Very hard to describe what I saw in the subway today. She looked like any other 35 year old mom with her 3 year old son. Yet, something was very different about them. The two were lost in deep conversations with each other, totally oblivious to the world around them. She was very mom-like, yet spoke to her son like a 3 year old kid. The child was very happy, very cheerful, asked lots of questions and seemed to be enjoying his mom’s company thoroughly. Not just me, but everyone else in the compartment were looking at the two!
That reminded me of a story.
::::
When you are 13 or 14 years old, you think that ‘nagging you’ is the sole purpose of your parents, isn’t it? 
On one such day, years ago, I was getting ready for school and it was already late. I was wearing my socks carelessly (as usual):
Dad (exclaimed): अरे जरा लक्ष दे! Hey, pay some attention!
Me (irritated): काय झालं? What’s wrong? – (To myself: ‘He is so annoying.’)
Dad: मोजे उल्टे घालतोएस You are wearing your socks inside out. – (I looked. Indeed the stitches were on the outside.)
Me (dismissively): जाऊ दे ना, कोण बघतय! Oh forget it, no one’s gonna notice anyway!
…
Dad: कुणी कशाला बघितलं पाहिजे, तु स्वतः नाही बघणार का? Why bother about anyone else noticing, won’t YOU notice it yourself?
Translation obviously not strong enough.
At that time I must have dismissed it as yet another ‘dad-talk.’ But in no time I learnt the immense value of this statement. I learnt the importance of setting high self standards regardless of other people’s low expectations. Doing things not to impress others, but to impress myself. I can write a long essay on this, but hey that’s not the intent of this post. So, picking up the cue ‘focus on other people, not on yourself’ from Randy Pausch’s ‘Last Lecture’, I simply wanted to say:
“Happy Birthday Dad!”
wait, that’s not all,
“Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad 
”
Just in case you wondered who the awesomemost parents in the world were.
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Very good post (nothing new) topped with lovely pic!
My wishes too for the lovely couple and great parents.
↵dude, I remember this one. I preach it to anyone else I see wearin socks. happy birthday to your dad and anniversary to both. so he got married on his birthday?!
↵Short and sweet post with a great message.
Made me smile. Happy B’day to your dad and Happy Anniversary to them. What a million dollar smile they have.
P.S.- You resemble your mom.
One question- Shall I take it off topic ? I have been noticing in your posts… how do you make your photos not to appear in feeds ? Sure way to ward off those evils at plagiarism.
↵Sweet!
↵Lovely post.
↵Mandar:
↵Wow, I didn’t know you were watching my posts too! Thanks!
I have read a story somewhere once – A sculptor was once creating two exactly similar sculptures. He was ordered to create only one. The sculpture was to be kept on top of a hill. When asked why he was creating two of them, he replied – Because one of them is having a scratch on its nose. The person asked him – Who will know. It will be kept on top of a hill. No one will notice.
↵The sculptor replied – I will.
Its important to see things sometime with your own eyes rather than how the world would see them.
Congratulate your parents on my behalf too.
You look more like your mom.
Rick:
↵Well my dad’s birthday is today according to the Gregorian calendar. But my parents anniversary falls on the Indian festival of Dasara which is coincidentally today.
Cuckoo:
They do have million dollar everything, but (unfortunately) no million dollars literally …. LOL
Thanks
I’ve emailed you my reply but here it is again anyway:
↵It is possible to edit the Feed XML to remove any image tags in it. That said, I don’t do it. Google reader (which I use) displays photos after some delay and if you hang on, they will surely be displayed. Oh, some readers have built-in feature to suppress images, videos and such media.
Thanks Shantanu and Wendy
↵Precise and to the point!!! Perfect… Loved it…
↵Amit:
Wow, that’s a fantastic story !
But from personal experience, this habit leads you slowly to someone who is over-attentive to details, which is not always a good thing
Thanks for the wishes. They do read this blog once in a while.
