Dear Dan

Dear Dan,

I have learned so many things in life from you. I feel like writing it to you so that it would always be there no matter what. I learned from my life with you that affection need not be displayed and that it can be understood even when you are silent. I learned that having a fight would never alter your feelings or mine, now or forever. After a storm there will always be sunshine. I learned that God is truly love and he lives in us. 

I know there might be perfect couples out there but I love the way God paired us up. Perfect would be too boring. I love to wrestle with you, call you names, talk in the night till I fall asleep and fight for the last piece of chocolate in the fridge. Yes, I love being a kid with you. I find it beautiful that you are weird just like me. I love the way you give me my space, freedom and put up with my stubborn moronic behavior. I love to watch you sleep like a child each morning and I like the way you make me laugh (of course you have made me cry too – I never liked that :D).I love the way your ego works when after a fight you hold me in your arms in the night thinking I will never know because I am asleep.

When people told me that I would be making a grave mistake choosing to start my life with you, I believed in us. I am glad I did. Life was not a bed of roses, but we made it till here. Yes, the first few months were hard but I realized you are just like wine - the older you got, the better you turned out.

Of course you have your anger, impatience, and craziness that comes with the package, but Love does conquer all. Celebrating 2 years of our roller-coaster life together on this day, it just feels like getting married all over again.

The Prodigal Son

"As the Sun rises each day so will I rise to show the world that I am not a gas-bag"

These words were written by a really great person. Any guesses? It was by my brother - Gibson. It might have had a taste of corniness to it before but not anymore.

My brother was, in my words, a guy who never liked to be tied down, totally irresponsible, and a free-willed person. I grew up very close to him. We used to be a pair at home during childhood, always against my younger sister (yeah, we do that now too ;) ) However, as years sped I felt that he had an easy life (atleast that's what I thought). He was the apple of the eye to my dad. He had more freedom than me and my sister and I found that very annoying. When we were in our late teens we started having lots of differences and we fought a LOT. Then he left off to Chennai and as usual being a first-timer in Chennai, he had all the fun.

When his exam results came, he had  arrears in almost all subjects. Professors from his college would call home complaining about his laziness and poor attendance. My dad would be irritated and sad at times looking at his progress. Then he moved into his own apartment during second year and he became even worse with his academics. There was even a time when he was about to be debarred but thankfully that did not happen. He hardly came home, not even during Christmas. That was the time I found his diary, usually kept for writing contact numbers and codes. He wrote this line and also a page of how he would keep my dad proud and come out as a graduate. This he wrote when my dad went to Chennai to join him in college. My dad only went for Gibson's admission. Mine and my sister's was done by my mom. Finally, he finished college with 34 arrears.

Then he felt a little remorse so he joined Sutherland and decided to work and study. In the end he had 4 arrears - all maths. He was allergic to maths. That's when my dad fell sick. My brother took care of my dad for a month, washing his wounds and staying in horrid hospitals. He slept on the floor. There was no greater gift for my dad than to see his darling boy take care of him. I never expected that from Gibson. Noone did. In a month  my dad was gone and I still have the image of how my brother cried like a child in front of my eyes. He passed right the next semester becoming an engineer.

I went to Chennai last week, and I saw him in his car. He has an awesome job and with that he got a second hand car. He could get any car asking my mom if he wanted, but he wasn't that brat that was 5 years ago. He took care of us during our stay in Chennai. I was looking at him talk to everyone with such mannerisms. I felt swollen with pride. I can only imagine what my dad would feel at this instant, he would just give the whole world to him. I saw in him care and affection. I saw a responsible, hardworking, loving person in him that day. That's when I saw my dad in him and tears welled up.You are not a gasbag, I think you proved that to us.