SUMMER NOSTALGIA

I heard the first of a song by Koel yesterday. The sound loud and clear reminds me – Summer’s coming. The Indian Summer is harsh but there are so many wonderful memories associated with it – it’s impossible not to feel elated

As a child, my Summer vacations were textbook-perfect. We traveled to the hills of Coorg, where my Grandparents lived in a quaint house, with cascading flowers all around and sunny red steps. 

One of my best memories is of wild mangoes in cane baskets in the backyard, with us kids hovering around like bees till everyone arrived at the scene. Eating mangoes easily turned into a loved family ritual. Sitting on steps and the floor, we didn’t need to care about the juices dripping down. Stories, anecdotes, laughter – sticky fingers and sticky smiling happy faces. 

There was also a well, we could draw water from to drink and wash up. For us city kids this was as enjoyable a task as eating the mangoes! 

Moments of tranquility crept up on you at unlikely places. The sunny steps, the temple courtyard, the sight of the single avocado tree in my granny’s garden surrounded by bushes of flowers. 

I think eventually we are all looking for some such moments of peace. This, in my opinion, comes from the very basics – family time, bird song, plucking your own fruit, drinking from a clean stream of water 

My journey to beforest was in search of such peace, as has been for many of our members. I believe I am close to the dream with this step. I have also met wonderful people who share this dream with me. Looking forward to great times ahead.