↵Thanks! Swap.
↵Happy Vijaya Dashmi. May we all destroy the evil within us.
Many good wishes to you for the festival and to your parents for Dasera, Birthday and (tithi pramane) Anniversary.
(aatach blog update karun ithe aalo)
↵Yes Pri, this is a happy occasion in everyway, post tht I like to see, Vijaya Dashami, birthday, anniversary and ur happiness too and the good will of so many pple who hve cmmntd and come to share ur joys here – does feel like its great being alive..good wishes for ur Dad, thrs such happiness in ur Mom’s face, made me smile too. thx.
greetings to all ur readers too on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami, may we all find the strenghth to do away the evil withn ourselves, amen.
↵प्र: रावणाच्या लंकेला “सोन्याची लंका” का म्हणतात ?
उ: कारण लहानपणी रावणाला “सोन्या” म्हणायचे
Happy Dassera to everyone!
↵Mavin:
↵Thanks for the wishes, and wishing you the same!
Around 12 years of dealing with Dutch people I have realised how important Birthdays are for them. One of the Dutch traditions I love is congratulating someone for a birthday in their family even if it may not be that persons birthday. So many congratulations! Your parents look very cute.
What language did you post that in? Is that Marathi? I think Gujarati has its own script. Finally Happy Anniversary to your parents as well and again congratulations to you. Have some cake and coffee on me and if you are ever here I will make it up to you.
↵Trisha:
↵It does feel great, thanks. Wish you a happy Vijaya Dashmi too
Hi Odzer:
Big thanks! [большое спасибо, that's Russian]
My mother tongue is Marathi, which is what I posted the conversation in. What a coincidence, I baked a chocolate cake today because I had this sudden craving. Nothing special, I bake cakes too often. But I’ll have another slice right now since you insist
LOL
↵“Sonya”.hahahahaha
I wonder what would Lanka be called if Ravana was called “Barkya”
↵i have had those irritating times with parents…mostly with my dad….and still do at times…but as i journey through life and see things in their perspective…im more understanding and respectful of the values they imbibed in me……
↵and you look so much like your mum!!!
happy dusshera!!!
hey u frgot to translate tht dialogue for Bengalis who dnt speak Marathi?!! cd only get Ravana’s name and guessed Lanka!
↵
a simple incident and so much significance .I guess our childhood will be an endless list of these ..wishes to your family
↵Hey cool post.
The 3 stages of a mans life,
My Dad can take your Dad.
Ahh Dad you don’t know nothing.
My Daddy used to say.
↵Mavin:
↵In that case I am sure we would have some other kind of joke
SS:
↵Thanks! Indeed it is not easy to be a parent
Trisha:
↵Cannot translate, I would if I could, the joke is a play of words in Marathi.
Lakshmi:
↵Thankyou! Little things like this matter so much isn’t it!
Bob:
↵Your comment sums it up perfectly! Thanks, very nicely put!
No need to say you blog awesome but this was touchy and to the point.
My best wishes to Aai- Baba. May God always bless them abundantly……………….
Have a lovely weekend!
↵Awadhle mala…..in short had an in-depth
↵Annie:
↵Thanks for the wishes so much! I am sure they have read and appreciated it!
Thanks Shivanand
↵Nice message Priyank. It’s like, even if no one may find out, I am aware and feel good about my beautiful underclothes.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful picture of your parents. My best wishes to them both and after your Russia tryst, I wish you have a wonderful time with them.
↵A very emotional post Priyank. Straight from the heart. Loved reading it. You resemble your mother I guess. She is very pretty.
↵It reminds of so many incidents that happened during my childhood
Belated wishes to your parents. Your mom is very pretty, you resemble her
↵Celine:
Its good to feel good internally. Thanks for the wishes.
↵Yes, I do that too
Prerna:
↵Thankyou Prerna! She is the prettiest mom indeed!
Manasa:
↵I hope you are writing down your childhood memories too. They are very special!