Dear Mother,
We appreciate the work you do, the effort you take. Immense respect.
We love you.
If you ask “how was the palya and the payasa and the dal” that you prepared today, we are going to say something that is diplomatic, something that is not going to hurt you. Probably a lie.
So, don’t ask. If your palya or payasa or dal stands out, we will let you know. We will make sure you hear about it. If your curry is remarkable, no matter what, we will shout out loud.
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And you, even you don’t need to ask. We will let you know. Until then keep doing. When your work is worth making remark about, it’ll be made and you’ll know.
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Image: marthouli
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The best part of your posts are, you bring in real life situations, things that we see or do or encounter everyday and use them meaningfully to bring your message across.
Really like that. its so connectable.
I hope to continue doing that. Your feedback very much appreciated!
Thank you Tejaswi.
If I were your mom, I would have replied as below..
Dear magane,
Look beyond my “work” of preparing the curry.
I ask you if the palya is good not as a quality check of how the “palya” in question is, but about how you are feeling, because thats what really concerns me.
Preparing palya is not my work, ensuring you are happy is.
Love,
Amma
Rajesh is right on!
Another letter.
Bangaara,
These days you don’t talk to me. When you were young, you used to tell me everything that happened in school. I ask you how is palya and payasa to drag you into a conversation. Even if you say I am not cooking as well as used to, that is fine. I just love to hear your words.
amma
Appreciate you guys writing those letters to me. Thanks!
Two things I want to mention
- This is a letter which I intend (and hope) my mother would never read
- The subject I wanted to discuss in this post was work that matters (as in art), the recognition and the remarkability of it. Though I make no false statement in this post, the expression ‘Letter to mother’ was the intended metaphor, cooking referred to art. But I guess I was not successful in the conveying the above here.