Ani! prove me you are good in Math! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SON!

Happy Birthday Ani!

You are 14 today!

Prove me that you are a Math geek! Tell me how to simplify 14 to 4 if not 1.

Jokes apart, I want to tell you that, I loved every moment of these fourteen years and the love I feel for you can't increase any further, it reached its optimum limit I guess, if there is one.

Like all moms, I want to start this letter to you, from the day you were born... Unlike all mothers, I didn't see you the moment you were born. I was unconscious for 14 hours and I saw you not on the day you were born. I saw you the next day. You came out of me at 15.25 on 1st July and I saw you on 2nd July at 6.25 AM. I saw your tiny hands curled tight, I opened it to find long pink nails, slender and soft. Oh my god! that was THE day. Tears coursed through my eyes. You were born 25 days early and was barely 2.75 kgs. A scratch on your nose, long long lashes and when you opened your eyes, it was slate grey and I fell in love with you. But you did look like a skinned chicken, with all peeled skin... not great looking but looked like a 'boy angel' to me. From there time flew.

On the 13th day you started to cough bad, really bad and to my horror it developed into pneumonia and every day you had to have two shots. Baby! I was damn scared, prayed all the gods. My prayers were answered.

From then, it was all fun. From 2.75 kgs, in two months you became 5.5 kgs and when you were 9 months, you became 9.60 and had to carry you on both the arms.  Everyone passing by me, would stop to look at you and I was one proud mother. You were the most beautiful baby, this world ever would have seen.

I left my job, to be with you when you were 3 days short of your first birthday and stayed with you for 8 years after that.  I miss the day, when you first went to school crying. I stood at the gates of your school, wondering if you were still crying. I cried myself too. And found to my horror, that you were missing when your section kids came out. Every one was searching for you and you came out of "B" section with an angelic smile, instead of "A". I still remember the next day, you wanted to go to "B" instead of "A", coz you loved Sujatha miss better than Thangam miss. You told me Sujatha miss looks beautiful than Thangam miss :(

I miss those days, when I was home and waiting for you to come from school and you go blah blah blah on the teachers and your friends and I stuffed food, in your mouth...

I missed those days, when we spent before TV dancing, singing, playing and studying.  I recall both of us singing "Puffer train, puffer train, noisy little puffer train".

"Stop" says the red light,
"Go" says the green,
"Get ready" says the amber.
 Blinking and blinking.

However, I tried hard to make you recite, "blinking and blinking", you used to lisp, "blink in a blinking".  You used to say "blue" instead of "green", as you like Blue.

You grew, like all of us did, only that you had five of us, to shower our love on you. You became the world for all of us. Thatha, paati, appa, me and maama.  Srik, used to call you "Jillu" and the moment you hear his voice through the door, you will start to jump and impatient for me to open the door.  I remember your always serious face, similar to that of our former Late PM. Mr. Narasimha Rao, breaking in to a cool smile, the moment we pick the camera. The transformation is unbelievable and amazing.

I am proud that you are turning out to be a TT champion. I don't care if you play league or for state or for country.  Every match you play and win or lose, you are my champion. I know, I was not there next to you, when you wanted me to cheer you. I missed those moments and I will make sure, I will be with you from now on.

Years passed by and you became silent all of a sudden.  You are either silent or angry and I got engrossed in my work.... we got to shed this and head to how we used to be...Friends! damn good at that. Promise me that you will include me in your circle of friends and more than a mom, I want to be your friend and I want to be there next to you, whenever you feel like talking. Won't smother you with love and make you uncomfortable, but will be waiting behind you and you only have to turn to find me following in a safe ;) distance.

This post would bore my readers, but it is meant for you and me! I wanted to write to you as an e-mail, but I am making some promises here and I want to do it in public, so that I will never go back on those promises.

Happy Birthday Son! yeah, I am growing up too...

If only you can prove that you are a Math geek... Sigh!