A HOUSE OR A HOME?

WHICH IS YOURS?

24th july,Friday.

2009

5p.m

Dear friends,

It was raining in the morning;but now the sky is clear.the sea is calm.the waves are not rough.after the day's catch,the boats are anchored.

i'm on leave as i felt like relaxing;forgetting the hectic schedule and i must tell you,a monsoon break does wonders.i've enough time to sit in the balcony and enjoy the beautiful sea.i love the multicoloured reflections in the water when it's twilight.ships come n go.far away,at the other end,i can see the beautiful hill top,donapaula.

shravan mas started yesterday, on Muppettu thursday.this month is full of festivals.nanda went to guruvayoor early morning.she tries to catch up with prayers n rituals.great!and lot of personal sacrifices from her side too.nanda,you are really blessed.then she describes the daily happenings to me on phone or in chats.i feel with her experiences!then i don't miss anything.

the nature is at its best.clouds sail in the sky,springs,waterfalls,rivers overflow in abundance with loud roars.fields wear a fresh green look,bright n shining.and the rain birds sing so melodiously.my sparrows love me more now;they started sitting on bedroom window panes too,building nests.when i lie down in my bed,looking at the swaying coconut leaves,n the waves of the sea,when the rain water splashes on my cheeks,they whisper-''we love you,anu.''that's enough,more than enough,anu's day is made.

the other day, i received a phone call from my colleague.he wanted me to explain the difference between a house and a home.this is my favourite question to many to make them confused;most of the people didn't think about the difference!and when my explanation went on till i was satisfied[he must have been satisfied long before],i decided to write a post on it.

my problem is,my short answers become long answers n my long answers become essays.often from school,i get the remarks in my answer sheets,''exceeds the word limit''.hey,how can i stop till i'm satisfied?you read whatever you want n let me write how much i want.agreed?you know what,one of my close friends,hardly read my posts fully but i'm grateful to him.he tells me he scans n reads. it's okey.unnecesary questions will not be asked.i know my posts are longer,but i can't help it.[hey,but i tell you,you will miss me n my posts when i disappear........you will miss anu's heart beats..............]

remembering my happy and cheerful childhood in my ancestoral house where we lived in a nalukettu as a joint family,where life had more clours n laughter filled the surroundings,i wrote this post.the more the merrier!we were taught to share and we felt happier!luxuries were less;but what comforts we had meant luxuries to us!the huge pambin kavu,teh small pambin kavu,the kalari,the prayers,the pujas built the strong beliefs in our minds.we had vast compound to play,two kulams[ponds]to take bath,deep kalkinar[well] to drink water.we enjoyed the cucumbers in the fields,the long payar[beans] in the landed property,the cows to give milks,the hens that gave eggs,the oxen that ploughed the fields,so many heplers to take care of us!ammamma,achan,amma,valiyamma,cheriyamma n so many cousins,n my siblings,what a wonderful childhood to hold close to my heart!that is the home,real home i would like to call !

dogs have kennels,cows have cowsheds,

we do build houses with raw materials.

a house protects us ,

from rain,sun ,storm n thieves.

the bigger the size, happier we are.

money is lavishly spent to furnish it,

comforts are purchased taking loans;

or selling ornaments;

but we want to make it wonderful,

in whatever way,we can.

the ultimate aim is to make it a dream house.

the savings of years is spent;

without second thoughts,

my house should be bigger,

than my neighbour's house!

and by the end of the construction,

many end their lives,

as the debts could not be repaid.

many of half built houes,

had to be sold with no balance left!

think it over,friends,

why should we do this?

we need a shelter blends with nature.

not a castle wasting the money.

now tell me dearies,

how many houses are real homes?

the love,the care and the unity,

among the members,

transform the house to a home.

spend time together however less it may be;

the get togethers at dining table is a must;

the prayer time is really precious,

bonding the love stronger.

festivals n celebrations are the occasions,

that bring us closer forever,

this can be the best home,

where we unwind,relax and enjoy.

the laughter,cheer and tears are shared,

where the various flowers bloom in the garden,

inviting the butterflies to flutter by,

and the birds build their nests on the trees.

away from the vices,come back,dearies,

your paradise is here in this earth!

it's anu signing off...............................

the month of Shravan is filled with religious fervour and love for Mother Nature.there is a general feeling of happiness,well being and devotion.we can go back to the strong values that always prevailed in most of our houses and still in few houses.love,care,kindness,soft feelings,deep concern for each other should be the raw materials that change a house to a home.and the name plate on the outer wall of each house will be-HOME,MY SWEET HOME.what a nice feeling!what a welcome !don't you agree with me?money can't buy this happiness;but our attitude can!

by whatever small ways we can adopt to spread cheer n smile,we must,i strongly believe!

an enviornment filled with peace n harmony.and it can be passed on to successive generations.

Amma's laughter,cries n sacrifices turn many houses to homes!to all those Ammas,i dedicate today's song..........anu loves and cares for you.

Amma mazha karinu kan niranju.................................

it's a cool evening.happy week end to all of you.anu loves you all.

sasneham,

anu