Who da man?

We took a vacation to India, not too long ago. Lata, Jay and Vinny left ahead of time by about 3 weeks and I was to join later. Before they left on the trip, I had a man to son talk with Jay, explaining that he was the man of the house when Dad was not around and he had to take care of Mom and Vinny. He was really proud that I would assign him that job.
Few days later while I was here in Chicago and they were in Baroda, I was talking to him ( he was tired and jet lagged ), he said "Dad, I am really tired of being the man. Can I please take a break now? I don't want to be the man anymore :-). So I replied ' Sure Jay, I know it is hard being a man....take a break and let me know when you can be the man again". To which he gladly agreed.

Kid logic

Here is what my 6 year old son Jay's thoughts are on how a person comes into this world:

Mommy and Daddy pray to God with folded hands for a baby. God puts the baby in Mommy's tummy. It stays there for a while and grows big. Then they go to the hospital and the doctor takes the baby out and gives it to them to feed and clothe and take care.

Simple... ain't it :-)?

My Mother, Pappykutty Saraswati Amma.

Yesterday was Amma's birthday, she would have been 68. God bless her gentle soul. Here is a prayer she would often recite and ironically is symbolic of her life:

"Oottamayulloru Ettumanoorennu kettitteyulloo jnan poyittilla !
Pokenam avidekkay, kanenam Bhagavane,ennurach-anpodu yatrayayi.
Kunnum malakalum, kundum kuzhikalum, vrukshangal-onnum thanalum-illa;
Vellam kutiyanjittullam thalarunnu, deham thalarnitha veenitunnu,
Kaasum kayyililla, kattum thanal-illa,aarum thunayilla ee vazhikku;
Ingine chellumbol valiya kulam kandu, valiya kulathil kulichu vannu.
Ponnum kotimaram, ratna kotikkoora, azhaka`-thazhikutam kanaay vannu;
Mandapam thannil irikkunna yakshikku,azha-kaasum patta`da kazhcha vachu;
Hara-Hara nadhante thirunatayil chennu, thaanu-veenu-anpodu kumbidunnen.
Valiya vilakkile` mashiyetuth-anpodu, kannum-ezhuthi kai kooppidunnen.
ottamayulloru Ettumanoorappa, Pottee jnan nin-paadam kumbidunnen ! "