originally Posted by sundarusha

Dear AC

a very touching story,indeed! You are turning into an expert story teller!

I like that you choose rural settings and you must be very fond of "thinnai" as I remember it from another story that you had written.

This reminds me of the visits to my grandparents' home during summer holidays to Thanjavur and enjoying the "thinnai" , the well , the Kundumani tree, and the Makizhamppoo flowers!

Usha my friend
Thank you for your kind words.. You are also turning into a wonderful motivator with your replies and words of encouragement.. for me it goes a long way indeed.
The Thinnai is a favorite of mine. I regret now we have a house where we are not able to put the reclining chairs out front and have the ferns around us. Also more trees would be nice!
And the flowers and the faint smell they carry.. maybe once we get old, dh and I could go and settle in one of these villages.. my dad tells me the villages have changed too and not the same anymore. Hope the thinnai is still there:)
Thanks for sharing my thoughts on Thinnai:)

Originally Posted by sunkan

wonderful narration,
very well said, if woman go second they can do wonders in taking care of the children and looking after their future, but then the other problems like the loneliness of a widow, as she will not be accepted along with the daughter is another thing she should plan well in advance, nowadays they remarry like my friend gina short for georgina married col kumar, and both are happy to have company, but then how many woman have the guts to take the plunge, when young somehow the parents say i am telling you he is a nice guy have rechecked his credentials, the second innings the woman has to do on her own, and she has to be lucky in getting the right guy, other wise the single widowhood is at peace with no interference and life goes on, very nice story, she had some one to stand and consult that is the lucky part here...sunkan

Dear Sundari
Your reply reflects your experience to a great extent. Like you say the second time around its difficult to take the plunge and not as easy. Imagine plight for some who have only one kid!.. The kids have their own lives and get caught up with work etc. So far the joint family system has helped. Even my own grandmother who stays in a flat in Bombay begs my mother to take her back to Madras so she can remain with the taste and flavor unique to madras!..

Originally Posted by lalitha shivaguru

Dearest Ac,

You have done it Again dear! What a wonderful narration I just forgot to blink. I read it in one shot. It is very true though women want to go before their husband but unfortunately men are emotionally very weak. This is from my personal experience. My mother used to say the samething but one fine morning dad left all of us. My mother declined to come and stay near my house and she used to stay alone..... It was a very trying time but she has come out of it. Now my brother is staying with her but I alsways tell her If the reverse had happened, knowing my father I know he would not have managed at all.

Lallu my friend
It is what i wish for too.. We make plans but never know what is in store for us. Also just like we need to plan for retirement one needs to be prepared for this eventuality..
Not all men are emotianally weak and not all women are strong too.. But God provides support. Some help appears and life goes on.. Thank you for your kind words!

Dear AC Mam....

Very nice story ..you have narrated it wondefully.. crafted with a very natural character exsiting in woman mind.....

You rock. Mam ..Expecting more stories from you...

Originally Posted by jaishree9

Dear Chitra
A very nice story & having its base in day to day life The courage of shivkami was outstanding .Yes it is true that females can have greater endurence than men.
Regards.

Dear Jaishree
Maybe women have it in their dna to endure to suffer.. If you observe throughout history being the physically weaker sex we have had to put up with abuse, torture, harasment and rape to just to name a few.. So we probably have it in us to endure!.. and sometimes we need to tap on those resources to surive!

Originally Posted by sharadha

Hi Chitra,

Loverly narration. This story is an apt example for the saying " Man proposes but god disposes".

We keep thinking what we know and decide is the best for us but god makes us understand that there are a few things which would suit us better the other way.

Dear Sharadha
God manages to set things in motion to keep reminding us our purpose in life and our reasons for taking this life..
Sometimes one would rather forget the purpose and just enjoy what the senses can perceive..
And like you say that is when God makus us understand that there are few things which would suit us better the other way!

Originally Posted by anupamakalyan

Wonderful Story and a great thought.....anandchithra....
I somehow feel that whenever a girl/guy faces a personal problem...mothers can handle the issue easily and effectively than fathers....That makes a mother always mentally stronger than fathers even though there mighty be a handful of cases otherwise...

anyways....this was a truely great one

Cheers!!
Anu

Anu
Thank you for your kind words of appreciation.. most times mothers handle but sometimes fathers do too.. My father inlaw helped me many times to handle and so there are father who canhandle too.. but inhis case he left first and I watched my motherinlaw who was a softer person get tough!