Amma
May 31 2006.
Today is a very special day. Amma is entering a new phase in her life, Retirement after being employed for 33 whole years.
When I think of amma, the image that flashes in my mind is that of an extremely pious, hardworking and a very sincere worker. Amma has a charm about her. Her friends circle is really big and ranges from the cute four year old opposite to her home who will be waiting by the door to share with her a funny event of the day to the 80 year old gentleman complaining about the youth of today. She made time for everyone no matter how busy or tired she was.
Hailing from a tiny village in the South of India, amma dreamed big. In the days when girls got married at the age of 16, she wanted to be a doctor. The fact that she studied in a tamil medium school didn't deter her from achieving her goal. Thatha didn't have the heart to say no seeing her determination and soon she landed in Tirunelveli Medical College which had been started just that year.
She worked in various little villages in and around Tirunelveli and the various mementoes at home reminded us of the service she rendered and reminded her of the untold inkling of love and warmth she shared with the innocent village folks. Her other roles as a wife, a daughter-in-law and a mother forced a change in her career. She began teaching. From a humble tutor, She climbed the ladder to become an Assistant professor, an Associate Professor, Professor and retired as a Director in her chosen field.
She lived by Albert Einstein's words,
" Teaching should be such that what is offered is perceived as a valuable gift and not as a hard duty."
Teaching for a class of two hundred medicos require guts and knowledge. I have seen her preparing meticulously for several hours to give an hours lecture. It is always a full house in her class and there would always be pin drop silence. Never once has she delivered anything less than the best of her knowledge and ability to her students.
Her long, fruitful and mutually rewarding career as a professor has drawn to a close and understandably she is very emotional about it. I really wish that amma would be more positive about retirement and sincerely hope that she does not equate this to old age. We keep telling her to look at retirement as one long vacation where they both can finally live their life just for themselves, follow their hearts and passions that they have stashed away and forgotten all these years.
She has worked very hard all these years and I hope both amma and appa enjoy their retirement.
Heres wishing amma a happy and a healthy retired life and of course several peaceful years ahead..
Today is a very special day. Amma is entering a new phase in her life, Retirement after being employed for 33 whole years.
When I think of amma, the image that flashes in my mind is that of an extremely pious, hardworking and a very sincere worker. Amma has a charm about her. Her friends circle is really big and ranges from the cute four year old opposite to her home who will be waiting by the door to share with her a funny event of the day to the 80 year old gentleman complaining about the youth of today. She made time for everyone no matter how busy or tired she was.
Hailing from a tiny village in the South of India, amma dreamed big. In the days when girls got married at the age of 16, she wanted to be a doctor. The fact that she studied in a tamil medium school didn't deter her from achieving her goal. Thatha didn't have the heart to say no seeing her determination and soon she landed in Tirunelveli Medical College which had been started just that year.
She worked in various little villages in and around Tirunelveli and the various mementoes at home reminded us of the service she rendered and reminded her of the untold inkling of love and warmth she shared with the innocent village folks. Her other roles as a wife, a daughter-in-law and a mother forced a change in her career. She began teaching. From a humble tutor, She climbed the ladder to become an Assistant professor, an Associate Professor, Professor and retired as a Director in her chosen field.
She lived by Albert Einstein's words,
" Teaching should be such that what is offered is perceived as a valuable gift and not as a hard duty."
Teaching for a class of two hundred medicos require guts and knowledge. I have seen her preparing meticulously for several hours to give an hours lecture. It is always a full house in her class and there would always be pin drop silence. Never once has she delivered anything less than the best of her knowledge and ability to her students.
Her long, fruitful and mutually rewarding career as a professor has drawn to a close and understandably she is very emotional about it. I really wish that amma would be more positive about retirement and sincerely hope that she does not equate this to old age. We keep telling her to look at retirement as one long vacation where they both can finally live their life just for themselves, follow their hearts and passions that they have stashed away and forgotten all these years.
She has worked very hard all these years and I hope both amma and appa enjoy their retirement.
Heres wishing amma a happy and a healthy retired life and of course several peaceful years ahead..
posted by Raji at Wednesday, June 07, 2006
10 Comments:
Just stopped by to say hello, you have a wonderful blog and you write well.
wowwww, nice post, Raji. Ya, farewell, retirement elaam bayangra senti yaa irukum. Hope she comes out of it and enjoy her long vacation with Appa :-) Ah, enaku elaam eppadaa retirement kedaikumnu iruku ippavae :p
starry nights,
Really pleased to see you here. Thanks for your compliments.
Btw, who is that cute little girl in your profile. I really like that picture.
J,
Thank you..
>>Ah, enaku elaam eppadaa retirement kedaikumnu iruku ippavae :p
Really J, We think alike .. thats exactly what I told amma.. avanga as usual
Naan kashtama irukunu solluraen, unakku kindala irukanu kaekuraanga!!! hmm..
they never understand that we really mean it illai..:-)
A lovely post, Raji. You write so well..:).
Sailaja,
What a surprise!!!!! I'm an avid reader of your food blog.
I just left a comment in your blog literally seconds ago and surprise of surprise, I find you here.
Thank you for your compliments. That was really kind of you.
....ur mom is great...& ur grandfather too...
...me too planning an early retirement from the industry and planning to become a prof....lets see what life has for me.....
...seri raji poondu kuzhambu try pannengala??
Me,
Prof a? thats really cool..
Naan unga samayal aarvam paarthu, chef aga aveengalonu ninaichen.:)
couldnt get cocunut milk. indha vaaram definitea try panni ungalukku result solluraen.
Hi Raji,
That's one special Amma you have! Her students will miss her, but this is her time to do what she wants to do.
Here's to a nice retirement.
Priya.
Priya,
My! My! MY! how did I miss your comment? I'm so glad that you visited my site. You are one of the people who inspired me to start a blog.
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