Adventures of Raghu - Nani, a pillar of strength and compassion

"Nani is coming today Dev!" cried out Raghu to Dev, ecstatic at the news that his maternal grandmother would be arriving from her village soon. "Wow! Then we'll get to hear loads of stories!" exclaimed Dev.

Raghu and nani shared a precious bond of storytelling. That too the kind of stories Raghu loved most! Her stories were often set in the outdoors with a rural setting to them. They almost always included children climbing trees, women going to the stream to fetch water, or people sitting near the river hearing its sounds and watching it flow. The elements of nature always played a significant role in the stories, whether water, earth or the sky. There were also small incidents she would narrate from her own life, growing up in the village, set amidst nature.

Nani had a very calm and balanced disposition. One could never see her screaming or getting angry at anyone at home. People around her almost automatically settled down and were often laughing and chatting her her. Whether the vegetable vendor, the house maid or any guests who came home. She was an ocean of compassion and warmth. When she was at home, everyone wanted to be near her to draw energy, support and emotional balance from her. She was a pillar of strength in the household and everyone waited for the day nani would come visiting from her village.

Nani's life though had also been through many turmoils, but Raghu always wondered how she remained so calm despite all the situations she had been through. When Raghu would ask her, Nani would say - "We led a very routine life, waking up early with early morning walks, which included hearing birds chirping, taking care of the garden, touching the soil with our bare hands and watering the plants. Being with nature, also kept me constantly connected with myself and grounded in all my daily activities."

Raghu had another reason to love nani's presence. Notorious for often cycling off into the nearby forest, Raghu had complete freedom to go outdoors at whatever time he wished when nani was around. When Raghu's mother would get upset and worried at him riding off into the forest at absurd timings, nani would always tell his mother - "Let him go. This freedom to explore nature at his will is the best gift you will ever give him."

 Have you heard of Nature Deficit Disorder?